Death is a Constant

In regards to the brutality and obvious macabre nature of war, Brian Turner's "Sadiq" and Frank O'Connor's "Guest of the Nation" go hand in hand, indefinitely. They both tell a tale of soldiers who have the misfortune of being awoken to the true sickening effects of conflict between nations. Truths such as these are slapped in the face of our main character in "Guest" through the act of being forced to kill someone he has grown to fancy as a person. As if the act of ending the life of another human being wasn't enough, our protagonist is forced to pull the trigger on someone he was forced to spend the last several days with, and ultimately, warmed up to the company of. Knowing that this had to be done for the redemption of having lost his own men to the other side, you can sense the conflict within him, wishing and hoping that there could be another way, as the man at the end of the barrel, now on his knees, pleads not to be killed. Such a traumatizing event as this, really opens someone's eyes to what any soldiers in any given war have to go through and can even help explain why so many come back with such drastic mental disorders. "Sadiq" is another perfect example of how constantly being faced with death is taxing on a person's mental well-being. Turner provides an excellent message in his bleak but true-to-the-heart poem. No matter how fueled by anger, energy, adrenaline, happiness, or contentment you are, ending the life of another is always the hardest thing you can do. It follows you, haunts you like a cursed spirit, which is one of many reasons that lead so many men and women to end their lives after having returned from war. Guilt and pain always follow death, especially when it is by your own hand, and nothing can ever take that feeling away.