Introduction
It is important to note that modern warfare is primarily dictated and determined by technology, which enables a destructive capability beyond what was historically manifested previously. The given comparative analysis will primarily focus on two literary works, Tim O’Brien’s “The Man I Killed” and Wilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth.” The topic is a highly relevant one since it explores the themes of machines and humans in the wartimes of the 20th century. The situation evidently became even more intense considering the current conflicts taking place, especially regarding the War in Ukraine. Thesis: The use of machines as weapons dehumanizes the enemy, enables the committal of excessive damage, and eventually hardens the human heart to resemble the machine itself.
Dehumanization
Firstly, the analysis of both literary works showcases the strongest case of how machines dehumanize the enemy making the killing process easy and soulless. Owen writes: “No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells; Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs” (par. 1). In other words, there is no human element in warfare where machines make the killing. Similarly, O’Brien states: “Then later he said, ‘Tim, it’s war. The guy wasn’t Heidi – he had a weapon, right? It’s a tough thing, for sure, but you go to cut out that staring’” (81). Both works explore the topic of dehumanization caused by the use of machines as weapons. From a purely psychological perspective, using a gun to kill a person is usually done at a distance with no significant physical input besides the movement of the trigger finger. It essentially detaches a person from the target by putting a mental barrier between a cause and effect phenomenon.
From a soldier’s point of view, such as a sniper, a person does one action of shooting, and the result is a dead individual in the distance. Without a machine, it would take a great deal of physical and mental struggle to take a life of a victim or enemy, where significant resources are needed to achieve the horrendous purpose of killing. The latter makes it vital for the killer to have enough reasons and justifications for him or her to feel as if one is a normal human being. For example, only when the narrator in “The Man I Killed” comes close to his target after he kills him does he humanizes the Vietnamese soldier (O’Brien 79). However, Owen’s poem explores the same theme from the perspective of the victim of war and those around him or her. It is important to note that he points out that machines dehumanize death as well by bringing the sound of shells and gunshots devoid of mourning, wailing, or even mockeries (Owen par. 1). All the latter three experiences are inherently human, but machines make the loss of life soulless.
As a result, a man in warfare done with machines is dehumanized if he is the killer or killed. O’Brien and Owen’s works complement each other outstandingly in showing both sides of the action. Machines deprive even the worst of human interactions, fighting to the death, of honor for both the dead and the living. The narrator in “The Man I Killed” does not feel any sense of victory, achievement, or honor by killing the Vietnamese man (O’Brien 80). His companion and friend, Kiowa, tries to normalize the dehumanizing element of machine warfare, but even he does not see any sense of honorability in the situation. Kiowa justifies the killing as self-defense during wartime, but his recommendation is solely limited to ‘cutting out’ the staring with empathy (O’Brien 81). Machines have no souls, and a man in a machine, killing with a machine or fighting against the machine, becomes soulless as well.
Excessiveness
Secondly, both literary writings address the theme of excess enabled by machines manifested by the committal of excessive damage when they are used as weapons. It is closely related to the previously discussed topic, but it focuses on physical damage inflicted upon a human person changing one’s body beyond recognition. A man with a sword can inflict harm upon his opponent by slicing or stabbing, with the most excessive damage being chopping a limb or a head (Johnson par. 17). However, a machine allows a person to blow up a human being essentially completely denying the victim of bodily integrity after the death. Owen refers to the theme by stating: “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? – Only the monstrous anger of the guns” (par. 1). Similarly, O’Brien writes: “‘Oh, man, you fuckin’ trashed the fucker,’ Azar said. ‘You scrambled his sorry self, look at that, you did, you laid him out like Shredded fuckin’ Wheat … Like Oatmeal’” (80). It depicts a gruesome and gore picture of the damage done to the Vietnamese soldier.
Although both works address the excessive damage one can do due to machines, they come to focus on different corresponding elements. Specifically, Owen puts attention to the machines themselves, whereas O’Brien focuses on the human role in the process of manning a gun. Owen’s phrase of ‘monstrous anger of the guns’ highlights how machines expand a human capacity for evil and harm (par. 1). O’Brien complements the statement from a different angle by pointing out that the ultimate responsibility lies on the person using the machine (80). From the religious context, machines can be compared to Satan or Devil, who does not force a person to commit a sin, but simply lures him or her towards it (Postiglione 5). In a similar fashion, a gun is a loaded evil ready to inflict excessive harm upon the target, but it does not decide to do so on its own. It is important to note that it requires a human being to make the conscious decision to use the weapon and pull the trigger.
Moreover, both works expand on the previous subject of dehumanization by focusing specifically on the excessive damage one can inflict upon another. For example, when O’Brien’s character describes the victim as ‘scrambled,’ ‘oatmeal,’ or ‘wheat,’ it is evident that the Vietnamese soldier’s body is damaged beyond recognition (80). In other words, it no longer resembles a human body in any shape or form, which is a physical manifestation of the dehumanizing effect brought by machines. The theme of excess enabled by machines and technology, in general, creates a condition where decisions are made between one radical option or another. This could be extended to the impact of technology in the modern world, with a prime example being social media’s effect on political polarization (Flock par. 5). The outcomes lie in two extremes with no middle option offered.
The Hardening of the Heart
Thirdly, the major theme of the hardening of the human heart can be derived from both literary works. In other words, machines deprive human beings of empathy and compassion. O’Brien writes: “The guy was dead the second he stepped on the trail. Understand me? We all had him zeroed. A good kill – weapon, ammunition, everything” (82). The statement emphasizes the narrator’s empathetic feelings towards the Vietnamese soldier are not a ‘norm’ expressed by his companions. Owen states: “The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells; And bugles calling for them from sad shires” (par. 1). Machines create an environment where having a hardened heart is the only way to win and survive to the extent that there are no condolences, prayer, or sadness offered to the victim of war.
The observation of theme of empathy, or the lack thereof, can be observed in the modern problem of gun violence in the United States. It is important to note that school shootings or mass shootings are examples of how guns harden the heart. Without AR-15 or other weapons, the vast majority of recent shooters would not have been able to kill or severely harm even a single person, but having these machines allowed them to do so (Teague et al. 35). It is evident that using a machine is similar to merging with one, and since it is soulless and heartless, it sucks the human empathy out of its user.
The War in Ukraine
It should be briefly noted that the War in Ukraine is an epitome of a conflict of machines rather than men. Hypersonic missiles, HIMARS, howitzers, tanks, long-range missiles, and other weapons are prime determinants of how the war progresses (Lukiv par. 20). Ukraine is not asking for more men but machines, which indicates how predominant the technology has become in modern warfare. Essentially, a superpower can be brought down if Ukraine is provided with the weapons it is asking for, which indirectly reduces the human role in the conflict. Such an emphasis on reporting in the media on machines is understandable, but it is critical not to forget the human person becoming overshadowed by the attention to weapons.
Conclusion
In conclusion, machines can dehumanize human beings, enable the committal of excessive harm, and eventually harden the human heart to resemble the machine itself. The comparative analysis of both literary works showcases the strongest case of how machines dehumanize the enemy making the killing process easy and non-empathetic. Machines have no souls, and a man in a machine, killing with a machine, or fighting against the machine can become soulless as well. Both literary writings address the theme of excess enabled by machines manifested by the committal of excessive damage when they are used as weapons. Owen pays attention to the machines themselves, whereas O’Brien focuses on the human role in the process of manning a gun. The authors demonstrate how machines can deprive human beings of empathy and compassion by hardening the heart. The modern problem of gun violence in America, such as school shootings or mass shootings, is an example of how guns harden the heart. Using a machine translates into merging with one, which is why the hardening of the human heart can take place through the sucking of empathy out of its user, making him soulless and heartless.
Works Cited
Flock, Elizabeth. “When Politics Gets Out of Hand, Turn to This Poem.” Public Broadcasting Service, Web.
Johnson, Craig. “Poetry of the Sword.” Arms and Armor, Web.
Lukiv, Jaroslav. “Ukraine War: NATO Pledges to Provide More Weapons and Fix Power Grid.” BBC, Web.
O’Brien, Tim. “The Man I Killed.” The Things They Carried, edited by Tim O’Brien, Houghton Mifflin, 1990, pp. 79-83.
Owen, Wilfred. “Anthem for Doomed Youth.” Poetry Foundation, 2022, Web.
Postiglione, Enrico. “The Demon of Technology.” Archives, vol. 29, 2020, pp. 1-26.
Teague, Alexandra, et al. Bullets into Bells: Poets & Citizens Respond to Gun Violence. Beacon Press, 2017.