Abstract This paper examines how in the two novels "Johnny Got His Gun" by Dalton Trumbo and "Little Big Man" by Thomas Berger, individuals are changed greatly by war. It discusses how although both novels show war as a foolish endeavor which no one really wins, the authors treat war in different ways. It analyzes how Berger includes scenes of battle in his book, while Trumbo concentrates on the aftermath of war in the form of one blinded and crippled individual whose outer life has been taken completely from him, leaving him only an inner life of memory and immediate sensation. It also looks at how Berger presents his images of war in a comic manner, highlighting the foolishness and insanity of war through exaggeration and in his choice of details and how Trumbo's entire book represents the futility of war and the horror for those who are wounded.
From the Paper "Jack Crabb changes in various ways throughout the novel, shifting his personality to fit into the different worlds he finds himself in, first a settler, then an Indian, then a cavalry soldier, and always a man seeking to keep ahead of his fate. For Jack, war has different faces, depending on which side he is on at the time. This fact alone shows how war changes him, for he becomes what others want him to be. When with the Indians, he is told, "My son, those are white people that we are going to destroy" (Berger 91). When he is with the cavalry, he hears similar sentiment about how they are going to kill the Indian. For the real effect of war on the human psyche, there is Custer, who seems to be veering into insanity as he continues his campaign. War itself is depicted as insane, and it is not surprising that some of the warriors are as well, especially a committed leader like Custer."
Abstract This paper shows how Thomas Berger's novel, "Little Big Man", forces the reader to reconsider accepted versions of the history of the West and to see the Cheyenne Indians as more than barbarians. The west was not simply a place for adventure and myth, but a violent place filled with loss on all sides.
From the Paper "Thomas Berger's Little Big Man is a connection between fictional narratives and historical writing in which he gives images of the Cheyenne's lifestyles, beliefs, and practices. Berger revisits the world of the American West, calling into question many of the popular ideas of the West. Little Big Man pairs the development of the West with the life of the narrator, Jack Crabb, the 111-year-old survivor of Custer's Last Stand. Crabb's life and encounters with various characters allow for an insight into the culture of the Cheyenne. Berger shows the reader both sides of the Cheyennes in his portrayal of them as being warriors and compassionate people."
