A letter from home-Describe the conditions the soldiers experienced in the jungle of New Guinea

A letter from home-Describe the conditions the soldiers experienced in the jungle of New GuineaAlready in the first paragraph, Scarlett gives an impression to the reader that the condition in New Guinea is extremely remote and the sense of urgency for a ward is another condition of the New Guinea jungle experienced by the soldiers, there being a ‘grass hut built only a few hours previously’. Nonetheless, the conditions of war may only expect the very remote conditions and such surgical ward are already considered quite a privileged in the circumstances of war.

These remote conditions are further emphasised by the lack of medical materials needed for the shell dressing on the boy’s upper arm. Given the harsh conditions of war, Scarlett also considers the positive conditions of war through a sense of mateship which was displayed by the orderly who had volunteered to read the letter to the wounded child.

German soldier's "Auf Wiedersehen" (LOC)

Soldier eating matzo, circa 1945

New Guinea Statue

“Like me to read it to you?”The wounded boy responded by having his ‘eyes opened wide and he tried to say something’. The boy’s poor health displays the harsh conditions of war.

The death of the boy acknowledges the condition of the soldiers being extremely vulnerable; it is frequent that a wounded personnel cannot be saved. From the abrupt change of topic from the boy’s death to shortage of coffee, it could be seen that death was no longer unexpected grief, but soldiers were “numbed” by it that death could be equivalent to every day topic such as coffee.

“They had to give him too much morphia. That was the main trouble. Bad luck, you know. Wonder if there is any of that coffee left?”Scarlett also tells of the weather conditions that the soldiers experience in the jungle of New Guinea;“It was cold here in the ranges, but tomorrow would be sunny and hot as usual.”http://www.lettersfromhomeprogram.org/http://www.u.arizona.edu/~rstaley/wwlettr1.htm

Soldiers celebrating Hanukah outside in Korea

Scarlett (G.I. Joe)

Scarlett (G.I. Joe)