FLAGS OF OUR FATHER

INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY STUDIES
“ FLAGS OF OUR FATHER “

A. CHARACTER
a. Main Characters :
- John ‘Doc’ Bradley
- Ira Hayes
- Rene Gagnon
b. Additional Character
- Ralph ‘Iggy’ Ignatowsky
- Mike Strank
- Henry ‘Hank’ Hansken
- Harlon Block
- Keyes
- Belle (Hank’s Mother)
- Doc’s Son
- Ministry of Finance
- Harlon’s Mother

B. CHARCTERIZATION
- John ‘Doc’ Bradley : helpful, kind, honest, patriotic,
dicipline,solidary, patient
- Ira Hayes : Indian man, silent, very solidary patriotic, honest, emotional
- Rene Gagnon : snob, bossy, wanted popularity only, not solidary
- Doc’s Son : obey, love his father
- Ralph ‘Iggy’ Ignatowsky : Doc’s best friend, solidary,
- Mike Strank : best soldier according to Ira
C. CONFLICT

- Beginning
Someday, Mr. Bradley (Doc), was ill and called someone’s name. It made his son wanted to know who was him and who was the person he called was.
War in Iwo Jima make a tight relationship between soldiers. At first, they were glad to go battling, before they knew how was the real battle. All of they are full of spirit. They believe that they would win the war.
Before went to Iwo Jima, Captain explain all of the srategy, and said that there would not anyone be left in the battle. But on the way to Iwo Jima, there was a soldier who fell from the ship, ship didn’t stop and he left away. Doc and friends start worried and realized that this was the begining of the war. If they cannot keep their soul, no one would keep their life, because everyone kept their own soul. They also realized that only close relationship feeling that could save their life from cruelty of war. That’s why their relationship have to be closer and closer. A night before war, they support theirselves by praying, singing, etc.
At the war, they were battling courageously although many soldiers dead by shots, mortirs, etc.

- Peak
One day in Iwo Jima, US army plant the flag in Suribachi mount. After that, the flag changed by another group instructed by the Captain, and two person else took picture of that moment. The picture spread out in America. People think that US won the war in Iwo Jima, and soldiers in the picture was heroes. 3 soldiers; Doc, Ira, Rene, were sent back to America to campaign and all people welcome them as heroes. For Rene it was interesting, but different with Ira and Doc. Ira always remember their friend who have died. He felt sad when he remembered all of them and imagine that all of them were with him and Doc. Ira could not bear his sadness and often make problem with police. He also hate Rene very much because Rene has never been battling in that war. But Rene always act like have battled, speech confidently, and popularity came to him. It was not fair for the real soldiers like Iggy, Mike, Hank, Harlon, and others who died in Iwo Jima.

- Ending
War had ended. Finally, Ira returned home and spend his life with Pimanese. While Doc, Rene, and Keyes spend the tour. Doc, Ira, and Rene try to life normally like other people. They avoided to interview by press. Doc lived with their big family, worked by managed a bussiness in sorrow house. Ira lived poorly, even jailed, worked as farmer, and died tragically in his farm. And Rene lived happily with his beautiful wife, even worked in factory and cleaning service. And finally, Doc died in hospital.

D. POINT OF VIEW
Being soldier is not easy to do, actually. It needs braviour, solidarity, and patriotism. If I were Doc, I will do what Doc do also. Nurse my injured friends, battling with all of my spirit for my country. But I will tell the truth, the real story about that photograph. Although it will be ashamed, but it will be better, because we do not have to lie people. The real hero will be known, and we do not have to act like a hero but actually we are not. Just like wear someone else name. We reach popularity, but it should not be our own.
Rene Gagnon, was a bad soldier according to me. he became a soldier because he like the uniform and popularity. His words and his braviour was not same. He just could said something that he could not do actually. He also ever gossip about Doc to others. He said something which can harmed his friends, or made his friend suffer, without any guilty to do that. He did everything to made his life happy, whatever that was. He had no solidarity to his friends. He was selfish guy. He was not a good sample for us.
At ceremony planting the flag at that night, actually, I agree with Ira, but I think it is too rude. He was not able to bear his sadness if he remembered them. Actually Doc was the same, but it have to do. If we are disagree about instruction that instructed to us, we have to make our oppinion can be received well by everyone by a true way, or share it with someone. But as soldier, we have to be proffessional. I think Ira did not have that. He have to separate between task and private feeling, do not mix it together.
The secret of the picture do not have to hide all the time. Yes, maybe it used to sell portion, but it make many people desperate. They are Hank’s and Harlon's family. So far it hidden, if it is known by people someday, it will make a new problem.
It was very hard to be a soldier. It needs spirit, much energies, braveries, and sincerity to leave family. Actually I’m proud of soldiers, who can bear all of desperating feelings. But this film was so touchy according to me. In war, to die is very easy and we will not know when it will come. We can imagine that it’s so painful to feel the bullet in their body, injured by simple tools like scissor and there was not modern tools to care it.
About the way of battling, I think it was good enough. Their dicipline, and solidarity between them was very close and it should be a good sample for us. The srategy also better than Japanese.




E. MORAL VALUE
This about patriotism. As a good citizen, all of my life is for our country, more over as soldier in battle zone. No give up to the enemy, it’s better to die. The real soldier never raise the white flag. They will battling until die. Patriotism must be planted in our soul since we are child. So, when we are adult, our love for our country will bigger and bigger.
Being hero is not hoping any reward. We do it because we need to do that. Hero do not hope popularity, money, or praise.
Cooperative between one to another in war is very important. Without it, it will be difficult to reach victory. Like what was happened in this film, between Doc, Ira, Mike, Iggy, Hank, Harlon, and others is very close just like family. It was a good sample for us.
To perform task, it need totality and proffessionality. Although we was sad, but we must forget it during perform the task. The task will not done well or even fail if we do not do it professionally.
The way of respect heroes is to respect their family, and remembering their name and their good turn everytime along our lifetime. Not only when they are exist and popular, but also when they are not exist anymore, forever.
Being parent or family of the soldier need sincerity. They have to support their son’s aspiration. Sometimes there are some parents who do not agree with their son’s aspiration , and they do not allowed them to go battling. It will make their son desperate and live unhappily. Maybe it is very hard to sincere their son being a soldier, but maybe their permittion will make their son be a tough soldier. Death and life has managed by God. We do not know God’s plan for our life. It depends on fortune and our struggle also. So, we do not forget to always pray everytime and when starting work.



F. SUMMARY
Mr. John ‘Doc’ Bradley, have a bad dream about war in Iwo Jima at a night. His son, who have saved him, wanted to know about who Mr. Bradley was, and how the war was. He asked a friend of Mr. Bradley who knew the war. It wa Mr Keyes, Mr. Bradley’s sersan, and one of Mr. Bradley’s friend.
It started in December 1944, in Camp Tarawa, Japan. US soldiers would attack Iwo Jima island. They were full of spirit to wage war. It was a pride to them to become a soldier. Actually, they were frightened to do it, but they made theirself brave and forget all of that fearness by listening to the music, praying, and so on. The Captain also gave advices, strategies, and promises before go to Iwo Jima island. Soldier did not allowed to wave white flag if they are frightened except instructed by their top leader.
They went to Iwo Jima by war-ship and would attack Suribachi mount, a part of Iwo Jima island. In the way to went there, a soldier fell from the ship and swam in the sea. The others wanted to help him but the ship did not stop to wait him. Other soldiers become realize that the Leader their promise to not left anyone at every condition. At that time they have to prepare theirself for the real war.
Bomber war started bomb the island, and when the island looked clear from the enemy, soldier run down to attack. They were start walking to check the island, but suddenly there were shoots from caves that hidden underground. The enemy hide there, but it difficult to find it to shoots. Bombs come from holes and many soldiers died. The war was not as easy as they imagine before. It was very dangerous and they have to careful for everything. Bomb can fall to place where they standing and shoots came from everywhere.
In the camp, Rene Gagnon (Rene) said to Ira Hayes that Ira plant the flag in Iwo Jima also. But Ira did not like to be published that he was on the picture planting the flag. He wanted to stay at Iwo Jima with his unit. Picture of planting the flag in Iwo Jima had published in America. People thought that US army had won the war, but actually it was not. After the picture published, a half of soldiers in that picture died. It just a picture which was taken at break time. Soldiers who was exist in that picture was sent back to America. It was Rene willing to be sent back home. Doc, Ira, and Rene welcomed as heroes. People did not know that the picture was taken in fifth day in war, there was 35 days left. And there was a controverse about Hank or Harlon who was exist in that picture. The picture was used to campaign and sent the portion to American citizen. That portion was used to pay the war needs. Ministry of Finance did not care about the real story about it. He just wanted to get much portion from it.
Actually Ira did not wanted to be there. He wanted Hank, Mike, Franklin, and others be there, not him. He thought that it was not fair. More over for Rene who never battling, but he always made problem with his words and they often fighting.
After welcomed by Ministries, Precident, and all of people, they live normally. Although sometimes still searched by press, but they avoid them. Ira lived poorly. Being hero just after he arrived but so far his life was not like a hero. After sent back home, he often did criminality, desperated, drunk, and even jailed. Doc married and lived happily. And so were Rene and his wife. Ira died in his farm, suspected to be overheated, but not otopted.
That’s all the story from Doc’s friend and his ex sersan to Doc’s son. After apologized to his son and tell a little about the war, Doc’s blew his last breath in the hospital, and remenbered when he swam at the beach after war.