"A Different Kind of War Film: The Ethos of the Individual Soldier in The Hurt Locker"
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Mikal LambdinMikal has a BA in English with a concentration in Writing and Rhetoric from George Mason University. She most recently worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant for Writing Across the Curriculum, where she wrote research-driven blog posts about composition from a student perspective. She enjoys pushing the envelope when writing by creating her own rhetorical frames and finding connections between dissimilar topics like children’s literature and politics. Mikal lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her doctor-to-be husband and hyperactive cat. Contents"I Don't Know": Leaving Things Out "I Don't Know": Leaving Things Out Cont. "I Wanna Die Comfortable": War is a Game "I Wanna Die Comfortable": War is a Game Cont. "With Me I Think It's One": Man Over Machine |
The Role of EthosThe web resource Silva Rhetoricae defines ethos as “the persuasive appeal of one’s character” and as a way to “establish one’s credibility” (Burton). According to this simple definition, the term is incredibly broad, and establishing ethos can take countless different shapes and achieve many different purposes. Ethos is usually associated with a speaker delivering an argument, and there exist several traditional methods that are commonly used to establish ethos. The Ad Hominem argument, for example, is an argument “against the man,” which aims to undermine the ethos of whoever opposes the speaker (Literary Devices). Other ways of gaining ethos include aligning oneself with trustworthy individuals, referencing past experience or knowledge, and strategic choice of words. At its core, ethos is what gives integrity to a thought, message, speaker, argument, or, as in this case, a character. The character of James is meant to be honest, individualistic, and in-depth. In other words, James is meant to be real, in that his character is consistent with our own experience of humanity in the real world. One can imagine meeting James on the subway or in a coffee shop. His character traits are an end in and of themselves, rather than the means by which some point is proven. His ethos, then, is what convinces audiences that he is honest, individualistic, and in-depth – that he is real. This ethos is gained through the three rhetorical hallmarks previously mentioned – anonymity, detachment, and vulnerability. Each hallmark provides a piece of the puzzle that is James’s ethos. His anonymity makes him ordinary and believable, his detachment reinforces his addiction, thus making him unique, and his vulnerability emphasizes that James is relatable as a human being. All three rhetorical moves are needed to complete James’s ethos as a well-rounded, honest individual. James’s strong ethos as a singular entity is arguably the film’s most powerful weapon. It is ultimately what makes The Hurt Locker a war film of a different caliber, and thus a war film worth noting, as evidenced by its many awards and strong critical approval. |