Baa Baa Black Sheep by Gregory Boyington is an autobiographical war novel,
which describes events that took place during the World War II. Boyington dedicated
all his life to military, he took part in several wars and was even captured
during the war and awarded with Congressional Medal of Honor and a Navy Cross
for his achievements, so he knew what he was writing about. The book describes
everyday life and great deeds of the Black Sheep squadron during the WW2. The
main character is described as fearless and wild person. At the beginning of
the novel he becomes the author describing his drinking experiences during the
first year of military service. He spends much time describing his problems
with alcohol and uncontrolled behavior, such as shooting Japanese planes being
completely drunk. His courage and unconquerable spirit don’t stay unnoticed
and soon he becomes the leader of the flying squadron. Awesome responsibilities
change him and he becomes able to overcome his drinking problems. The squadron
fights bravely but finally Gregory is shot down by Japanese and gets to their
prison. The time he spent in prison is described in great detail. He gets through
beating and torturing. At the same time he meets kind Japanese people who help
him. What is noticeable, he doesn’t hate Japanese and doesn’t treat
them like enemies. He is liberated after the end of the war and comes back home.
Unfortunately, the main character can not overcome his drinking problems and
turns back to alcohol.
With the Old Breed : At Peleliu and Okinawa written by Eugene Sledge is an autobiographical
account of his military service during the WW2. The book describes the fighting
in the South Pacific during the WW2. It describes campaigns in Peleliu and Okinawa
in great detail and brave actions of the USA Marines during this campaigns.
The author starts the book with the description of his first impressions after
getting to the war. He joined the army the year after the bombing of Pearl Harbor
and served there from 1943 to 1946 and these years are described in his novel.
Sledge honestly describes his experience from the time when full of illusions
and romantic expectations he steps on the beach of Peleliu and till the time
when brutality and horrors of the war destroy his illusions. Then he describes
long months of the war full of pain, struggle and fear. Sledge depicts horrors
of war and difficult climate conditions with sincerity. “To me, artillery
was an invention of hell. The onrushing whistle and scream of the big steel
package of destruction was the pinnacle of violent fury and the embodiment of
pent-up evil. I developed a passionate hatred for shells. To be killed by a
bullet seemed s clean and surgical. But shells would not only tear and rip the
body, they tortured one’s mind almost beyond the brink of sanity”(Sledge,
p.76). Reading the story you get a perfect idea of the way the USA Marines fought
during the WW2.
In Baa, Baa Blacksheep Gregory Boyington doesn’t use sophisticated literary
style or technique and it’s probably hard to expect it from the brave
soldier. But still, the book captures your attention from the first pages and
you don’t even notice how you start living the life of main characters.
Pappy Boyingtion, famous pilot of the WW2, is the protagonist of the book. It
was told once that the author can depict what he has experienced best of all.
I think it’s very true for this book, as Boyington depicts events which
happened with him and his friends. Though he describes comparatively recent
time in his book we get into another world while reading it. It’s hard
for us, peaceful citizens, to imagine the life during the war time when the
human life was under the constant threat and killing was an ordinary thing.
I must admit that Boyington does a good job making the reader not only read
the story but also feel and experience it. The lack of literary style is fully
compensated by sincerity and passion of the author. The autobiographical style
and first person narration make the story very personal and make the reader
very sympathetic to the author. The author, or the main character of the book,
may be called a tragic character as we may see his inner conflicts and the way
he overcomes them. We can see the beautiful transformation of the main character
and his personal development. The book has two planes of depiction and two levels
of meaning, to my mind. First level is a depiction of the WW2 and second one
is a depiction of inner world of the main character, his system of beliefs,
growth and transformation. It’s amazing to read how these two level interact
and influence each other during the development of the plot.
With the Old Breed by Sledge can be interesting for both, historians who are
interested in the events of the WW2 and those who like historical reading. The
novel is very captivating, though some details can be horrifying for those who
have little knowledge about the scaring truth about the war. I think the author’s
purpose wan not to depict the horrors of war but to underline that even during
the war it’s possible to stay human, to care about other people and sacrifice
life for the sake of ideals. Sledge isn’t a historian, he isn’t
a professional writer either but I think he accomplishes his task brilliantly.
The book is a very detailed historical record of two great fights of the WW2.
It even contains the maps and pictures, which make the story more realistic
and help those, who want to see real historical facts. The book is interesting
also for those who are more interested in the inner state of the main character,
who had to pass through the hell of war and not only saved his face but also
became morally mature. I think that with the help of the events described in
the book Sledge proves that it’s possible to stay human in any conditions
and extreme situations like war uncover true personality of people. The author’s
writing is very poetic and professional. The author shares his inner feelings
and emotions with stunning sincerity and makes the reader involved into his
inner world.
I would say books are very alike though they depict the problem from different
sides. Both books describe the event of the WW2. Both are autobiographical novels
written by the participants of this horrible war. Both books can be very useful
for those who are interested in the history of the US and the events of the
WW2 in particular. The books are different in their styles. Sledge’s language
is richer and he builds his narration as a professional writer. We can not find
such skillfulness in Boyington’s writing but he has his particular style.
What is interesting, both books describe the transformation of the main characters.
In Baa, Baa Blacksheep the main character gives up his drinking habits when
he becomes the leader of the squadron. In Sledge’s book the main character
has to find his place in the cruel reality of the war when you are in danger
every moment. In both books we can see the development of the main characters’
personalities and the war becomes the main stimulus for this change. Autobiographical
character of both novels makes the reader penetrate deeper into the world of
the man characters and get insight into their feelings. Both books contain realistic
depiction of events and a lot of descriptions of cruelty and pain. The reading
can be difficult sometimes but I think that it’s necessary to learn about
the history of the country. Only learning lessons from the past experience we
can escape repeating horrible events in the future.
References
Sledge, E.B., With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa. San Rafael, CA: Presidio Press, 1990
Boyington, Gregory. Baa Baa Black Sheep. (Fresno, CA: Wilson Press), 1958.
