Rarely Ever Black and White Essay

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The ramifications of not following his instinct results in a lack of faith in himself and humanity. At the end of the story, Bonaparte experiences a chasm between him and the morals he once knew. He is alienated from everything and states even the "birds and the bloody stars were all far away" (1030). He also admits he feels "very small and very lost and very lonely like a child astray in the snow" (1030). The last sentence is the most gripping, revealing the full scope of his situation. He says, "And anything that ever happened to me afterwards, I never felt the same about again" (1030). Here we see the evidence of regret. Bonaparte cannot change what has happened and sadly, he must live with it for the rest of his life. We must believe him when he says he will never be the same again and feel empathy for the man that must live with his guilty conscious forever. Murder must be a horrible weight to bear and O'Connor makes it palpable in this scene with Bonaparte feeling so small in the forest.

O'Connor uses the setting of "Gusts of the Nation" to emphasize the brutality of war. These men were forced to make a decision that went against their personal leanings. O'Connor allows these men time to get know one another like neighbors or coworkers; he allows them to engage in friendly arguments about politics and religion and we see a bond developing between them. This is a human experience; this is how men behave when they are put together. O'Connor's deliberate tactic of placing the men in a situation where they would become acquainted is no mistake. War is the least likely place one might think to make a friend but as this story demonstrates, it happens.

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What we are to make of that when it does happen is the crux of the story. We often hear the phrase "war is hell" and this story makes this statement more true but also more sad because they had it within them to stop but they did not. Bonaparte could have resisted on the way to the bog and perhaps Donovan would have agreed with him. A poorly-executed escape would have served all men better than a pointless execution. O'Connor is telling us this is what war does to men.

"Guests of the Nation" points to the responsibility of man and asks when, if ever, there is a time when morality rises above all other duties. The men in this story are not so different from one another. In different circumstances, they could be friends for years to come. The fact that they have come to think of each other as friends creates the problem as with war, those on the "other side" are perceived as the enemy. This distinction allows soldiers to fight and even kill for their country. O'Connor ratchets up the tension by allowing these men to become acquainted with one another. Donovan asks Belcher if he understands that he is simply following orders as if to assuage any guilt but, in the end, Donovan still kills him at close range. The choices were made and, about as quickly, guilt and regret arise. Duty is a word we use when we like to feel honorable but it should never be expected to replace the moral leanings each individual has within for when it does, it becomes less desirable.

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