In Decatur Boarding the Tripolitan Gunboat the men are shown in the painting is fighting for both freedom and money. This oil painting was painted by Dennis Malone Carter (1827-1881) in 1878. It appears that one side of the war being portrayed is much more justified and honorable than the other and they both have their own reasoning for their stories. No matter the side, in the end, war will have the same result when being fought over to this degree, death. This is a Marxism painting, that analyzing the relations between the social classes and the interactions and conflicts between the two. The first impression being a basic painting but then taking a closer look, one can see all the details and how rich and deep its colors are to be showing
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Personally never having put my life on the line such as the outstanding people in the United State’s military, there have been times where there was a friend who was in need and it was much easier to help them with their problem/ task because of knowing how a positive outcome would be produced. These American Navy men aren’t fighting for themselves but for all the men who have been or would have been taken away from their families and held captive, having a price placed on their lives. Not only is piracy wrong to begin with, these pirates aren’t like the popular pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean but more along the lines of the pirates from the movie Captain Phillips. They aren’t about treasure and rum but taking over boats and taking everything valuable from that boat that they can. A side note from the painting is that though Stephen Decatur is known as the hero, “Stephen Decatur as one of the bravest and most colorful sailors in the history of the U.S. Navy” (Cutler), there is apparently another unsung hero. Reuben James. James is a gunner who was involved in a dispute among a few Americans and Tripolitans who outnumbered the Navy men, whilst in battle saw an opportunity to be a hero by sacrifice. Decatur was grappling with the captain of the Tripolitan gunboat, and another Turk came about and made a move that would’ve killed Decatur, but James, “rushed forward and took the blow to his own head” (Cutler). Proving to the point made earlier about sacrifice for
Personally never having put my life on the line such as the outstanding people in the United State’s military, there have been times where there was a friend who was in need and it was much easier to help them with their problem/ task because of knowing how a positive outcome would be produced. These American Navy men aren’t fighting for themselves but for all the men who have been or would have been taken away from their families and held captive, having a price placed on their lives. Not only is piracy wrong to begin with, these pirates aren’t like the popular pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean but more along the lines of the pirates from the movie Captain Phillips. They aren’t about treasure and rum but taking over boats and taking everything valuable from that boat that they can. A side note from the painting is that though Stephen Decatur is known as the hero, “Stephen Decatur as one of the bravest and most colorful sailors in the history of the U.S. Navy” (Cutler), there is apparently another unsung hero. Reuben James. James is a gunner who was involved in a dispute among a few Americans and Tripolitans who outnumbered the Navy men, whilst in battle saw an opportunity to be a hero by sacrifice. Decatur was grappling with the captain of the Tripolitan gunboat, and another Turk came about and made a move that would’ve killed Decatur, but James, “rushed forward and took the blow to his own head” (Cutler). Proving to the point made earlier about sacrifice for