Duty and Responsibility in Guests Of The Nation Essay

Natural Empathy: Duty and Responsibility in Guests of the Nation Frank OConnor uses character surnames in his story Guests of the Nation to help develop the characters of the English and Irish soldiers. The characters engage in a struggle between hidden powers of empathy and duty, and OConnor displays their first-person point of view about the irony of war similar to Thomas Hardys poem, The Man He Killed: Yes; quaint and curious war is! You shoot a fellow down Youd treat if met where any bar is, Or help to half-a-crown. Behind the murderous duty that lies at the center of the story, OConnor has chosen a particular set of names to represent his characters who are all humanized in a way that shocks the reader†¦show more content†¦Despite Hawkins being the captive in this story, the narrator, Bonaparte, notes that Hawkins wins the argument. Each one of the military men in this story has made a decision to join a cause and to follow that particular cause, whether it is the continued control over Ireland or the insurrection to overthrow British rule. By illustrating the irony in certain names, we glimpse cynicism behind the scenes that OConnor has introduced into the story. The narrator of the story, Bonaparte, displays his loyalty to his duties, nonetheless, he does not want to go out of his way to execute the Englishman whose company he has enjoyed since they were put under his supervision. The name Bonaparte meaning good solution or good match, helps identify his character, who believes there is an alternative to executing these soldiers: Didnt we understand him and didnt he understand us? Did we imagine for an instant that hed shoot us for all the so-and-so officers in the so-and-so British Army?(DiYanni, 50). The name Bonaparte also provokes the thought of Napoleon Bonaparte who had a goal of world domination. Another character with a precisely curious name is Noble, who is always arguing with the prisoner Hawkins. Noble argues throughout the story about the existence of God and the afterlife, displaying his spirituality and decency as a character. The name Noble, meaningShow MoreRelatedGuests of the Nation756 Words   |  4 PagesNatural Empathy: Duty and Responsibility in Guests of the Nation Frank OConnor uses character surnames in his story Guests of the Nation to help develop the characters of the English and Irish soldiers. The characters engage in a struggle between hidden powers of empathy and duty, and OConnor displays their first-person point of view about the irony of war similar to Thomas Hardys poem, The Man He Killed: Yes; quaint and curious war is! 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