William Manchester reflects on his
own knowledge and experience in war. Okinawa:
The Bloodiest Battle of All is told from his point of view and is written
in first person. Even though Manchester mentions other battles, the essay
focuses mainly on the relationship between the United States and Japan. His
diction is used so that people with only a basic understanding of war can
understand and connect to what he is saying. He even states that most Americans
have no idea what war is actually like, and do not know what they are
celebrating on veteran holidays. “Very rarely are they honoring what actually
happened, because only a handful know,” (Manchester 15) even those that wear a
uniform. Those who do know have seen that battle is not as glamorous as
everyone may think. The scars it leaves are deep and can last forever. The
author has experienced this first hand. Manchester tells of a time after the
battle that he met with a man who was almost his enemy at some point. Both of
them thought it would be fine, but ended up leaving almost immediately upon
seeing each other. Old feelings die hard, but that does not mean that respect
is lost. The essay also includes a multitude of facts and statistics that boost
the logos. Also, since numbers are something everyone can understand and feel,
the pathos is influenced as well. Manchester effectively uses his own
experience to build up his credibility. All in all, the rhetoric of the essay
is sufficient.
Map of Okinawa, Japan.
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