“War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead.” (O’Brien 76). O’Brien’s restatement of war being “nasty” and “drudgery” build on how war has a negative effect on you. More specifically by also using emotions such as “fun” and “thrilling”, O’Brien is showing you that the term “nasty” can not only be used to describe the physical characteristics of war but also the psychological characteristics of war. This is most important for when he uses the phrase “war makes you dead” because he is sharing that not only can war kill you bodily, but more significantly that it can tear you apart and shatter you psychologically.
