Comparative Book Review Baa Baa Black Sheep by Gregory Boyington and With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge 比较书评
咩咩黑羊Boyington格
与旧的雪橇犬尤金
Baa Baa Black Sheep by Gregory Boyington is an autobiographical war novel, which describes events that took place during the World War II. Boyington dedicated all his life to military, he took part in several wars and was even captured during the war and awarded with Congressional Medal of Honor and a Navy Cross for his achievements, so he knew what he was writing about. The book describes everyday life and great deeds of the Black Sheep squadron during the WW2. The main character is described as fearless and wild person. At the beginning of the novel he becomes the author describing his drinking experiences during the first year of military service. He spends much time describing his problems with alcohol and uncontrolled behavior, such as shooting Japanese planes being completely drunk. His courage and unconquerable spirit don’t stay unnoticed and soon he becomes the leader of the flying squadron. Awesome responsibilities change him and he becomes able to overcome his drinking problems. The squadron fights bravely but finally Gregory is shot down by Japanese and gets to their prison. The time he spent in prison is described in great detail. He gets through beating and torturing. At the same time he meets kind Japanese people who help him. What is noticeable, he doesn’t hate Japanese and doesn’t treat them like enemies. He is liberated after the end of the war and comes back home. Unfortunately, the main character can not overcome his drinking problems and turns back to alcohol.
With the Old Breed : At Peleliu and Okinawa written by Eugene Sledge is an autobiographical account of his military service during the WW2. The book describes the fighting in the South Pacific during the WW2. It describes campaigns in Peleliu and Okinawa in great detail and brave actions of the USA Marines during this campaigns. The author starts the book with the description of his first impressions after getting to the war. He joined the army the year after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and served there from 1943 to 1946 and these years are described in his novel. Sledge honestly describes his experience from the time when full of illusions and romantic expectations he steps on the beach of Peleliu and till the time when brutality and horrors of the war destroy his illusions. Then he describes long months of the war full of pain, struggle and fear. Sledge depicts horrors of war and difficult climate conditions with sincerity. “To me, artillery was an invention of hell. The onrushing whistle and scream of the big steel package of destruction was the pinnacle of violent fury and the embodiment of pent-up evil. I developed a passionate hatred for shells. To be killed by a bullet seemed s clean and surgical. But shells would not only tear and rip the body, they tortured one’s mind almost beyond the brink of sanity”(Sledge, p.76). Reading the story you get a perfect idea of the way the USA Marines fought during the WW2.
In Baa, Baa Blacksheep Gregory Boyington doesn’t use sophisticated literary style or technique and it’s probably hard to expect it from the brave soldier. But still, the book captures your attention from the first pages and you don’t even notice how you start living the life of main characters. Pappy Boyingtion, famous pilot of the WW2, is the protagonist of the book. It was told once that the author can depict what he has experienced best of all. I think it’s very true for this book, as Boyington depicts events which happened with him and his friends. Though he describes comparatively recent time in his book we get into another world while reading it. It’s hard for us, peaceful citizens, to imagine the life during the war time when the human life was under the constant threat and killing was an ordinary thing. I must admit that Boyington does a good job making the reader not only read the story but also feel and experience it. The lack of literary style is fully compensated by sincerity and passion of the author. The autobiographical style and first person narration make the story very personal and make the reader very sympathetic to the author. The author, or the main character of the book, may be called a tragic character as we may see his inner conflicts and the way he overcomes them. We can see the beautiful transformation of the main character and his personal development. The book has two planes of depiction and two levels of meaning, to my mind. First level is a depiction of the WW2 and second one is a depiction of inner world of the main character, his system of beliefs, growth and transformation. It’s amazing to read how these two level interact and influence each other during the development of the plot.
With the Old Breed by Sledge can be interesting for both, historians who are interested in the events of the WW2 and those who like historical reading. The novel is very captivating, though some details can be horrifying for those who have little knowledge about the scaring truth about the war. I think the author’s purpose wan not to depict the horrors of war but to underline that even during the war it’s possible to stay human, to care about other people and sacrifice life for the sake of ideals. Sledge isn’t a historian, he isn’t a professional writer either but I think he accomplishes his task brilliantly. The book is a very detailed historical record of two great fights of the WW2. It even contains the maps and pictures, which make the story more realistic and help those, who want to see real historical facts. The book is interesting also for those who are more interested in the inner state of the main character, who had to pass through the hell of war and not only saved his face but also became morally mature. I think that with the help of the events described in the book Sledge proves that it’s possible to stay human in any conditions and extreme situations like war uncover true personality of people. The author’s writing is very poetic and professional. The author shares his inner feelings and emotions with stunning sincerity and makes the reader involved into his inner world.
I would say books are very alike though they depict the problem from different sides. Both books describe the event of the WW2. Both are autobiographical novels written by the participants of this horrible war. Both books can be very useful for those who are interested in the history of the US and the events of the WW2 in particular. The books are different in their styles. Sledge’s language is richer and he builds his narration as a professional writer. We can not find such skillfulness in Boyington’s writing but he has his particular style. What is interesting, both books describe the transformation of the main characters. In Baa, Baa Blacksheep the main character gives up his drinking habits when he becomes the leader of the squadron. In Sledge’s book the main character has to find his place in the cruel reality of the war when you are in danger every moment. In both books we can see the development of the main characters’ personalities and the war becomes the main stimulus for this change. Autobiographical character of both novels makes the reader penetrate deeper into the world of the man characters and get insight into their feelings. Both books contain realistic depiction of events and a lot of descriptions of cruelty and pain. The reading can be difficult sometimes but I think that it’s necessary to learn about the history of the country. Only learning lessons from the past experience we can escape repeating horrible events in the future.
References
Sledge, E.B., With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa. San Rafael, CA: Presidio Press, 1990
Boyington, Gregory. Baa Baa Black Sheep. (Fresno, CA: Wilson Press), 1958.
咩咩黑羊Boyington格是自传战争小说,描述事件都发生在第二次世界大战。Boyington奉献一生以军事,他参加了几个战争,在战争中被俘,甚至获得国会荣誉勋章和一名海军十字架上为他的成就,所以他知道他所写的就是他自己。书中描述日常生活和伟大的功绩,黑色的羊在二战中队。主要人物被描述为无畏和野生的人。刚开始的时候成为作者的小说中,他描述他的饮酒经历在第一年的军旅生涯。他花很多时间描述他的酗酒的毛病和无法控制自己的行为,如拍摄完全被日本飞机喝醉了。他的勇气和不屈不挠的精神不要停留,很快他就注意飞行中队的领袖。可怕的责任,他成了改变他能够克服他的酗酒问题。这个中队勇敢地战斗,但最终是由日本格击落并得到了他们的监狱。他在监狱里度过的时间描述得很清楚。他穿过,殴打和折磨。在同一时间,他满足日本人这种帮助他。什么是显而易见的,他没有恨日本,不像对待敌人。他是解放战争结束后,回来的。不幸的是,主要特点是不能克服他的酗酒问题,转身回到酒精。
与旧的品种:在日本冲绳和Peleliu写的自传《雪橇因他的兵役二战期间。该书描写了战斗在南太平洋的二战期间。它描述的行动在日本冲绳和Peleliu非常详细的和勇敢的行为的美国海军陆战队员在这个活动。作者开始这本书,描述他的第一印象之后才能获得战争。他参军的炸弹袭击后的一年,珍珠港和在此任职,从1943年到1946年,这三年了他的小说。说老实话,描述了自己的经验,从雪橇的时候,充满了幻想和浪漫的期望他的海滩上Peleliu步骤,直等到残忍与恐惧的战争摧毁他的幻想。然后他描述长个月的战争痛苦、挣扎和恐惧。雪橇恐惧战争和困难描绘的气候条件和真诚。“对我来说,大炮是一个发明地狱之路。口哨,扑倒尖叫的大钢包装的毁灭是顶尖的化身暴力的愤怒和压抑的邪恶。我开发了一个燃烧的仇恨为贝壳。子弹被杀的清洁和手术似乎年代。但贝壳不仅会流泪,肯尼亚的身体,折磨人的思维几乎超出了理智的边缘”(爬犁,p.76)。读这个故事你得到一个完美的理念的美国海军陆战队作战方式在二战。
在咩,咩Blacksheep葛Boyington不使用复杂的文体或技术可能很难指望它从勇敢的战士。但是,这本书引起你的注意从第一页,你甚至不会注意你如何开始的生活,主要角色。Boyingtion的家伙,著名的飞行员二战,是主角的书。它曾经有人告诉作者描绘他所经历的最好。我认为这是千真万确的这本书,因为Boyington描写与他发生的事件和他的朋友们。虽然他描述比较最近的时间在他的书里,我们进入另一个世界而阅读它。我们很难的、和平的公民,想象生活在战争期间时间不变的条件下人类生活的威胁,是一个平凡的东西杀死。我必须承认,做得很好Boyington使读者不仅读过这个故事,自己也会觉得和经验。缺乏文体完全补偿的激情,以真诚和作者。自传体第一人称叙事风格,让这个故事很有个性且使读者非常同情作者。作者,或主角的书,可以被称为一个悲剧角色,因为这样我们可以看到他和他的内心冲突,克服他们。我们可以看到美丽的转型的主角和他的个人发展。这本书有两个平面的刻画和两个层次的含义,在脑海中。第一层是一个所描述的第二个问题是一个二战和描绘的主要人物的内心世界,他的信仰体系、发展和转型。它是令人惊异的阅读这两个水平如何相互作用、相互影响的在开发的阴谋。
与旧的雪橇犬都可以是有趣的,历史学家们感兴趣的事件的二战和那些喜欢历史阅读。这本小说很诱人,尽管有些细节可以被恐怖的那些小知识战争吓唬真相。我认为作者的目的不在服务区描绘战争的恐怖,但对课文,即使在战争期间是可以保持人,关心别人,牺牲生命为了理想。雪橇不是一个历史学家,他也不是一个职业作家,但我认为他完成他的任务很精彩。这本书是一个非常详细的历史记录的两大斗二战。它甚至包含了地图和照片,让这个故事更加真实,帮助那些想看到真正的历史事实。这本书有趣,还有就是对那些非常感兴趣的主人公内在状态,必须通过地狱的战争,不仅降低了他的脸,但也成为道德上的成熟。我认为的帮助下,书中描述的雪橇事件证明了可以保持人类在任何条件和极端的环境下,比如战争揭开的真正人格的人。作者的写作很诗意与专业。作者内心的感觉和情绪的股票与惊人的真诚和让读者参与到他的内心世界。
我想说的是,书非常相像虽然反映这个问题从不同的侧面。两本书都描述二战的事。自传体小说都写这样可怕的战争的参与者。两书非常有用对于那些有兴趣和我们的历史的事件尤其是二战。这些书是有不同的风格。雪橇的语言是世界上最富有的和他建造他的叙事作为一个职业作家。我们不能找到这样的Boyington一统天下的写作上,但在他有他独特的艺术风格。有趣的是,两本书描述了转型的主要角色。在咩,咩Blacksheep主要人物放弃他的饮酒习惯当他成为领导者的中队。雪橇的书中主要人物必须找到自己的位置在战争的残酷的现实当你处于危险之中的每一时刻。我们可以看到在两本书发展的主要人物的性格和战争成为主要的刺激,这种变化。自传小说人物都让读者穿透更深地带入这个世界,男人的人物和得到洞察他们的感情。两本书都含有现实描绘的事件和很多的描述残忍的和痛苦。阅读是困难的,有时,但我认为这是必须了解该国的历史。只有学习和借鉴了过去的经验,我们能逃脱重复可怕的事件在未来。
参考
大茴香,E.B.,在日本冲绳和Peleliu老品种。圣拉斐尔,钙、Presidio出版社,1990年
Boyington,格雷戈里·。咩咩黑羊。(弗雷斯诺、钙:威尔逊出版社,1958年。