Black Hawk Down Analysis

Project 4: Black Hawk Down There are about one and a half million people serving in the armed forces today (Chalabi). Of that number, many have families back at home. More often than not, the families of military members are uneducated about the going ons in their loved ones lives. The novel Black Hawk Down , written by Mark Bowden, is an extremely informative, educational, and rather graphic piece of literature. The realistic recollections in Black Hawk Down can be a beneficial read for people wishing to better understand the struggles for soldiers coming home. It is beneficial in the fact that it displays the average soldier's mindset, showcases the causes of post traumatic stress disorder, and highlights the complexity of war. Mark Bowden does an excellent job in displaying the mindsets of soldiers throughout his novel. One characteristic shown in the book is brotherhood. After spending so much time with each other during training and in the barracks, soldiers tend to consider each other as brothers. Once this sort of bond is formed, the soldiers sometimes sacrifice themselves for one another. This occurrence is shown in Black Hawk Down when Shughart and Gordon are killed while defending Durant from the incoming Somali mobs …show more content…
In fact, several students have known soldiers that were stationed out in Somalia, which brings the book’s message even closer to home. After reading the novel Black Hawk Down, many students felt more educated about the average soldier’s life while also appreciating all of the sacrifices that were made , especially those of whom had known military members. Black Hawk Down is truly a game-changing novel for the American education