Imagine you are John Dante, right after chapter 7 in the novel. You're still at home, having yet to enlist in the military or leave your family. You've just been given word that your best friend, Tony - the one you admired for his strength and courage, the one who was the first to enlist in the military - has died in battle. He was just 18.
Prompt:
What is your reaction to the news of Tony's death? How would you be feeling towards your family? Towards Tony? About his decision to enlist? How would you feel towards the military? Towards the war? Towards the world or life in general? Does this news change your decision to enlist, or does it bolster your decision?
I am extremely shocked at Tony’s death. He was a strong and confident young man and the first to enlist. He went in to the war with anger and a fire in himself to fight. This has made me quite unsure about enlisting. If Tony couldn't survive; would I even have a chance? My family has taken this really hard too; I can’t believe how hard Diane is taking it also. I sometimes question that, did the military train him enough? I don’t want to go into the war unprepared and scared. This is war and its real; I should still fight for my country.
ReplyDeleteI would be very sad about Tony's death. I would be feeling scared for my family because if I died I would not want them going through this feeling again.I would feel proud of Tony for enlisting and giving me the strength too. He died for his country. I would hate the war even more and want to kill, but be scared to enlist because knowing that Tony was stronger and braver than me and him dieing would make me fear of my own death. I would still enlist anyways.
ReplyDeleteIf I were in this story and my best friend had just died at war I would be feeling very upset. I would be feeling thankful to my family for being there for me and Knowing that they were very upset too because they knew him very well. Twords Tony i would be feeling sorrow because he is no longer alive. I would also think that him enlisting was a brave but stupid thing because he had to die for it. I would be afraid of the military because my friend just died in it. I would be even more frightened now to go off to war because if I die hten I know that all of my friends and family will have to go through this same feeling of lose and Tony was a strong person so if he died then i might too. I would want to enlist even more now so that i can fight for Tony and all of the other people who died.
ReplyDeleteIf I were John and my best friend died during war, I would be very emotional and sad and in disbelief because Tony was had so much strength and drive. I don't think I would believe it. My first instinct would be to feel very angry towards the military for making these men feel like they have to enlist to really be a man, but at the same time, it is solely that person's decision to enlist. If this happened to me, I would definitely want to enlist even more so this way I could fight for Tony and to make sure he didn't die for nothing.
ReplyDeleteI would be very upset about Tony's death. This is giving me second thoughts about enlisting into the war because there is a very good chance that if bigger, stronger Tony died, I could too. I would never want my family to go through everything Tony's family has and I will always miss him. I will not go against Tony's decision for enlisting into the war because he did it out of courage and for his country. I wish I could say that about myself but I don’t think I have it in me. My feelings for the war have changed drastically, I am now very scared.
ReplyDeletemy reaction would be shocled and unbelievable, because Tony was the strongest and toughest kid i knew. i would be more caring and loving because i could be drafted any day and might not come back from the war and i wouldnt be able to say goodbye to them. i would be in sort of a depression because i lost my bestfrined, but then i again i do have Ginny. Still i would be extremely sad. After the fact i would upset and disagree with it because i wouldnt want to lose him, but before i knew he would die i would support him. Pissed because they let him die of they werent a stageigized well enough.Again i would be pissed off because Tony died in it and i would be scared because i wouldnt want to go and die in it. For a little bit i might be just mad at the world, and i would be confused, because why Tony why not me or someone else? It could go either way it might inferior me to want to fight for Tony, but at the same time i wouldnt want to go and die.
ReplyDeleteIf my friend died before I enlisted for the war, I would be very sad. I would second think my decision about enlisting. I wouldn't have any reaction towards my family, but in my head I would be scared to know if that would happen to me if I was in the war. I would feel bad for Tony's family and I would visit them to try and help them get through it. I would not think about getting revenge for Tony because if I killed another soldier from Germany, their parents would feel like Tony's. However, I would still be for the war and I would not chicken out now.
ReplyDeleteIf i were John Dante and i just got the news that my best friend, Tony has just died in the war i would be shocked. I would also be scared because he was the one that gave me the courage and the faith to go and fight in the war and he was one of the most bravest and strongest people that i have known. And since the strongest person died at combat then i dont think that i would have the faith that i would survive the war. I would be feeling very sorry for Tony's family. Their son was brave and went to go fight for his country and in all the middle of that he got killed. They would probably be thinking why this had to happen to him when he was a nice sweet inasant boy. I would feel very bad for Tony. One day he was in the war shooting at people and the next he is up in heaven watching down on the people. that must have been so frightning for him. I would want the war to end immideatly so that i wouldn't have to go. I didn't want to end up like Tony not returning to my home, my girlfriend, my firends, and most importantly the family that loves me. In a way it does and doesn't change my mind to enlistin the war. I still would want to enlist because i would want to fight for my freinds death in honor of him. I wouldn't want to enlist because i wouldn't want to die like Tony did.
ReplyDeleteI would be mortified and extremely said to find out that one of my friend's had died, especially if he was the one I admired for is strengh and courage. I would probably be concerned for my family because if I decided to go through with enlisting for the war and I died then they it would put them through a lot of pain and suffering. I would feel sorry for Tony because he did not got to live a full life. I would also feel guilty because I wasn't there to watch his back. In addition I would still feel that Tony had a right to enlist because it is his life even if he died he died for our freedom which I personally think is a good cause. I would probably feel very angry with the military for not protecting Tony and I would think that joining the war was not such a great idea. I would be scared of dying and everyone around me since all the barriers have gone away and I would realize how precious life and how fast it could be taken away just from the death of Tony. This would definately not stop me from enlisting even if I scared of dying I would want to keep fighting for my country's freedom and especially for Tony.
ReplyDeletein the first sentence i meant to say sad instead of said.....sorry
ReplyDeleteIf I were John Dante and I just got the news that my best friend, Tony has just died in the war, I would be upset and in shock. To know that my bestfriend has died in the war has made me hesitant to fight now. But it is the right thing to do. That could happen to me, just be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and die.
ReplyDeleteIf i were John Dante and i just heard that my best friend, Tony had die i would be mortified. Knowing that Tony was the strongest out of all my friends and he didn't make it, how would i have a chance! it would really bring me back to reality because all i would be thinking about is a victory for the US. now that death has taken Tony its showed me what could be in my near future. it would make me even more mad, it would give me even more reason to fight my hardest. it would also make me very anxious, knowing my time is coming.
ReplyDeleteIf my friend had died right before i was going to enlist i would be horrified. my family must be in shock they have known him for so long. Tony was the strongest out of everybody so what chance is there that anyone else will make it out of the war.
ReplyDeleteIf I found out that my best friend died before I was able to enlist I be very sad and shocked. I would also have to think twice before enlisting now. Also though it would make me angry to know my friend died fighting for his country and I would get so pay back for killing my friend.
ReplyDeleteIf my bestfriend died in the war, before i was going to enlist, I would be horrified. I would have to be distant from my family, in order to cope with the loss. I would pray for Tony everynight before i sleep. I wouldn't hate that he enlisted, because he was going to have to enlist anyway, but he should have waited a bit longer. I would have wanted to gone into the war with him, and came out with him as heros. I would feel like everything happens for a reason and i would still have to enlist and be a strong soldier.
ReplyDeleteIf I were John Dante, and I had just recieved the news that my best friend Tony had died in the war, I would probably break down. I would be upset that the war had taken him from me. I would blame it on the war. I would be silent, and upset towards my family. They would know what was wrong, but I would refuse to speak about it. I know that I would cry every time his name came out of my mouth, and I'd be trying to stay strong, but the talk about him would make me crack. I would probably still enlist in the war though. I would still enlist because I don't want to be labeled a coward, and I'd fight also because Tony has been taken from me.
ReplyDeleteIf i had found out that my best friend had died in the war then i would be pretty mad at the other countries for letting tony die, the way he did. i would probly avoid his family becouse i would not know what to do or say to them. i would then deffinately enlist in the war becouse i would feel thatt i should avenge tony
ReplyDeleteif i was John Dante and my best friend tony had just died in the war i would terribly upset. i would be more scared to sign up b/c i know he is stronger then me and i would most likley not survive if he could not. i would cling tight to my family and never want to leave but i would still go to war because it is the right thing to do and maybe ill get the revange i need and the us will win the war. i would cherish my life and the rest of the time i have and i would try my hardest and be the best i could be with everything i do.
ReplyDeletemy reaction would be very sad that a good friend died in the war. I would cherish every moment i have with my family. I would be very upset for Tony and his family and would question tonys and my decision to enter the war. Tony was one of the bravest friends i had and i defintely am not stronger than him. Tonys death will make me more scared of enlisting because of the fear of death
ReplyDeleteMy reaction would be pure shock and saddness. From then on i would spend more time with my family so just in case something happens in the war i know i spent my last few years with my family. I would look at Tony as a heroe and a true veteran. I would always remember his courage. I would feel he did the right thing to enlist. All he was trying to do was save his country and protect his family.I would feel like the military did not train him hard enough and did not do much to protect him. I would also still feel the war is worth it and that life can change at any second once in the war. If anything the news of my best friend being killed would increase my decision of enlisting.
ReplyDeleteIf i was John Dante and my best friend Tony had just died in the war i would be extremly upset about loosing my best friend. I would be very greatful for my family and i would spend as much time as i could with them before i left for the war. I would often think about Tony and how i feel so bad for him and his family. Tony didn't even want to enlist in the war but he was being a good american and he did and ended up loosing his life to it, i think that's a true hero. I still wouldn't like the fact that the war was going on but i would know that it has to happen and the only way i would be able to help is by enlisting. This news would make me feel more nervous about enlisting in the war but i would still go.
ReplyDeleteafter hearing about Tony's death if i were John i would definitly start thinking about the consequenses of the war and the down sides to it. If i were John and Tony had just died i would be so upset and sad. i would feel absolutly horrible for Tony's family. therefor i would try and spend as much time i possibly could with my family. having my best friend die would change my life completely. i would be way more nervous to enlist in war and i would start to think more realisticly. but also having tony die would make me md and angry and then i would want to go and fight for him.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to Tony's death was suprised and upset. I was surprised because Tony was strong and was excited to go in and kill some enemey. My family would probably be sad for me and for my friends parents. I would feel heart broken and really emotional and upset. I would not want to enlist for the military and I would hate the war. I would think that life was horrible and that god din't care about my friend enough to saw him or her. I would also not want to enlist. I would not want to enlist because I wouldn't want to put my family through the pain Tony's family went through.
ReplyDeleteIf i was John just died in the war i would probably just try to block it all out of my mind and act like nothing had ever happened. It would be just to much for me to handle. I would offten think about Tony even though i don't want to. I would just remember that heaven was needing a hero and for some reason Tony was that hero that they needed. I would probably depend on my family and friends to get through it. I would not inlist in the war because knowing the pain i feel about loosing Tony i would rther not make my family feel that same way and have them try to deal with the hurt it brings.
ReplyDeleteIf I was John and my best friend had just died in the war i would be very upset. I would be so upset that i would go to war and fight back the people that killed my best friend. But if i was John, again, i would be very sad and upset. I would hope that y family would be suportive and caring as i go through this hard time. Tony was very brave to be the first to enlist.
ReplyDeleteTonys death would have affected me horribly; hes the strongest boy i've known. Thoughts in my head would say, if he didnt survive then what chance is it that i will. I would definitly rethink my descion to enlist in the war so quickly as i had thought of doing before his death occured. Tonys death would also open my eyes to how harsh war really is and the world in general.
ReplyDeleteI would be verry sad for his death. But I would also be angry and would want to fight that much harder againts our enemy.
ReplyDeleteim an extremely upset that tony is dead i felt he had the best chance of living out of all my friends so i dont know whats going to happen when i will join but i will still enlist for my country and i have noticed life is a precious and fragile thing
ReplyDeletei would be devistated and i would have second thoughts about enlisting because my strongest and bravest friend died in the war that i thought of going into. I would think that everybody should just stop fighting because everybody knows what will happen to them in the war
ReplyDeletewhen i first heard about tonys death, i was very shocked. i didnt expect it at all. i never would of thought that he would have died because he was so confident about enlisting in the war and then fighting. my point of view of the war definetley would have changed because i would be afraid of dieing like tony did. my opinion of the war would have also changed because i would finnaly realize that war is a scary thing and people actually die while fighting. this would also make me respect life more and have fun living my life before i had to fight and possible die.
ReplyDeletemy reaction to tony's death would be shocked because he was the strongest person i knew and he was just killed. I would feel sad and scared becuase i would be enlisting soon,i would be scared because tony just died. i would not be so sure if i really wanted to enlist anymore because of what happend to tony.
ReplyDeleteI would be very upset upon hearing the news that my best friend passed away and I would continiouslly look for him and finally realize that I would never see him again. My feelings would not be altered through this experince towards the millitary. I would still serve and protect my country
ReplyDeleteIf i was John Dante and my best friend just died in the war, I would be devestated. This would make me more nervous over the war knowing the most strongest man and my best friend had just died. I would take the courage he had in signing up for this and i would try to be careful of myself and others that I will be with in this war.
ReplyDeleteI would be very upset about Tony's death. This is giving me second thoughts about enlisting into the war because there is a very good chance that if bigger, stronger Tony died, I could too. I would never want my family to go through everything Tony's family has and I will always miss him. I will not go against Tony's decision for enlisting into the war because he did it out of courage and for his country. I wish I could say that about myself but I don’t think I have it in me. My feelings for the war have changed drastically, I am now very scared.
ReplyDeleteif i was John Dante and my friend TONY died in the war i would be very very emotionally crushed and sad. i wo.uld want to fight so i could avenge my friends death. i would be mad at life for him dieing
ReplyDeleteif i was tony friend i would be confused. the strongest person i knew died in a suposivly easy war. i would think twice befor i enlisted
ReplyDeleteif i was john dante and my bestfriend had died in the war i would have been very upset.i also would have been very scared of the war knowing how tony was so brave and strong and he ended up dieng. i probably would have been a little nervous around my family cause i know they knew about tony and they would know i wanted to enlist so most likely they would be scared for me.i would be shocked about tony dieng.i think that john is very mature with his decision to enlist in the war still even after he heard that his bestfriend had died.i probably would have been alot more serious about the war because he really didnt take it that serious about the war. i also would have probably looked at life a whole nother way because i would now know how serious the world is and how dangerous it is.
ReplyDeleteI would mabye rethink my desision. Tony was looked up to by john and seeing a figure of courage die would tramatize me. I would think that that tramatic feeling would be felt by my family if I enlisted. and it also makes me think that even the most couragous people can be struck down. I would now have to take in seruois consideration towards my enlistment desision.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI would be very shocked and extremley sad that my best friend with all the courage and strength just died. I would value my family much more and sped more time than I used to because I might die in the war when I enlist. I still agree with his decision to enlist because he died with courage and pride. I would be enraged at the enemy and would be bloodthirsty. Tony dieing would make me want to enlist even more because I would want to exact revenge on the enemy and want to be like tony, dieing for my country.
ReplyDeleteIf I were John Dante, I would be extremely morose and depressed upon hearing of Tony's death. Hell, he lost his best friend! If Tony, the strongest boy he knew was killed in war, there was little hope for the rest of them! He wishes he hadn't lost Tony, however, he knows that enlisting is something that has to be done to protect the country. He probably is beginning to realize how precious every moment of life really is because he knows there is a good chance death is in his future. The decision would make me a little more wary of enlisting, but I wouldn't want to go down as a coward.
ReplyDeleteif my friend had died in the war i wouldve been very upset. i wouldve been scared to enlist but i probably still wouldve enlisted in the army. i also would have been very shocked that tony had died because he was the strongest,and the most brave out of all johns friends. i wouldnt have talked about enlisting in the army around my family because hey would know about tonys death and they would not want me to enlist.
ReplyDeleteif i was john dante and i had just found out that my best friend tony had died in the war i would have been very upset. if i were john i also wouldve reconsidered enlisting in the war because tony was very strong and brave. i also wouldve tried to avoid talking about the war to my family because they know id be enlisting and they would also know about tonys deth. most likely they would be scared for me.
ReplyDeleteIf i were John and my best friend had just died i would be devistated. i would feel awfull and terribly upset. i most likely wouldnt come out of my room for a few days and i wouldnt socilise woith my family that much. id wish hed never enlisted because if he hadent he wouldnt have gotten killed. i wouldnt want to go to war after hearing what happened to tony. id hate the military and the war id be upset with the worl for what had happened.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhen I heard about Tony's death I was in shock and disbelief. I am not in the mood to talk to anyone in my family, becuase they would use this as a reason for me to not enlist. All though i am so upset, I am a bit mad at Tony for enlisting before he was supposed to, if he had just waited to have been drafted he would still be living. I am not so sure over whether or not to enlist now that i know what a death of a close friend does to family, and friends and i dont want to do that to my loved ones. In general, I just dont feel like living because Tony isnt living and I feel like I owe him.
ReplyDeleteIf i were John i would be extremely angry. The people we are at war with just killed my best friend. That would infuriate me. It would make me draw closer to my family though, but at the same time i would want to enlist even more and kill every single enemy we have in the war.
ReplyDeleteIf I were john I would be sad. I would be sad that Tony was killed but also angry at the people who did this. This would want me to join the war even more because I would want to get back at the people who did this to my best friend. I would now know that life is short so I would try to live life to its fullest before I went off to war. I don't think at the time I would want to talk to my family or anybody else for that matter, I would just be to upset.
ReplyDeleteI am very confused right now. Tony is the strongest I john knew and he died. I would feel bad for my family because they know that i would be elisting soon. I would feel a great sorrow for tony but it was his decision to enlist and no one could have stopped him. This would change my whole veiw of the military and war and i would now understand that this wasnt a game. I would still enlist though because i would feel as if it was my duty to and finish what tony help start.
ReplyDeleteI would be very upset and questionable to how he could of died. I would be very loving because now john knows what could happen to him.I am very scared to enlist because i know i could die. This would change everything i felt about the military. I would still enlist because it is my duty to protect our country.
ReplyDeleteIf I were in the situation of losing a friend in the war I'd be very upset and mad. My feelings toward my family would be stong because I just lost my bestfriend. And to Tony,well, mad that he died. His decision to enlist in the war is brave and shows a lot of courage. My feelings about everything would be confusing, especially for enlisting into the way.
ReplyDeleteif my friend had died in the war i wouldve been very upset. i wouldve been scared to enlist but i probably still wouldve enlisted in the army. i also would have been very shocked that tony had died because he was the strongest,and the most brave out of all johns friends. i wouldnt have talked about enlisting in the army around my family because hey would know about tonys death and they would not want me to enlist, because they beleive i would die at war.
ReplyDeleteIf I were John I would be horrified,angry, and torn up with sadness all at the same time. Sad because my best friend had just died, horrified because I he died in the war, what chance did I have. He was strong and brave and hes stilled died. I would also be angry and want to enlist to avenge his death. I would be angry at life for letting him go. I wouldn’t know what to say to anyone. I would be in complete shock. I would probably enlist due to my rage.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to tonys death is disappointed. This makes me relize that was is not easy. one desion can kill you. I am feeling embarresd twords my parents because i said that i could do it. But now that tony died i am not sp sure about it. I feel that the millatary is a dangourous place and it will kill you. It makes you relize that is is evrey man for yourself. This makes my desision to enlist alot more challenging.
ReplyDelete