Whether or not Americans know it, we have been living in a state of perpetual war since the 1950s. We have gotten used to it and it has a distinct affect on how we think about everything from what’s good or bad, right or wrong, or how we treat each other.
Each of these matters is acknowledged and addressed through the hopes, persistence, and dark humor of protagonist Joe Bonham, a casualty of World War I, in the National Book Award winner, Johnny Got His Gun (1939) by Dalton Trumbo.
War survivor Joe Bonham is left without arms or legs, is deaf, blind, and without speech. Joe refused to accept the consequences of perpetual war and found a way to tell it. His mind was the only thing he had left and he had to find something to use it for…He only lay and tapped his message over and over again to people on the outside who didn’t understand.
Joe is a sympathetic character, who is easy to pull for during his long struggle to overcome his living conditions. It is a struggle illuminated by understanding the dark truth behind a witty writing style, heavily dependent upon the concept of telling time and giving readers plenty of time to think.
Trumbo slyly asks readers What do you want? through Joe’s character, who responds by saying Let me out of here and take me back into the world.
Trumbo argues that the answer from anyone to What do you want? is centered on a state of happiness.
It doesn’t matter if you’re locked up, the wealthiest person on the planet, or materialistically and/or spiritually the poorest; happiness is centered on various forms of freedom from restraints, which are cherished states of being for the living.
“Johnny Got His Gun” delivers a strong impact for anyone incarcerated; especially those doing time in isolation. It’s a book that forces incarcerated readers to understand fully what it means to do time, to tell time, to understand the meaning of life through time—perhaps even better than how Viktor E. Frankl, author of “Man’s Search for Meaning” defined all of these elements of finding purpose in life.
Frankl, who survived a World War II concentration camp, wrote of how he survived one day to the next through future possibilities and understanding the limitations of the present. “Johnny Got His Gun” takes readers on a political ride that bears a distinct anti-war message, which is quite a bit more than Frankl’s WWII deep reflections about enduring the everyday traumas inflicted by authorities. Trumbo not only wants the powers-that-be to be accountable for all citizens; he want those who march patriotically off to war to know exactly what they are getting into.
Understanding yourself and your position in life is important, no matter where you’re living. And, knowing your impact on the world, along with your place, is just as important.
The blacklisted Trumbo wrote more than 60 screenplays, including “Spartacus”, “Exodus”, “Papillon” and the Academy Awarding-winning “The Brave One.”
Juan’s Book Review
