The film They Shall not Grow Old was set in a world so unlike my own that the story seemed fictitious when it was based on reality. The devastation wrought upon the people of this time by the war made me feel so very grateful for all of the choices and events allowing for my comfort and privilege. The circumstances that I would be in if I was raised in war times compared to the safety and opportunity that I am given by being raised in this time, socio economic status and part of the world are drastic and uncomfortable to think about. Imagining going to school, caring for my family, or working in a factory while my male peers, family and loved ones might be dying or dead is a thought I am grateful is unlikely to come to pass in my lifetime. It is difficult for me to understand how the men and boys signing up for war in this time would sign up at all and I’m simply dumbfounded that they would choose to return after being allowed home because of injury. Knowing the risks and the very real possibility that those soldiers might never see their families again shows me that I for one, am quite sure that my bravery is not comparable to theirs whatsoever.
5 thoughts on “They Shall Not Grow Old and how the film shows my character”
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I really liked how you expressed yourself and compared your life right now into the past. I also admired how you are so thankful that you aren’t in that time period.
I enjoyed the way you described living in their time as “uncomfortable”. From some point of view it may be an understatement. But deep down it is the simple truth.
I really enjoyed reading this personal writing response! I relate to your confusion when considering the boys who enlisted in the war. I think because we have a perspective that encompasses all aspects of the conflict, it seems unimaginable to think that anyone would willingly put themselves in that position. I value the way that you explain this in your writing. I also find your deep appreciation for your own situation refreshing and this really shows a new perspective to life.
This personal response is very relatable and I admire the way that you expressed your feelings with such an honesty. As you mentioned, sometimes we take for granted all the opportunities that we are given and how different life is compared to theirs. We do need to be more grateful for the adolescence we are living in.
I really enjoyed this Personal Response and I can definitely relate to how you feel about war. It’s honestly impressive to see how much our world and view on war has changed in the past century. My only suggestion was that the sentence “The circumstances that I would be in if I was raised in war times compared to the safety and opportunity that I am given by being raised in this time, socio economic status and part of the world are drastic and uncomfortable to think about” was slightly confusing to me, and I had to re-read it multiple times to understand it. Other than that small thing, this was an amazing post and really well written!