Writing Sample One: Journal Response

As members of society, each person has a very important and distinctly different role. Society is made up of leaders and followers, criminals and lawmakers, the wealthy and the poor. Each person in society, whether it be a conscious decision, or otherwise, falls into one or more of society's 'categories'. Each of these 'categories' is intertwined with each other 'category' so that, without one, the others fail. Without leaders, there can be no followers, and vice versa. Without laws and lawmakers, criminals do not exist. Just as society is broken down into 'categories', it is broken into moral standards, and ethical codes. These standing rules to live by are what keeps a society from folding over onto itself, and collapsing. Examples of such codes, or standards are the idea that murder is wrong, just as child abuse, and sexual assault are crimes. It is the responsibility of each member of a society to conform to these 'categories', and to abide by these moral and ethical standards. To do otherwise directly causes the downfall of a society. However, each member of society is not exclusively responsible for himself. On the contrary, each member of a society holds in his hands the responsibility of every other member of that community. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of each member of society to take action when any member of that society fails to uphold his civic duty. That is, it is the individual's responsibility to take responsibility for anyone else's irresponsibility. This is the basis for society. Everyone contributes equally, either negatively or positively, and everyone takes responsibility for everyone else.

Writing Sample Two:
Response to Ernest Hemingway's "In Another Country"

An Untrusting Public

World War One confronted American society with a sickening sense of disillusionment towards their involvement in the war. Faced with the realization that their over glorification of the war was unjustified, Americans were forced to accept the adversities behind the war that had been conveniently overshadowed by American pro-war propaganda. In his short story, "In Another Country," Ernest Hemingway delineates the soul of society, and the feelings of a nation during an unsettled time. He expresses metaphorically the insecurity of the nation, and the false hopes and notions behind the First World War. It is the perception of these falsehoods that leads to the disillusionment of a naive and trusting American society.

The First World War was referred to as "The war to end all wars." It was the largest scale war in recorded History, and it was thought to be the greatest war of all time. However, due in part to military advancements, and in part to man’s instinctual glorification of war, World War One became "The media hype to end all media hypes." Newspapers, magazines, radio shows, and motion pictures were all dedicated to increasing America’s support of the war. Pro-war propaganda was blatantly forced into all mediums of communication, creating an uncontrollable pro-war frenzy in the American people. Posters depicting brave American soldiers fighting the uncivilized Japanese, and the barbaric Hun, or Germans, were plastered in public view throughout every city in America. Uncle Sam, a character created during World War One, silently yelled from billboards for every American to do his or her part in supporting the war effort from home, or overseas. The pro-war propaganda campaign was in full swing and, for most Americans, this offered security. Being able to ignore the devastating side of the war, and focus solely on the glorified American view, made it easy for Americans to accept the war, and not question their involvement.

Ernest Hemingway addresses these false securities and hopes in his short story "In Another Country." In the story, the American soldier is a patient in an Italian hospital. He is being ‘treated’ for an injury he sustained in battle. He, along with an Italian Army Major, are being treated by an array of medical machines. They have been told that the machines hold the ability to correct their injuries, and restore their bodies to the condition they were in prior to the war. The soldiers find a sense of security in the machines. "You will be able to play football again," (the doctor told the American soldier), "better than ever." The machines allowed the soldiers to overlook the finality of their injuries, and have hope for recovery. When the soldiers seemed to be losing hope, the Italian doctors provoked additional false hopes by showing the soldiers photographs. The pictures were supposedly of injuries that had been healed by the very machines being used by the soldiers. Hope was again restored. But wait . . . disillusionment is not far off, as the American soldier comes to a sickening realization, "I don’t know where the doctor got [the pictures]. I always understood we were the first to use the machines." As the American soldier uncovers one falsehood, he will gradually begin to lose faith in the validity of anything that he is told.

Coinciding with the false hopes of the First World War, were false notions. Pro-war propaganda continually told the American people that, by going to war, they would be heroes. Pro-war propaganda encouraged the American people to become soldiers, to fight for their country, and they would earn the respect, love, and envy of their fellow man. Ernest Hemingway addresses this false notion in "In Another Country." The American soldier went to war; he fought - he was even awarded medals. However, the American soldier faced the solemn truth of his situation. He had won nobody's respect. Nobody envied him simply because he had gone to war. "...[S]omeone called out, 'A basso gli ufficiali.'" ‘Down with officers!’ the Italians cried. Again, the American officer came to a disturbing realization: The public did not respect and love the officers, as had been said back home. He had been led to believe he would be a hero by going to war. But instead, he was mocked and cursed in the very streets he was fighting to defend.

Glory, heroism, and triumph were all words used to portray the First World War. American soldiers went to war thinking of a glorious excursion, of a marvelous adventure, of an exciting journey. Not many soldiers went to war thinking about how they could be injured on their first day at the front. In Ernest Hemingway's "In Another Country," that is the case. A young Italian soldier, the friend of the American soldier, was injured on his first day at the front. For this boy, war was not something of glory; there was no adventure, no excitement. For this boy, war was terrible, and destructive. This boy saw what was truly behind the war: death. He went into the war looking at it the same way the rest of society saw it - naively, and without a second thought. But his view of the war was dramatically altered when he saw the death and devastation behind the war. He exposed for himself the false notions being fed to society.

World War One left many people feeling disillusioned. When the false hopes and notions behind the war were revealed, it was difficult to feel anything but disillusioned. Society felt hurt, mislead, and naive. But worst of all, society felt afraid. Society was afraid that it could no longer hide behind a veil of ignorance, and would be forced to forever confront its insecurities. Ernest Hemingway’s "In Another Country" depicts society’s blind acceptance of mistruths, and its reaction to the realization that it has been spoon-fed a bold-faced lie. Disillusionment is the effect of this realization. No longer can society unquestioningly trust what is it told. No longer can society look to the media, or even to the government for truth. The words of the government, the reports of the media is, to the untrusting public, all gossip; no longer absolute fact. And sadly, society is unable to operate - unable to function - without the trust of its leaders. Honesty is the basis of civilization. Dishonesty, is human nature. Somewhere in the middle, society can function.