Quotes
Theme 1
"I went to one knee and brought my piece up to my shoulder. The scope was full of dust and I fired looking over the barrel, panning across the road." (102)
This quote explains the theme because it is the first time that Birdy shows real courage in the book. This is the first time in the war that he has had to shoot his weapon at somebody.
At this point Birdy realizes what he's going to have to do to get out of Iraq alive. He realizes that he might have to kill some people and he's going to have to be okay with it.
"I don't remember shooting again, or any sound the weapon made. All I remembered is the way the top of his head exploded and the way his hands, fingers spread wide apart, went to the side of his face." (232)
This quote explains the theme because it is the most courageous thing Birdy does in the entire novel. Birdy's unit was just about to leave a hospital, but they couldn't find Captain Miller. Birdy goes to look for her and finds her being attacked by two Iraqi men. The two men try to shoot him, but he kills them both before they can get a shot at him. Birdy's courage saves Captain Miller from being raped and killed by the Iraqi men.
"I went to one knee and brought my piece up to my shoulder. The scope was full of dust and I fired looking over the barrel, panning across the road." (102)
This quote explains the theme because it is the first time that Birdy shows real courage in the book. This is the first time in the war that he has had to shoot his weapon at somebody.
At this point Birdy realizes what he's going to have to do to get out of Iraq alive. He realizes that he might have to kill some people and he's going to have to be okay with it.
"I don't remember shooting again, or any sound the weapon made. All I remembered is the way the top of his head exploded and the way his hands, fingers spread wide apart, went to the side of his face." (232)
This quote explains the theme because it is the most courageous thing Birdy does in the entire novel. Birdy's unit was just about to leave a hospital, but they couldn't find Captain Miller. Birdy goes to look for her and finds her being attacked by two Iraqi men. The two men try to shoot him, but he kills them both before they can get a shot at him. Birdy's courage saves Captain Miller from being raped and killed by the Iraqi men.
Theme 2
"We turned in our weapons to supply and then there was a coming together and saying of good-bye. It wasn't complete, wasn't over in any real sense. I looked at Marla and hugged her for as long as we could stand it." (278)
This quote explains the theme because it shows how close their unit had become through the war. Before the war started they did not like each other very much and never thought they'd end up getting along. Some of them even got into fights with each other. As the novel progresses their unit starts to develop very close relationships. When they all get reassigned they realize how much they are gonna miss being together as a group.
"Jonesy's out there! I called out. Crouching, I headed toward them. Jonesy had grabbed the child around his chest and was covering his body with his own." (270)
This quote explains the theme because it shows how courageous Birdy has become throughout the novel. In the beginning of the book Birdy would have listened to orders and got into the truck. But now he is crawling through gunfire in the dark o cry to save Jonesy and the blind child. This quote also shows how close of a friendship Birdy and Jonesy have developed throughout the book.
"We turned in our weapons to supply and then there was a coming together and saying of good-bye. It wasn't complete, wasn't over in any real sense. I looked at Marla and hugged her for as long as we could stand it." (278)
This quote explains the theme because it shows how close their unit had become through the war. Before the war started they did not like each other very much and never thought they'd end up getting along. Some of them even got into fights with each other. As the novel progresses their unit starts to develop very close relationships. When they all get reassigned they realize how much they are gonna miss being together as a group.
"Jonesy's out there! I called out. Crouching, I headed toward them. Jonesy had grabbed the child around his chest and was covering his body with his own." (270)
This quote explains the theme because it shows how courageous Birdy has become throughout the novel. In the beginning of the book Birdy would have listened to orders and got into the truck. But now he is crawling through gunfire in the dark o cry to save Jonesy and the blind child. This quote also shows how close of a friendship Birdy and Jonesy have developed throughout the book.