Johnny Got His Gun: Chapter 8-10

In these chapters Joe starts to face his demons. He thinks a lot about the war that he was in. He starts thinking about war in general. He poses the question, "Is it worth it?" His father talked to Joe about war and about how the kids who go there don't know what they're fighting for. Democracy is simply a word to people...they don't know what it means and they don't know why they're fighting for it. He then goes on to think about what makes fighting worth it. If someone has a personal reason for going and fighting then it's probably worth it. If someone truly knows why they are fighting and are actually passionate about the cause then I'd say it's worth it. But Joe mentions the kids who go into these wars. He talks about the death of these innocent kids...when someone is shot down in a battle, they aren't thinking about democracy and their country, they're simply thinking, "I don't want to die!" Pleading that they will live. Joe definitely doesn't think war is worth his situation. He isn't alive or dead...he has been completely mutilated by this war and he didn't even truly understand what he was fighting for. For Joe and for me...war is not worth it.