Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Johnny Got His Gun, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Horrors of War
The Value of Life
Elites vs. Common People
Time and Memory
Summary
Analysis
In the hospital, Joe hallucinates that he’s 15 and camping in a place full of pine trees and lakes that he’s gone to ever since he was seven. He’s going fishing with Bill Harper, and it’s the first time he’s been fishing with someone other than his father, who will be joining Joe camping in the mountains but won’t be part of the fishing trip. Since Bill doesn’t have a rod, Joe’s father says Bill should use Joe’s rod, and Joe can use his father’s rod. Joe knows that this is a big deal—his father has a nice fishing rod. While Joe is happy to go and take the nice rod, a part of him regrets leaving his father behind.
Despite Joe’s intention to get a better grasp on reality at the end of the previous chapter, the beginning of this chapter makes it clear that Joe hasn’t succeeded yet, as he finds himself yet again drawn back to a pivotal moment in his childhood. Joe’s father’s decision to let Joe use his fishing rod is an acknowledgment that Joe is growing up. Joe’s father trusts Joe with one of his most important possessions, showing his belief that Joe is responsible.
Themes
Joe is sleeping in a tent with his father, when Bill Harper comes by to start their fishing trip. At first Joe and Bill Harper’s fishing goes well. But then at night, when Joe is rowing and Bill is watching both rods, all of a sudden, a fish bites on Joe’s father’s rod and pulls it out of Bill’s hand. Both boys try to grab the rod, but it disappears into the water. They go back to shore, clean the fish they caught, and then part ways.
When Joe and Bill Harper lose the rod, Joe feels that he has betrayed his father’s trust by acting less responsibly than his father hoped. Bill’s role in losing the rod recalls how earlier Bill kissed Diane, perhaps hinting at Bill’s lack of concern for the feelings of others. What should have been a triumphant moment of growing up for Joe and Bill instead becomes a moment of shame, perhaps foreshadowing how the war itself would fail to be the glorious coming-of-age moment that many young soldiers predicted it might be.
Themes
Joe thinks about how his mother and father don’t have much money but find ways to get by. His father isn’t an artist, but he shows some creativity in his garden that he wakes up early every morning to tend. Joe’s parents also keep chickens, rabbits, and even bees. But despite having all these things, many in Shale City see Joe’s father as a failure because he doesn’t make much money. The “successful” people in town are all the ones who leave for California to go make more money.
This passage questions traditional ideas about art, suggesting that you don’t need a paintbrush and easel to display creativity. It also suggests that even mundane aspects of ordinary life can be significant when done well, even if people don’t receive recognition. By contrast, the money and “success” of California is more visible but not necessarily better.
Themes
Joe goes back to the tent and tells his father he lost the rod. His father puts an arm over Joe’s chest to comfort him and tells him not to worry and not to let anything spoil their last trip together. From then on, Joe goes on camping trips with friends, and his father goes on trips with the other men.
As is often the case, Joe’s father shows understanding toward Joe. While it’s possible that the lost fishing rod caused a rift between Joe and his father, it seems more likely that the reason why they stop going on camping trips together is that Joe has grown up. This passage captures what Joe and his father both lose as Joe becomes more of an adult.
Themes
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Back in the present, Joe wakes up thinking of his father and wondering where the nurse is.
Joe’s association of his father with the nurses shows how the nurses have taken over the role his parents once played and how Joe’s injuries have forced him to revert back to a more childlike state in some ways.
Themes
