For Birdy, guilt is a feeling that goes along with war. He can't have war without guilt. Throughout Sunrise Over Fallujah, he feels bad that others die while he doesn't, and that he didn't treat his fallen peers better when they were alive. He feels for the Iraqi civilians too. He knows a lot of children are getting hurt, and that it's often his army's fault.
We wish we could tell Birdy it's not his fault. It's not like he started the war, or that people wouldn't be doing what he's doing if he hadn't decided to go. But even if we could talk to fictional characters, it probably wouldn't help. Guilt is a natural reaction to intense situations like war.
Questions About Guilt and Blame
- Why did Birdy's unit feel conflicted about offering money to the villagers whose children had been killed?
- Why does Birdy fixate so much on not having looked at Pendleton's pictures?
- Why do you think Birdy keeps trying to reach out to his dad?
- Do you think the army was justified in killing the kid who had the rocket launcher?
Chew on This
Captain Miller is right that the American army lets itself off too easily when it comes to killing civilians.
Guilt is a natural reaction to serving in a war.