You were just babies in the war—like the ones upstairs!” I…
““You were just babies in the war—like the ones upstairs!” I nodded that this was true. We had been foolish virgins in the war, right at the end of childhood. “But you’re not going to write it that way, are you.” This wasn’t a question. It was an accusation. “I—I don’t know,” I said. “Well, I know,” she said. “You’ll pretend you were men instead of babies, and you’ll be played in the movies by Frank Sinatra and John Wayne or some of those other glamorous, war-loving, dirty old men. And war will look just wonderful, so we’ll have a lot more of them. And they’ll be fought by babies like the babies upstairs.” So then I understood. It was war that made her so angry. She didn’t want her babies or anybody else’s babies killed in wars. And she thought wars were partly encouraged by books and movies.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
War dehumanizes participants, turning children into glorified heroes; society romanticizes conflict, ignoring its true horrors.
In simple terms: War turns innocence into myth and hides its brutality.
Key Takeaway
Question narratives that glorify war.
Themes
war
childhood
romanticism
media
trauma
gender roles
Mood
somber
critical
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- film criticism
- education
- peace activism
- mental health counseling
- media analysis
Key Concepts
critical theory
psychology
cultural studies
Questions to Reflect On
- How does media shape our view of war?
- What responsibilities do storytellers have when depicting conflict?
A Different Perspective
Romanticizing war can perpetuate violence.