Rites of spring is about what is going when the soldiers
are at war, it talks about where the soldiers originally hide out in during the
war (dugouts). It goes over how the men feel before the war begins how some are
nervous and some are scared which cause them to become clumsy during the war.
It explains all the gear the soldiers have to have vs. what the officers have
to have. The men come out in different sections for battle they are called
waves, there is first second and third listed in rites of spring. Talks about
the conditions these men live in while in these dugout hide outs the encounters
they have with certain bugs and things. Because they were at war the smell of
decomposition took over. It goes on to explain that some men that go to battle
never even experience these horrible conditions. They leave without a scratch
on them or without seeing the enemy some are not that lucky however. It
explains to you how these soldiers can be doing something as simple as eating,
see another solider die next to them and then continue on with what they are
doing. You kind of see how the war changes these men and why they have such a
hard time when they return here, because anyone in their right mind would not
be able to see someone die and then continue with what they are doing. Soldiers
Home is about the opposite but it goes with rites of spring because rites of
spring is about the soldiers and while they are in war. Solders home talks
about one solider in particular and his return. In rites of spring you picture
the things those soldiers went through and put it with what he might of went
through and kind of understand why everything seems so different to him. He
says that when he returns home no one really acknowledges him because all the
other soldiers have already been home. He also says how he doesn’t tell his
story because one people are no longer really interested since they have most
likely already asked a solider that came home before him and two those details
are so hard to take in a person probably only wants hear them once. Then he
also says that he doesn’t really want to tell the story again. He talks about
how much things changed with in the time that he was gone. Women were wearing
their hair in one style before left and then when he came back everything had completely
changed. Another thing soldiers home cleared up is when you think about war you
automatically think man and then how their lady must feel at home without them
but in the story he tells us that the army teaches them that they do not really
need girls it is nice to have them but they don’t really need them. I felt like
both stories gave two different views one on how it is to be in battle and the
other how hard it is to return after the battle they both help you understand
the other a little more.
