Reasons Behind Writing "A Rumor of War"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the several reasons why Caputo chose to write such a book about the military conflicts of this century. The paper first explains that Caputo wrote in order to illustrate how war is both repulsive and compelling. He also wished to explain the similarity of impulse that lies behind going to war and writing about it. It then shows how Caputo explains the ways in which war is inevitable regardless of historical circumstance; and why the specifics of the war were inevitable given the emotional, cultural and political aftermath of WWII. Other reasons mentioned are the need to explain to those who have not been soldiers how powerless armed soldiers can feel and to celebrate the stories of working-class American men.

From the Paper:

"Philip Caputo's novel about his own experiences in Vietnam -- A Rumor of War - is one of the finest books written about the military conflicts in this century, for he combines the ability to glorify personal bravery while disparaging the real results and effects of war. He can make us see the reality of a soldier's life in the fundamentally simple terms of everyday survival and also show us how this meshes with the complexities of global politics. After reading his books, one almost believes that if all the world's leaders had to sit down and read A Rumor of War once a year, then perhaps we, as a species, could get beyond this stage of periodic carnage in the name of justice and the Fatherland and the virtues of Democracy. This is one of the reasons that Caputo seems to return again and again in his writing to the subject of war - to force the rest of us to take a much more critical look at this human activity and to consider alternatives - but his reasons for writing are much more complex than this, having roots deep within his upbringing, the culture of his times, his own personality, and the changing nature of war in the second half of the 20th century. This paper examines the reasons that Caputo wrote this book."

More papers on Reasons Behind Writing "A Rumor of War":

• Book Review # 109471 : "Philip Caputo's "A Rumor of War"
• Analytical Essay # 23453 : "A Rumor of War"
• Analytical Essay # 29979 : "A Rumor of War"

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