Trumbo establishes Johnny Got His Gun as an antiwar novel, rather than a pacifist novel, by illustrating the total negative effects of all war

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Jason Dondero

English 1B

March 30, 2006

Joe: The Epitome of Antiwar

The distinction between an antiwar novel and a pacifist novel is that an antiwar novel is opposed to any and all war, while a pacifist novel proposes a belief that disputes between nations should and can, be settled peacefully. Trumbo clearly establishes Johnny Got His Gun as an antiwar novel rather than a pacifist novel. He does this by illustrating the atrocities caused by war and how war only exists as a prerequisite for senseless and grotesque injury and pain. Trumbo addresses his focus not only on combat warfare but  the illegitimacy of the mentality of warfare, and the organization of modern warfare by the upper, elite classes as well. Through the character of Joe, Trumbo metaphorically captures both the physical injuries and the psychological trauma of all the men and women who risk their lives during warfare, and how this will plague them for the rest of their lives. That is only if they are lucky enough to still have their lives after senselessly risking it.

With Joe’s firm belief that war and its unfathomable goals have nothing to do with him, or people like him, comes his understanding that people such as himself have nothing to gain by fighting in a war that others have started..

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“It was a kind of duty you owed yourself that when anybody said come on son do this or do that you should stand up and say look mister why should I do this for who am I doing it and what am I going to get out of it in the end? But when a guy comes along and says here come with me and risk your life and maybe die or be crippled why then you’ve got no rights. You haven’t even the right to say yes or no or I’ll think it over. There are plenty of ...

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