LAQ for February

General:
1. There is no real plot to the novel that I am reading. It is an autobiography of a the U.S. Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle.
2. The theme (in my opinion) is that war is an awful thing.
3. The author's tone changes through the story. Mainly he consistently talks about wanting to be in the action.
Excerpts: "She was too blinded by evil to consider them. She just wanted Americans dead, no matter what."
"We were excited, we figured we were going to war."
"Newcomers - always called new guys - are treated like hell until they prove they belong."
4. The author experiences flashbacks of his childhood in Texas.
Just about 100% of this story is nonfiction, straight from the mouth of a Navy SEAL.
Imagery: "The desert wasn't entirely empty. While there were long stretches of wilderness, there were also towns and very small settlements strung out in the distance."
Simile: It was so hot that day it was like the road was the surface of the sun and melted our boots.
the antagonists here are the local insurgents who will do anything to kill an American.
Dynamic: "Every guy who survived through BUD/S was changed dynamically."
Direct Characterization: "Marines are gung ho no matter what. They will all fight to the death."
First Person: The narrator tells the story through his eyes using I, we, me, and us.
Irony: The people that the narrator and friends are trying to protect actually try to kill him too.
Characters: The book has many characters. Mostly Military personal working with the narrator.

Characterization:
Since this story is an autobiography describing the narrator's accounts in the Middle East, there is only really direct characterization.
1. "I grew up on the farm and have always been a cowboy, from the time I put my first pair of ranch boots on to when I roped my first cow."
"I have always loved guns, I practiced with them often and had quite a few of my own."
2. The author really does not focus on character all that much, since most of the time is in combat and doesn't have the time to describe what the guy next to him is like.
3. The narrator is a dynamic round character, with each experience he changes and grows stronger while fighting in the war.
4. I feel like I have met a person coming away from this book. Since the whole book was about him and it was all nonfiction.