Boots

The Soccer War
pg. 184-204

September 17, 2007
5:56 P.M.

** "...the life of a soldier and the life of a shopkeeper during the war- they existed in two different worlds and they had diffferent problems- one of them was thinking about how to live through another houre, and the other was thinking about how to sell his merchandise, and these are very different worries indeed (202)." This quote fits perfectly with my previous post about how no one really cares about war unless they are the ones fighting it.

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....The last chapter I read was titled Boots. Even though Kapuscinski tricks the reader into thinking that the chapter is about the war between Israel and Syria, Kapuscinski really intends to send an underlying message. When people talk of war, they usually refer to the whole country as being in war; however, wars are only fought by a select group of people, soldiers. Politicians might start them, but the only ones that fight are brave human beings, willing to risk their last breathe for causes which they don't even understand.

....The author uses the boots to tell a story; the boots become a metaphor of the life of a soldier. They are the ones willing to die to save their country and its citizens. The loneliness, the fight without a cause is symbolized by the boots. The boots are there through thick and thin. They accompany a soldier in the middle of the attack, or when he has to go back home. The boots are there for the soldier in the battlefield: when the "mines go off under his feet, [when] bullets whistle through the air, [and] bombs drop from the sky(202)." At the same time, the boots join the soldier at times of peace, at times of calm. Even though a soldier risks his live for his country and for his compatriots, he doesn't get anything in return but a trauma for life. After seeing the bloodshed, the death, and the pain that war causes, no one can return to their normal self; the only thought of all these scenes will hunt anyone for the rest of their lives. "The war wounded everyone, and those who survived cannot cure themselves of it (200)." The boots are meant to show how society takes for granted people that are willing to give up their lives in order to save others.

....Just as well, in this chapter Kapuscinski makes a drastic turn in his writing style. Throughout the book, he has concealed his opinions with the facts, or separated his opinions completely from the facts (in the Plan for the Unwritten Book). However, never has he incorporated his opinion into the facts. Throughout most of the novel, he leaves the space open for the reader to come up with their own assumptions about his feelings. In the last couple of pages of this section he does! He openly critisizes war, and the effects it has on the overall population, as well, as the inability to fight for your country if you aren't at the frontline battling. The reader finally gets a personal insight into this renowned reporter; he leaves his journalistic wall (professionalism) of facts down for a bit. A reporter is just supposed to present the news as facts (unless they are trying to persuade the viewer/reader of their own opinions), and Kapuscinski has accomplished this very well up to this part of the novel.

....I think this is because after two hundred pages he feels desperate. Through two hundred pages, Kapuscinski has kept his professionalism intact, not letting his emotions get in the way of the reader's understanding of the facts. After all the torture endured and bloodshed witnessed, Kapuscinski did the human thing possible in order to deal with all his emotions; he had to let everything out. All his emotions were bottled up inside. It was about time that he let the reader know his emotions about the facts. I'm amazed that he was able to keep it to himself for so long. But bottling up his emotions is what journalism is about (well, a good reporter isn't supposed to the biased as he needs to leave the space open for the reader to come up with their own conclusions). Kapuscinski was very professional, and he should be admired for his wonderful work.

....I absolutely agree with Kapuscinski's views of war; it creates scars that can't be cured for generations afterwards. As for soldiers, his metaphor of boots was very precise.