An Analysis Of Welcome To Afghanistan
The first and foremost thing that and be seen from the story is that it is divided into paragraphs without subheadings. It is also vital to note that despite the fact that each paragraph is build on the previous one, the environment and the story line is completely different. This is to mean that the setup in each paragraph is different from the other. The language use in the first person format of writing and the author gives logic and lucid expressions in fine details.
In the first paragraph the environment is at the dawn of day; precisely three in the morning. The author explains the fine details like he fell into a five foot ditch. This is to help a reader understand that despite the fact that he fell down; where did he fall. It also speaks about the manner I which he landed by stating that he landed on his back. This helps to draw a mental picture of the situation. The use of imagery used in this paragraph is a way of putting much emphasis to the reader. This paragraph also has profound use of expressions such as, “the wind is knocked off my chest.” The paragraph also draws out a picture of how Afghanistan looks like. The fact that the author states that he was already sweating by that time of the day, with hands and legs filled with thorns. This helps to understand that Afghanistan is may be hot and the fact that there are thorns show that the place is dry. It is evident that the paragraph gives a clear outline of events in the country and specifically his experiences.
The second paragraph shows events that took place before the first paragraph where the author is walking on mountains. It also explains the character of his former roommate portraying careless and reckless behavior. This can be seen from the extract that states that he liked to break plates and scream at people who passed by. The state of the house is clearly presented by the fact that paper was preset on every flat surface where there was no bottle of beer. This helps us to understand that the people who lived in the house did not bother cleaning or rearranging the house. It is evident that much is explained about the house and its geographical location in a ghetto. The author seems not to like the condition of the place by stating that despite that it was fun there was still some melancholy.
The third paragraph is built on the previous paragraph as we are now introduced to the fact that hi living conditions had changed a little bit. He was then living I a house alongside nine other men. The author also gives detailed information of how the room looked like. The fact that he also gave the measurements shows that the author is analytical in nature. The author also explains that despite the fact that he was no longer living with his college mate; the circumstances around the house were similar only that he now had to cope with nine other people in the house. The story continues by a conversation between the author and his friend. It also explains that the friend thinks he is speaking things of great importance yet they are just interesting.
It is also important to note that the nature of communication in this story is very informal. He uses informal words like shit, piss and butt. This clearly shows that relationship between these two people was not a formal one which is expected of work mates. This can also be seen by the fact that they did a lot of illegal things together and the fact that he is very interesting. The next paragraph is completely different from what was gathered in the second paragraph. The author speaks of his life as he was growing up. The fact of the father being in the army and the brother being a ranger in a battalion had an impact on him s he also wanted to join the army. It is also evident that the author is very analytical in expressing people. This can be seen by the fact that he stated what he saw among the many cadets where he was studying and by describing a person from his accent. The paragraph also brings out the aspect of relationship with the girlfriend, Ivy. He also explains about his life at the university that is characterized by many events.
It is also important to note that despite that he was in the university and did everything that was required of him, he was still frustrated. This brings us to the reality of dreams. Previously, we had learned that he was aimed at joining the army and now being in the university is a distraction of his dreams. The next paragraph shows that the author was in Afghanistan but the previous chapter speaks of him being in the United States. This could be seen as a conflict of ideas but it is not, it is a mental picture of where he was before coming to this new land.
The story also brings a picture where he and his friends had a routine of drinking on Tuesdays. We are also told about the characteristics of his friends. From this, it Is evident that the author is a calm and cool person by the fact that he read books while his friends were having elusive debates. It is also evident that the author speaks in a manner which an external person may not understand, a language that is only known to then. The next paragraph speaks about them being in a car outside an operation center. One may ask why are they here and how did they get here? What time is it? How did it go from drinking to being in a truck? The events in the story are different as some are happening in the actual while other are a remembrance of something or thoughts.
The fifth page is introduced by Sara, a lady whom the author claims to have had a crush on. The aspect of emotions is also clearly brought out here by the fact that the author hurt after he was rejected by the girl he adored. It is also clear that the author had been hurt and just like in the reality where people who have been discouraged end up in drugs, that was the same case in the story. The author states that he drunk until he passed out. This is a demonstration of what actually happens in the real world. The aspect of drugs is also clearly illustrated in the next paragraph where the author states that he was drinking red bull and taking nicotine as he was revising for an exam. This clearly shows the effects of the drugs as the author states that he did not write anything in the paper because he could not. This caused him to drop the semester.
The story is a process of how the author managed to get into the army as an infantry man. it also depicts the impacts of wrong choices in life and how they can destroy someone’s career or life.
