Warfare

We are told of the conditions that frontline infantry had to suffer through. The gruesome images of war are often from the battlefront, where most of the fighting occurs. However, the untold stories of some go unheard. For example, a sniper's point of view of war may be drastically different than a normal soldier's. In their sniping post, Elijah and Xavier are immersed in an almost calm atmosphere. They lie still while peering through the scope of the rifle, drastically different from the chaos of constant shelling. I think Boyden is trying to paint an image of war that is not filtered by the media. War can be terrifying, but the calm moments definitely outweigh the tense ones. During their time in the trenches, Elijah and Xavier are calm, opposed to the frantic nature that we associate war with. Boyden does well to show his audience a realistic view on warfare.