War is a dark time, where both sides end up with scars. This is one of the many thought provoking
realities that Pat Carr addresses in the story "Leaving Gilead". It's the kind of truth nobody thinks about until
they're in the middle of a battle, and are seeing death on both sides. While peace can only be achieved through
war, the aftermath isn't a happy ending for anyone. Nobody wins in war.
In chapter 4, Renny sheds some light on the fact even if one side of the battle conquers the other, they
still haven't won. "There's been a battle with the enemy, and Papa's troop won. That's good news, don't you
think?' He shifted the candy in his mouth. 'Probably not for the caption, lieutenant, two seargants, and three
privates" (Carr, …show more content…
He was also a coward, which benefitted him as
well, but caused someone else to lose their life. "He'd hired young Jeff Lowery to join the Arkansas fourteenth
in his place. He'd bought the young man's uniform, boots, rifle, and kit, and when Jeff had been buried
following the battle of Oak Hills... Opal Fisk had sent the young man's family a hundred confederate dollars
(Carr, 147)." Opal may have saved himself, which is definitely better for him, meanwhile Jeff Lowery's family
gained a wound that may have never healed. What's more, Opal just payed them off a hundred dollars as if
that would compensate for Jeff's death. A human life is priceless, and the war only blinded Opal to that even
more. Some may argue that the side of a war that gives up loses, and the other wins. The only way that would
be true is if nobody died in the process. This is impossible, because the entire purpose of war is to kill as many
people as possible for a group of people to get what they want. They think that they have gained peace, but
there will always be another battle right around the corner. They're only fighting for a lost cause. Nobody wins
when the only prize is
realities that Pat Carr addresses in the story "Leaving Gilead". It's the kind of truth nobody thinks about until
they're in the middle of a battle, and are seeing death on both sides. While peace can only be achieved through
war, the aftermath isn't a happy ending for anyone. Nobody wins in war.
In chapter 4, Renny sheds some light on the fact even if one side of the battle conquers the other, they
still haven't won. "There's been a battle with the enemy, and Papa's troop won. That's good news, don't you
think?' He shifted the candy in his mouth. 'Probably not for the caption, lieutenant, two seargants, and three
privates" (Carr, …show more content…
He was also a coward, which benefitted him as
well, but caused someone else to lose their life. "He'd hired young Jeff Lowery to join the Arkansas fourteenth
in his place. He'd bought the young man's uniform, boots, rifle, and kit, and when Jeff had been buried
following the battle of Oak Hills... Opal Fisk had sent the young man's family a hundred confederate dollars
(Carr, 147)." Opal may have saved himself, which is definitely better for him, meanwhile Jeff Lowery's family
gained a wound that may have never healed. What's more, Opal just payed them off a hundred dollars as if
that would compensate for Jeff's death. A human life is priceless, and the war only blinded Opal to that even
more. Some may argue that the side of a war that gives up loses, and the other wins. The only way that would
be true is if nobody died in the process. This is impossible, because the entire purpose of war is to kill as many
people as possible for a group of people to get what they want. They think that they have gained peace, but
there will always be another battle right around the corner. They're only fighting for a lost cause. Nobody wins
when the only prize is