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  • Essay / Johnny Got His Gun: The Constant Fight for Democracy

    “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori”, which translates to “It is sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland”, is the phrase spoken by the director Dalton Trumbo. at the end of the film, Johnny Got His Gun. During World War I, the United States believed that dying for its country to make the world a "safe democracy" was worth doing. For example, many young Americans volunteered to fight in the war, even though they knew that dying was a reality. Furthermore, this belief was reinforced by the Sedition Act, which regulated any criticism of war and government until 1921. However, it is certain that war is not a good option for anyone, especially for young, inexperienced soldiers. Many of these young soldiers returned with amputations or Shell Shock, a “disease that encompassed a range of physical and psychological symptoms,” made worse with both injuries. Other soldiers who returned suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and American hospitals were not prepared to care for these types of patients. After World War I, PTSD became a real problem. In the film Johnny Got His Gun, director Dalton Trumbo showed the social tensions that occurred on American soil during World War I, through the idea that no one knew what it really meant to fight for democracy; however, this “courageous” effort had a destructive effect not only on the soldier himself, but also on society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay The idea of ​​"struggle for democracy" was an unclear concept used by the US government to get people to join the army, but no one knew what its meaning was. In the film, a flashback of young Joe asking his father "What is democracy?" is displayed. His father replied, “Well, that was never clear… It has something to do with young men killing each other, I believe.” The conversation between the two characters shows the audience that the young adults were not aware of the real meaning of democracy and instead anticipated the violent outcome of the war. In the poem Rendez-vous, the author recites: "I have a rendezvous with death/At a contested barricade", meaning that many young soldiers simply went to war to face death and did not saw the danger of war. On the contrary, their parents instilled in adults the belief that fighting for democracy was the right thing to do and that it was part of their moral values. Similarly, during World War I, Woodrow Wilson, the President of the United States, was a classic progressive, a strong supporter of democracy and capable of creating a just and egalitarian society. “The world must be made safe for democracy…. We are but one of the champions of the rights of humanity” were the 5 words of Mr. Woodrow Wilson in which he approached his citizens by indirectly forcing them to contribute to avoiding oppression and promoting democracy. In the Declaration of War against Germany, President Wilson exclaimed: “We desire no conquest, no domination. We seek no compensation for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we freely make.” In the film, an allusion is made to Jesus Christ through the words of little Joe and his father. Joe asked his father if he would be sent to war, so his father explained, “For democracy, any man would give his only son.” God has.