American Sniper Thesis

"The Sniper" places a strong emphasis on the evils of war, and yet paints a vivid image of mankind's qualities and their society. Employing the technique of describing one particular sniper to symbolise a general subject, readers are able to gain a deep insight into the evils of war. In this story, the assembly of setting, contrasting characters and themes of fanaticism and division of loyalties are vital to conveying the horror of war. On the other hand, "The Sniper" also discusses the power of war, depicting it as the decider of life and death for men. Its force is further emphasised when neighbours are turned into enemies under war's influence.

When Ryan Manion Borek, Travis Manion’s sister, shared the captivating story of how the Hero’s Run was created, tears started to well up. After the catastrophic event of 9/11 Travis Manion was so touched by the firefighters, and everyone who risked their lives, that he had to go and talk to them. He just wanted to tell the firemen thank you but they ended up saying thank you to Travis for listening to their stories. Before Travis left for deployment, he told his family “if not me, then who”. This is so inspiring because not everyone has that courage or will that Travis had. While Travis was fighting for our country he was killed by an enemy sniper and was never able to come back home. He risked his life to save the lives of the other soldiers

The book American Sniper takes you with, Chris Kyle the world's most lethal sniper, on his ten year war experience. It also puts you into the battle with him. It also tells you a lot about why he loves to be in the war and fight for his country. The book takes you along for his family struggles, losing his best friend, and his world's longest sniper kill.

Change is difficult and after being in the Navy for ten years, leaving is a huge adjustment to make. Chris Kyle finishes his fourth and last tour in Sadr City before leaving the Navy to be with his wife and two young children. After returning from war, Chris founded a company called Craft International where they train military and police units. Evaluating how Chris is affected by four tours in Iraq, visualizing Sadr City, where Chris is stationed on his last tour, and questioning why Chris left the Navy is simple since Chris Kyle wrote a very entertaining novel called American Sniper.

The tragic story of Chris Kyle, American Sniper, and how he “survived six IED attacks and three gunshot wounds in four tours of duty in Iraq” but was unable to survive as he was killed by a former American Marine who was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder demonstrates the PTSD crisis among veterans (Engel 1). It is ironic that Kyle was not killed on foreign territory, but rather on American soil four years after his final discharge. Many people wonder why Eddie Ray Routh would kill Kyle, who was there to give him emotional support by taking him to the shooting range. According to Medical News Today, “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is triggered by a traumatic event…the sufferer of PTSD may have experienced or seen an event that caused extreme fear, shock, and/or a feeling of helplessness” (Nordqvist 1). Combat-related PTSD signs and symptoms generally fall into three categories: psychological, physical, and behavioral.

People may claim that they have witness terrible things in there live, but nothing can match the horrors a soldier witnesses on a daily basis in a warzone. One Army soldier that I know in particular, came back from the war in Afghanistan scarred both in body and soul. Mathew is one of many soldiers who suffer from a condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (or PTSD for short). PTSD is a condition that can make a person relive the worst moments of their lives over and over. It tends to lead people such as Mathew, to become shells of their former selves. It can be beaten through time however but it leaves a lasting mark on a person's life. I have watched as Mathew's life and man he was before his time in the war in Afghanistan, was destroyed as he battled his PTSD that left a lasting scar on his mind and soul.

In his everyday life he still dwells on the young man he killed that day. This is a curse because it is mental hurt, or “punishment” for him killing another man. This affects him because after killing someone, he is permanently changed. Another example how war is a curse, is that war stays with the person even after it is over. In The Morally Injured by Tyler Boudreau, the author that is a veteran from Afghanistan explains how his soldiers were affected by war even when they’re away from it. “When I was a rifle company commander, at least a dozen of my marines were medically discharged after we came home from Iraq for PTSD” (Boudreau 2). This is a great example of how war is a curse. Most of the times when veterans get home they suffer from PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. This means they are still affected and feeling the war even though they aren’t in it anymore. This affects individuals because because this stays with them the rest of their life. The last example how war is a curse is that it makes someone do the unthinkable (killing). In The Sniper by Liam O’Flaherty, the story takes place in Dublin, Ireland during a civil war in the

Imagine yourself in Iraq and watching terrorists float across a river on beach balls, having your leg crushed by a building and getting shot in the head. These are all things that Chris Kyle experienced and lived through in his four tours in Iraq. His book American Sniper takes you through his life at home and at combat.

Movie Summary- American Sniper The movie American Sniper that is based on a true story is about a man who is a really good shooter. At the begging of the movie, he was a cowboy and a bull rider. He then joined the army after he saw the news about 9-11 which made him very mad and he wanted to help protect his country. Therefore, he goes to sign up for the army and during training, he was always the top dog and went above and beyond.

The book American Sniper is written by Chris Kyle and it follows his life and the four tours he served in Iraq while serving in U.S. Navy as a SEAL. He was born in Odessa, Texas on April 8, 1984 and was truly the definition of a patriot. Chris, after surviving the four tours was sadly fatally shot in the states on February 2, 2013 by an ex-marine while trying to help the marine cope with his PTSD. Chris was the definition of a patriot and was willing to do anything to protect the country he loved so much. While reading his book I was able to understand what it is like being an individual who is just a soldier fighting for something that is much larger than oneself. The only reason to read this book in my opinion is to get an understanding of the self sacrifice that every military personnel goes through while protecting our country.

American Sniper, is a film not only about war, it is a film that involves all aspects of the soldiers duty, life, family and hopes. In Isaac Guzmán’s article “When the Hero Dies at the End” he details why the film “American Sniper” is not a war film but rather it focuses on the man that Chris Kyle was. Guzman attempts to identify the experiences that service members endure change their lives in multiple fashions. Guzman references Clint Eastwood’s statement, “I guess you could call it a war film, because it’s about the war,” Eastwood says. “But really it’s about relationships and the obstacles people have to overcome when they’re involved in the service” (pp 110).

The image of a decorated war hero is one that Americans are quite familiar with. Many people are taught to honor and thank soldiers for offering their service; however, how many of them think about the psychological damage that these soldiers deal with due to the trauma of their duties? Unfortunately, few people consider the negative effects of war because of they have misconceptions and romantic notions surrounding war. Our society is flooded with these false notions. The inundation of violent video games, the graphic details found on the internet and in the media, and the idolization of violent individuals are all examples of the "romantic notions about war and violence" that exist in our society. Former child soldier turned author and

Massey, 34, was a marine for almost 12 years before he was deployed to Iraq during the initial U.S. invasion. There he witnessed the shooting of more than 30 innocent civilians and his thoughts of war transformed forever.

Private Chris MacGregor was one of the 14 soldiers from 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, photographed by Lalage Snow before and after their tour of duty in Afghanistan. The album that was created tells a story of both the physical and emotional toll that war has on soldiers.

This movie is based on the true story of Chris Kyle who was the “legend” and the movie comes from the book American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History that was his autobiography that was publicized the year before he died. Just like many other soldiers, Chris Kyle had the desire to go back to war because it became what his life evolved around. Being at home he felt out of place and he wanted to return to the action in Iraq. His wife, like many others did not want him to go back on his 4th tour because it was just unsafe and she wanted her child to have a father figure. Being gone for 9 months without seeing their dad and husband is not easy for the family to go through. The fourth piece of their family puzzle was missing and as a result his piece shifted and did not fit the puzzle after deploying to Iraq. When back home at a barbeque, his kids were playing with their dog outside and what seem to them as playing seemed to him as the dog going to hurt them. He runs over, whips out his belt and was going to hit the dog like if it was just a natural reaction even if the dog was his own.