There is a strange culture with a strange language, fighting a strange war and you're in the middle of it. In the book Three Day Road, the First World War is portrayed in a new way and from the perspective of a First Nations soldier. Xavier Bird is of Cree blood, but is also a Canadian soldier fighting overseas in Belgium and that makes him different than other soldiers.
I find that seeing the war in the perspective of a First Nations man is a great way to keep the novel interesting. The fact that Xavier is struggling with the fact that he has and will continue to have to kill men in the war brings the intensity of the book to a higher level. The reader can feel what he feels and can empathize with him as he becomes a sniper and continues to work through the things he must do (pg. 88). It seems that Xavier is somewhat unsure of what and for whom he is really fighting for but regardless of that he continues to fight in the war. I think this shows Xavier's bravery and selflessness, which is shown throughout the book. I feel like Xavier thinks that the war is senseless killing of human life but as he is in the war for a longer period of time he begins to become desensitized to the killing. The war had the same effect on Xavier as it does to many men, and it does not seem to matter the race or beliefs of the soldiers. The war so often desensitizes soldiers and has other long lasting effects such as PTSD and addiction.
Despite the differences of a First Nations soldier and any other soldier, they all are deeply affected by war. Xavier may have been different then the other soldiers but I think that by the end of the novel Xavier will be affected by the war and be not much different than any other soldier in the war.
Despite the differences of a First Nations soldier and any other soldier, they all are deeply affected by war. Xavier may have been different then the other soldiers but I think that by the end of the novel Xavier will be affected by the war and be not much different than any other soldier in the war.
I think that the points you put into the paragraphs are very valid I believe that all soldiers no matter how brave or how many people that they killed all suffer the same and all have the same effect to there mind and body as others and never fully recover from what they have seen or done. I think the reason why Xavier is a different solider is because he is a Cree man and he has learnt how to shoot from when he was very young which makes him a unique and natural shot compared to everyone else in the world. He also thinks of the sniping as hunting and watching for something o kill which he has done and is used to for many years before the war.
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