Sunday, April 6, 2008
Kowalke as an counter-example of war
In Jeffrey Fleishman's "Search for the Fallen in a Now-Quiet Forest," Erwin Kowalke is an counter-example of war. As Kowalke explains, "In these bones you see what war is like. I know war now. I'll tell you what it is. War is young men killing other young men they do not know on the orders of old men who know one another too well." By digging up the dead in Halbe near the Polish border, Kowalke does what many Germans would not do. Although others tell him to just let the fallen soldiers just rest in the forest, he continues his work. This is because he understands that he is where he is today, along with many other people because these soldiers put their life on the line. He not only digs up German soldiers, but Russians too. As Kowalke explains, "some Germans get mad at [him] for that." But, like Kowalke explained earlier, war is young people fighting an old men's war. These young men did not know each other. While society looks down upon him for digging up the "enemy" Kowalke continues his work to show respect to these young men, who he never knew or met, by digging them up. War is hatred among people which escalates to a larger scale. It is where young people who do not know each other kill each other people they are told to. Kowalke, on the other hand, does not show hatred to these young men, rather, he shows them the opposite: respect. By doing so, in Fleishman's article, Kowalke is portrayed as the counter-example of war by his action.
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6 comments:
i was drawn to the last sentences of your post because they so nicely lay out several descriptive claims (or premises) about war (and what counts as or defines war) before moving to your more arguable or provocative claim that "kowalke is portrayed as the counter-example of war by his action."
The point of Kowalke used as a counter-war example is a very good point that you have pointed out. I did not see Kowalke in this way, for I just took his actions as actions for himself alone, for him to do what he felt was right. The fact that Kowalke is an example of anti-war is a good point that I now see as well.
I thought it was interesting that you deemed Kowalke's purpose in his mission as a means of showing his respect for the soldiers lost in battle. You could also relate his anti-war sentiment to his father who was killed in battle and Kowalke's attempt to honor him.
Your conclusion of Kowalke's respect for human life - despite where the life's loyalties lie - in contrast with war's blatant exploitation of human life solely based on alliances is a perfect example of the theme of "doing" this quarter. Kowalke's digging up soldiers - representing his respect - is his action against war and the devaluing of human life.
Im glad you wrote about this because i had no idea what we were talking about in discussion. Now i can see how kowalke was making an anti-war statement when he was unearthing and reburying the dead. It still amazes me what he is doing.
You used an excellent idea from lecture, stating that this idea is an anti-war statement.I am reminded of the novel "All Quiet on the Western Front" where there is this famous quote that I do not quite remember fully. But it remarks about the cruelty of war; how the men that have a problem with other countries should duke out their own problems with each other in a boxing ring, instead of killing many innocent people. The fact that he is burying and trying to undo these such deeds is quite remarkable.
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