The New Technology of War Essay Example for Free

The New Technology of War Essay Tanks: Tanks were massive killing machines, which could hold many goods and many men. This was an advantage because before tanks were invented, the soldiers had to walk to and from different battlefields under the risk of shellfire. The tanks were obviously bullet proof and protective and could move through the battlefield. They could go through wire entanglements and cross enemy trenches. This was useful to make a space for friendly soldiers to attack and could push back the enemy frontline a few miles. The tanks were strong enough to carry massive guns capable of blowing down enemy trench walls from a 100 metres away. Ties meant that the enemy would be open so the friendly soldiers could shoot in. Because the tanks were so massive, they tear up mud by their caterpillar tracks, which make it a disadvantage for friendly troops to run and walk over. Many of the German trenches were too wide so the tanks front fell into the trenches instead of going over. Consequently if the machine gunners were close to the tank, they could put sticky bombs on the side of it. The tanks were sometimes unreliable and most broke down at the start. This meant that lots of them would be a waste of money. There were still many mechanical problems with tanks, but they proved themselves to be a weapon of the future. In the event, the full potential of the tank was not to be realised until it had been from its infantry support role. Once it appeared, backed by air power, the age of battlefield domination was over. Wars of movement were once possible. With machine guns the tanks were killing machines that were lethal. Machine guns: It provided rapid and sustained fire so you wouldnt waste valuable time reloading the weapon. This also meant that the enemy could be mowed down easily so that it could hold the frontline and was a very valuable defensive item. They were useful in planes because it was very hard to hit enemy planes so machine guns could fire randomly and fast so there would be a definite hit. The machine guns were very expensive and when in a time of war, countries were strapped for cash so they were very rare. They also used a lot of ammunition. Around 120 bullets were fired per minute so it would cost lots and lots of money to fuel it. The machine guns could not be used to attack because they were too heavy. Also if their own troops were going across, then the machine gunners would have to stop because they would kill their own men. The machine guns were a great invention and provided a fresh new start for some future technology. It proved useful in many battles. These machines mainly won some of these battles. Gas: The gas method was deadly and had never been seen before. It could spread through walls and trenches and went as far as it could until it diffused. This meant that you didnt always have to hit the right spot while releasing the gas. The gas could also kill people fast and could cloud the vision of many people so they would wander out, linking it to the tanks and so the tanks could move across without being seen or heard if the soldiers had gas masks on until the tanks came close. Usually to attack you would need to lose a few men at least but this new method meant that no friendly soldier would be hurt in the process. Although gas could kill quickly, it took a long time to get to its destination just like a zeppelin. Lots of gas was really needed to kill the enemy soldiers because the gas needed to be dense. This meant that it was expensive to use the gas and it wasnt always effective because most of the soldiers had gas masks after a few months. This meant that gas could be totally ineffective and so it would be such a waste of money on the gas. Gas, of course, could accidentally come back to your own trenches from wind coming your way. Gas was highly feared by many humans throughout Europe because many rumours had gone around that it was the work of the devil and could kill anything so when gasmasks were introduced it meant that many people were rushing around for them like they were a saviour. Planes and Zeppelins: Planes and zeppelins were very useful because there was warfare everywhere. On land, under ground and on water but now in the air. It was useful because no guns were able to fire up at 180à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ so planes were very unlikely to get shot down. They could drop bombs straight down on the enemy. This meant they could be accurate. Planes are linked with machineguns because of the use of them in planes so you didnt have to be accurate to shoot fighter planes. Zeppelins could be massive transport carriers of weapons and other goods. These sorts of machines would take a lot of time to make and be expensive which makes them like tanks. They were not always in the air and so had hangers and such where lots of bombers could easily blow them up before they could get into the air. Like most of technology, both sides would always find out the secret of the new machine so battles in the sky would always take place and would normally be a long battle or a stalemate. Planes were lightweight because they could not fly if they werent so this meant they had no armour so were unreliable. Planes and zeppelins were not used until the Second World War because earlier planes were unsuccessful and zeppelins hadnt been invented yet. But planes were found to be useful and they evolved around the war. The zeppelins were massive airplanes like air tanks ready to drop massive bombs. Modern Technology These modern methods were more effective, accurate and much more reliable. The older methods included horses, which were fast, but as animals they needed feeding, looking after and they needed rest so that meant they would have to wait prolonged periods for the chance to attack. It would cost money to feed the horse. They needed medicine to look after the horse as well. Dogs and pigeons were also used in the war for communication. Pigeons could fly distances of up to 60 miles and 80% of messages got through. But radio messages and telegraph wires were much more useful and would have direct contact with HQ and all messages would get through. So the older methods were fine for the time. Most battles did not take place and were stalemates so the newer technology was needed to break the stalemate and reach a quicker end of a battle, meaning a quicker war. But machine guns were meant to defend trenches and so were effective that they caused most of the stalemates. Many people had good ideas but tanks were the best and this pushed back enemy lines because enemy machine guns could not shoot them and waves of soldiers followed behind them. But tanks were for blowing up artillery not soldiers. So the army needed a weapon for killing masses of soldiers. The answer was gas. At first gas was used to knockout enemy soldiers but gradually more lethal gases were introduced. To kill, blind, maim and blister the enemy. Gas broke stalemates easily 178,500 British were hurt and 7,500 killed by gas. The Germans had 101,650 hurt and 5,350 killed. But then gas masks were invented and gas became so useless that some other machine was needed. Planes were used in earlier wars but were not effective but now new types were available so armies tried them and they seemed unstoppable by guns because they were so fast and there were battles in the air but as per usual there were guns to shoot down planes. So many new inventions were made and were, as you can see from my evidence, much more effective then old fashioned methods but there was always something to stop the new technology. The best defensive weapon is apparent to be the machinegun out of the new and old technology. This is because of the way it mowed down the enemy soldiers coming towards the trench. They could also be far apart because the gun could rotate up to 360à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. Even though it is a defensive weapon, it was most useful in attacking machines such as planes because of its quick fire. The best technology for attack was the planes because of their ability to pass over anything and have no boundaries unlike tanks, which cant pass over some trenches. They were able to break the stalemate by bombing front trenches and pushing the enemy back. New Technology and inventions were vital in breaking the stalemate in the war on the western front and completely replaced older fashioned methods. To discuss this we need to look at different parts of the sentence. To start off with New technology and inventions were vital to break the stalemate in the war can be discussed easily. It says that they were vital but they were not only used to break the stalemate they were used also to keep the stalemate (machine guns). Some were not vital to the breaking of the stalemate but some were just used to destroy the trenches but not actually cause enough damage to break the stalemate and push the enemy back. The second part of the sentence is and completely replaced older fashioned methods. The word completely should not be used because if all the modern technology failed then the soldiers would have to rely on the older methods. So the word completely should be changed to parts. The fact is that nothing is ever totally replaced or exterminated. For example small pox is still around in the world today but not in Europe and that is why it is like the new technology. It may have replaced the older fashioned methods in Europe but it still did not replace it in the whole world. For example in China at that time, many horses were still used at the time. This sentence only complies with the positive side of the effect of modern technology. It uses two main facts to present the idea that the modern technology was only good. Coming into the new century was a big time for the old 19th century people. They were a new generation of invention lovers who were not afraid of the new technology unlike the generation before them. So they welcomed the new machines not fearing what damage they could do because they had only experienced mostly good things from new machines. Conclusion: The whole point of the essay was not to find out both sides of the modern weapon findings. As I went over the project I found different ideas and views on how technology was good and needed and how European Warfare would have been better off without it. I found out which machines were useful and which caused more hassle than good. I found why people views were what they were and whether they were good enough or not. At first before I came into this project fully, my views were that all technology was for the best but some were not and some were vital for peace. Weapons can be used for peace but they are mostly used for war. I found that tanks, if not invented, would surely effect the damage felt on Britain. Most probably increasing it because of the way the British used it so much. I had also found that if the German machine gun had not been invented, that the Germans may have lost the war much quicker because of the way they fiercely mowed down enemy soldiers heading towards the trenches. I found that many people had to put their trust in the machines and use them because of the inevitable increase in use of them. Many people I have read about have pushed for an technological advance in weapon warfare where others have the sure belief that it will all end up wrong.

The Renaissance and Humanism Essay Example for Free

The Renaissance and Humanism Essay The middle ages were a time of ignorance and lack of progress. The church had taken over the majority of power in the western world, and feudalism kept everyone in their place so that a time continued where the people of Europe made practically no progress. Humanism is the belief that a person has the power and duty to be the best person they can be. The middle ages could have stretched on loner, but due to the black plague exterminating a third of the population, social and economic needs changed. People that did not have much power could be lifted to a higher rank simply because so many upper class people had died. It almost seems like the men and women that survived the plague were proving to god and themselves that they deserve to be alive because they had something to contribute to the new dynamic climate of the renaissance. Humanism was the most important philosophy to the renaissance because it encouraged the kind of glorification of self that was needed to get out of the dark ages. A renaissance man was a humanist, but a humanist did not have to be a renaissance man. A renaissance man is a classic and very specific person. He must be trained in diverse skills and be good at all of them. Many higher-ranking men at this time accomplished being a renaissance man. Leonardo de Vinci was an Italian renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientists, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, botanist and writer. His genius, perhaps more than any other figure, epitomized the renaissance humanist ideal. Leonardo de Vinci practiced humanism all his life and made many radical changes away from traditional western ways. His dissection of human bodies was the first time someone tried to understand the workings of man without any religion. Humanists like Leonardo do Vince caused conflict with religion because humanism spread through Italy and began effecting priests and other religious people. The humanist priests wanted to go back to the original holy texts, just to make sure what is being taught was really was needed to be taught. The focus on religion from the dark ages continued to the renaissance, after all. The great artists and writers were just using their  talents to celebrate god. Michelangelo was the most influential artist of the renaissance. His countless influences on western art mostly drew from his understanding of the figure. Pre renaissance art was very stiff and declarative in its nature. Michelangelo focused on the perfection of the human figure, a very humanist statement in his artwork. Humanism affected all aspects of the renaissance from art to politics. Humanists believed that there was a standard of excellence that had to be achieved by mastering many different skills. The ultimate humanist by that definition was Baldassare Castiglione. He was an Italian courtier, diplomat, soldier and a prominent author. His most influential writing was the Book of the Courtier; it remains the definitive account of renaissance court life. Because of this it is considered one of the renaissance’s most important works. He described a humanist and a renaissance man that knew exactly how to behave. The influence of this book caused an even bigger expansion of the renaissance. A sudden burst of intellectual and humanist light cut through the superstitious fog of the dark ages, and it was called the renaissance. Humanism started and drove this movement from within. A realization of the power of man, the intellectual expanse of religious philosophy, and the holiness of human beings each headed new ideas in western civilization.

Leaders In Family Businesses Business Essay

Leaders In Family Businesses Business Essay It is very difficult to identify the comparison between family and non-family business; it lies within the fact that there is not even a single accepted definition of family business to form the basis of research (Westhead and Cowling, 1998). This essay explores in isolation, the skills required in leaders in family and non-family businesses. Then, the skills required in these two categories of leaders are compared and contrasted. Various theories and concepts on family business are used to facilitate the process. Family business is a business in which familys involvement is a must, making the business different from others. Many researchers interpret the involvement of family as ownership management. (Chua et al.,1999) In a family business, managing the profits and losses are not the only thing that matters. Its all about understanding the family tradition, values and beliefs also to do succession planning. It is also important to make sure that there should not be any conflict between family members regarding the ownership and management. Indalecio(2012) said that there are some conflicts which typically happen due to the inability to separate personal and professional lives and also because of interest which varied from one member to other. Family businesses are mostly made up of strong relationship of trust, loyalty and communication and they have a shared vision. In a non family business, they mainly focus on the smooth functioning of the organization to make profits and also to expand the business. They dont need to worry about family values or tradition. As compared to family business employees are much more motivated in non family business. In Family business, they hire promote employees after considering relatives or any other family member which makes the non family employees lose motivation towards the work. This will lead to a limited growth and opportunities for the firm. (Indalecio,2012) Well discuss in detail that how the leaders require different skills to work in these two totally different types of businesses. As we know that Leader play the main role in running the business either it is emotion based or simply profit based. Well discuss about different theories of leadership in family business to differentiate the leadership style from non-family business. LEADERS IN FAMILY BUSINESS Leadership is not magnetic personality that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not making friends and influencing people, that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a persons vision to higher sights, the raising of a persons performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations (Peter F Drucker) The environment in a family business is very different from non family business for leaders and employees in the organization. Heuristic Model, defines leadership as the person, process, position, result where leader is an individual, a centered person who they are. The style adopted by them or sense-making or the way they get things done. They keep into consideration what those in authorities do and where they do it. As a result they achieve the purpose through mobilization like a leader achieve. (Grint,2010) Tagiuri and Davis (1996) stated the existence of shared vision, values and beliefs, as well as a long term orientation with loyalty and trust which is based on relationships as one of the important or strong advantage of family business as compared to a non family business. Which allows a family business to have a unique or clear identity and also a strong sense of success in their mission, they wish to undertake and concentrate on the efforts for what they can do best, which helps them to gain a competitive advantage (Ibrahim Ellis, 1994). Dyer (1986) and Sorensen, (2000) describes five description of the leadership that is exercised in family firms: participative, autocratic, laissez-faire, expert and referent. This author said that the head involves member in decision making and they guide through adapting, also have the capacity to motivate personal regards in others. Which allow these type of firms to achieve the goal expected by both the family and the business at the same time, and that leads to higher level of satisfaction commitment among the non-family employees. (Vallejo, 2009) (Figure 1) [Source: Vallejo, M.C. (2010), Pg. 6] A leader in a family firm should take care of some points which are very important for the success of the organization in a market place: family disputes, favoritism, running business emotionally, and limited growth, also a succession plan. Family disputes takes place mostly due to the varied interest of each family member towards business, their personal egos, and rivalries among them which spill into the business environment. Managing family and the business at same time is very delicate matter and it is also important that if a leader in a family firm wants someone from the family to join the business then he needs to create a company culture based on favoritism. In most of the cases everyone wants to help family but its totally wrong to hire, promote or pay someone just because of familial relationship, rather than hiring someone based on their actual merits and abilities. It is very difficult in a family firm to keep personal professional life in a separate way, and also not an easy task to separate your emotions from your business. Especially, giving a critical feedback or receiving it from someone you love is also a big problem. Mostly in family firms all leadership positions are always occupied by some family members which limits the growth of the company opportunities for non-family employees. Many talented and ambitious employees will lose their motivation and they will move on to another job. There should always be succession plan for family firms otherwise it will lead to failure. (Indalecio, 2012) LEADERS IN NON FAMILY BUSINESS A simple definition of leadership is that leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. (Ward, 2012) A leader in non-family business requires many types of skill for the better functioning of an organization. When it comes to the leadership quality in a leader for a non-family firm, we consider a leader who is ambitious, creative, self-reliable, inspiring, and innovative, also in addition to commitment determination, opportunity obsession, adaptability, self-motivated. (Timmons and spinelli, 2003) In a non-family business, mostly these are transformational leaders who motivate their followers to achieve a long term objectives rather than selfish short term goal. They have the ability to convince their followers to work hard for the achievement of the goal which leaders have in mind. This helps to motivate the followers that turns out to be self compensatory. (Bass, 1985, 1999) Leaders in a non-family firm dont worry about feuding, nepotism, emotions, values and beliefs of family, succession plans. They dont have a shared vision for the organization; everything is cleared about the goal they want to achieve for the expansion or growth of their organization. They have high growth opportunities for their employees because they never hire, promote, and criticize individuals on the basis of familial relationship. They only concentrate on the profits, motivation of employees, monitoring the performance, to gain competitive advantage for the benefit of the firm or to be successful in the market. (Indalecio, 2012) The Leader should be able to introduce a sense of value, respect, and to express a clear vision for the employees so that they can work accordingly. He should also pay attention to the need of the followers assign them particular projects for their personal growth, also teach followers to find a sensible path to examine a situation and also encourage them to be creative. (Bass, 1985) CONCLUSION In a firm, whether it is a family or non-family firm leaders are require running them. Mainly, for a non-family firm leader it is easy to run the organization as compare to a family firm leader. Because he has no tensions about the family values, beliefs, succession planning, family member interests or any other way to run a business in a manner so that it should survive for their upcoming generations. But for a family firm leader these all points matters a lot for their success in the market. The trust, loyalty, and relationship they make with their customers to gain sustainability. Family affect the business in each aspect if the firm doesnt have a Leader with all the leadership quality require operating a family business. In a family firm, leaders require a skill which helps the business to overcome the threats they get in running a family business. He should define the goal of the organization very clearly make sure that there is no partiality in hiring, promoting the employees, and it should be based on the individuals merits abilities. Outline the responsibilities role of each family member and hold them accountable. There should not be any communication gap and also run the business in a non emotional manner. For the advancement of your business everyone working for the organization should be on the same line either for promotion or criticism, also to have a succession plan for the survival of the business after he is gone. (Indalecio, 2012) There are different theories that explain these differences of skills required for a leader in a family a non-family firm. But the main thing is to understand the way a leader should work to keep the employees motivated and also provide them proper opportunities for their personal growth because a successful business is a mixture of different people with different skills. If a leader will follow these in a firms culture then this in turn will lead the organization to achieve their goal in a given time either it is a family business or a non-family business. Referencing: Bass, B. (1985). Leadership performance beyond expectations. New York: Academic Press. Bass, B. (1999). Two decades of research and development in transformational leadership. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. 8, pp. 9-32. Chua, J. H., Chrisman, J. J., and Sharma, P. (1999). Defining the family business by behavior. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 23(4), pp. 19-39. Dyer, W.G. (1986). Cultural Change in Family Firms: Anticipating and managing Business and Family Transitions. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass. Grint, K. (2010). Leadership, a very short introduction. Oxford University Press, London. Indalecio, T. (2012). 5 Common threats to a family business. About.Com : http://familybusiness.about.com/od/managementandoperations/a/commonthreats.htm [Accessed: 18 January 2012] Ibrahim, A. Ellis, W. (1994). Family business management: concepts and practice. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt. Sorensen, R.L. (2000).The Contribution of Leadership Style and Practices to Family and Business Success. Family Business Review. Vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 183-200. Tagiuri, R. and Davis, J.A. (1996). Bivalent attributes of the family firm. Family Business Review, Vol .9, pp. 199-208. Timmons, J. Spinelli, S. (2003). New venture creation: entrepreneurship for the 21st century (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Vallejo Martos, M. (2005). Cuando definir es una necesidad. Una propuesta integradora y operativa del concepto de empresa familiar. Investigaciones Europeas de Direccià ³n y Economà ­a de la Empresa. [The Need to Define: Towards an Integrative and Operational Definition of the Family Firm], 11, pp.151-171. Vallejo, M.C. (2009). Analytical Model of Leadership in Family Firms Under Transformational Theoretical Approach: An exploratory study. Family Business Review. pp. 6. Ward, S. (2012). Leadership. About.com: http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/leadership/g/leadership.htm [Accessed: 18 January 2012] Westhead, P., Howorth, C. and Cowling, M. (2002). Ownership and management issues in first generation and multi generation family firms. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 14(3), pp. 247-269.

Edna Pontellier’s Broken Wings in Kate Chopins The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

Broken Wings in The Awakening  Ã‚  Ã‚   Between the caged parrot with a huge cage â€Å"outside the door† that repeated â€Å"Get away! Get away! Damnation!† and Mr. Pontellier ‘s rebuke to his wife that she was â€Å"burnt beyond recognition,† and the description of him looking at his wife as â€Å"a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage.† the antenna went up. There is not a welcoming beckon in the very beginning and we are alerted to the dysfunction of a marriage all with a page or two. It is a sad beginning. The introduction of Robert Lebrun along with Edna sets up the triangle. We are told that â€Å"Robert talked a good deal about himself. He was very young, and did not know any better. Mrs. Pontellier talked a little more about herself for the same reason. Each was interested in what the other said.† Robert from the onset has â€Å"plans† although he and Edna talk she has none. When Mr. Pontellier returns from Klein's hotel and awakens Edna, with criticism about her care of the children , after a night out with the boys. We begin to see him as thoughtless and as eligible as Edna for the same criticism. She goes into the adjoining bedroom and cries. This indifference on the part of her husband triggers, â€Å"An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish.† At this point the antenna were up and the story began to accelerate. We are told that Mrs. Pontellier was not a â€Å"mother woman†. The mother women in the story are easy to know â€Å"they (were) fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood.† They grew wings as â€Å"ministering angels†. I noticed along with the caged birds in the opening of the story the number of bird images throughout. It is Mademoiselle Reisz that tells Edna, â€Å"The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth.’†Edna refers to her new home as â€Å"the pigeon-house†. It pleased her. â€Å"It at once assumed the intimate character of a home, while she herself invested it with charm which it reflected like a warm glow.

The Subject of Race in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

The Subject of Race in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness In 1899 Joseph Conrad published a short work of fiction called Heart of Darkness. This novella is often read, discussed, criticized in literature programs throughout the world. It is a work that allows us to tackle a variety of topics, and is therefore responded to in a variety of ways. The work itself as one critic puts it â€Å"might most usefully be considered hyper-canonized† (Padmini â€Å"Why† 104). The work is taught beyond the realm of a normal work in the literature program. Many forms of criticism have taken on the subject matter within the book. Feminism, psycho-analytic, Marxism have all had things to say about the novella. They’ve discussed things such as imperialism, the psychology of Marlow and Kurtz, the role of women in the novella (both literally and symbolically), all these issues are important topics in the novella. For a long time, however one crucial issue in the work was not addressed, that of race. It was not until 1975 when Chinua Achebe gave his famous lecture, â€Å"An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness† that the issue of race was tackled head on in Conrad’s work. It is this lecture that has become the cornerstone of writing and criticism of Heart of Darkness. It would be hard to find an essay since then that doesn’t in some way discuss or acknowledge Achebe’s essay. Even critic’s who do not use take into account historical or auto-biographical details of a work, such as Miller, have written responses to Achebe. In Miller’s essay â€Å"Should we read Heart of Darkness† he discusses, in his own way, the essence of Achebe’s argument that the novella should not be read because of it’s racist undertones. On critic has even gone on to say that Achebe’s essay has become a work included in the literature canon. The lecture given at the University of Massachusetts in early 1975 was published as an essay in The Massachusetts Review, and later republished in The Norton Critical Edition Heart of Darkness. Achebe’s main theme within the essay is â€Å"the need—in Western psychology to set up Africa as a foil to Europe† (â€Å"Image† 252). Within the context of this theme he goes on to criticize what he considers a work of â€Å"permanent literature†, Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

Iraq War :: essays research papers

Friday-January 16, 2004- 4:00p.m: I was watching 'Oprah' and a particular story struck me. It was about these young brides in India who were being burned alive by their husbands because they have become a burden. Before these women are married off, their husbands receive dowries from the bride's family, when the family can no longer meet up with his demands-he sets his wife on fire, in hopes of her dying, and he will eventually marry another bride and obtain more dowry. These women are shun from society and are nothing but worthless beings-they become silent voiceless shadows. This happens to thousands of women everyday. It is the power behind such stories that makes me ponder and become more aware about this world. Similarly the literature of Vietnam has been an eye opener and a gravedigger, opening up my eyes to what happened in Nam and exposing the bones left behind in the stories. It has given me another view of the Iraq War. Human nature can be hard to alter; whether it's a sol dier from Vietnam or a soldier involved in Iraq they share a similar state of mind. In The Things They Carried Tim O' Brien describes the 'Night Life' of the soldiers. In particular there is a story about the gradual mental break down of Rat Kiley. "He couldn't sleep during the hot day light hours; he couldn't cope with the nights." (p.222) As time progressed the war was definitely getting to him: "the days aren't so bad, but at night the pictures get to be a bitch. I start seeing my own body. Chunks of myself†¦I can see the goddamn bugs chewing tunnels through me†¦it's too much. I can't keep seeing myself dead."(p.223) In the end the only way for Kiley to escape was to shoot himself in the leg and get picked up by the choppers. The effect of war is no different on the mentality of a soldier serving in Iraq. The war slowly consumes the mind, body, and most deadly the soul. Once it starts to eat away it leaves a permanent scar. When the war starts to eat away the soul, many times soldiers resort to committing suicide. According to a New York Times article published on January 15, 2004 --'U.S. Soldiers' Suicide Rate Is Up in Iraq.' "U.S. soldiers in Iraq are killing themselves at a high rate despite the work of special teams sent to help troops deal with combat stress, the Pentagon's top doctor said Wednesday.

Critical Analysis of Emily Dickinsons My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums

English 1102 2/20/13 A Characterization of the Narrator in My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums The speaker in Emily Dickenson’s â€Å"My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums† is very torn between rejoicing in the victory in the battlefield, and the regret they feel for the battles losers. The narrator feels pride at first, as shown in line 1 and the title’s use of the word â€Å"Triumph† yet that pride quickly turns into regret and disdain.The narrator laments what they feel are senseless acts of war and their deep regret turns into wishing the roles were reversed and they had died. In â€Å"My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums† the narrator describes the triumphant feeling at the end of a victorious battle. â€Å"My Triumph† means that the speaker recognizes that there was a victory and that they are on the side of the victors whom should feel jubilant in victory. The use of the word Triumph shows that the speaker is aware that there is a great sense of p ride to be had in winning a battle.This feeling, however, is very short lived. The speakers â€Å"Triumph† lasted only â€Å"till the drums/and then I dropped my victory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  as noted in lines 3 and 4. These lines show the speakers a compassionate and caring person who feels remorse immediately after the triumphant feeling subsides. The speaker in â€Å"My Triumph† is an average person who is thrust into battle, emerges victorious, and sees that there is more defeat in victory than they realized.The narrator sees the reality of a cruel battle and the loss of lives and realizes that though they are victorious, the defeated are all dead. This deeply troubles our speaker as evidenced in line 15 and 16 where the speaker says â€Å"A Bayonet’s contrition/Is nothing to the Dead. † In this line the speaker is saying that the regret held by the bayonet and the hands guiding it means nothing to the dead man at the other end of the blade. This regret show s a person who may have enlisted, but now know that the brutality of war is not for them. And then I hated Glory/And wished myself were They,† lines 7 and 8, show just the conviction with which our speaker hates war. They wish themselves dead and that the defeated had been the victors. The narrator in the poem is a remorseful soldier looking upon the dead bodies of their enemies in combat. There is a great feeling of pride, but it is followed by the feeling of sorrow for the dead combatants. The speaker’s feelings are that the â€Å"Tyrannies of Men† are unnecessary truths of war.