 Sgt. Elias and Sgt. Barnes Just as Chris and the platoon are divided between Elias and Barnes, viewers also feel somewhat divided. You feel compelled to side with Elias because he is jaded and righteous and seems to care about his men, but you can't help but admire Barnes' hardiness, his determination to win the war and ability to survive.
After our class discussion about allegory, the Christ figure and Machiavelli, as well as the inability of humans to be purely good or evil, you understand that this is a decision that is not as easy as one might hope. Imagine that you are a soldier in this platoon. Who do you follow, Sgt. Barnes or Sgt. Elias? Take into consideration all factors: survival, morality, reality of the war environment, psychological effects of the war, constant extreme stress, and any other factors that would affect your decision. Explain your decision in a thoughtful and well supported blog entry. PLEASE ADD WORD COUNT AT END OF EACH BLOG ENTRY! Primary Blog Entry Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the assigned "pen name" given to you in class. Secondary Blog Entry Expectations (read everyone's first responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the assigned "pen name" given to you in class. (3 total blog entries for this assignment)
7
2/27/2015 05:53:21 am
I would follow SGT. Barnes well cause he is willing to do what it takes to stay and for his men to live, he makes the hard decisions that need to be made and he is the most experienced soldier in the platoon and if he gives any order its the correct action that should be made, he might be hard on his men but he holds them accountable to their actions and Elias takes it easy upon them to learn and get good but Barnes sees them as soldiers which they are and if they are treated like boys they will act like boys they need a strong hardy leader that doesn't do any form of drugs and takes responsibilities of his actions and his men's . Elias is morale and justified person who thinks he can save everyone he is a strong leader as well but I will follow Barnes he puts mission and the survival of his men first doesn't make quick indecisive actions that will jeopardize the men under or around him, he will do what ever it takes to protect his men. him I will follow him anywhere.
3
2/27/2015 06:04:01 am
this is very good information SGT. Barnes is a very good leader and he did what he had to do to protect his own.
1
2/28/2015 04:21:37 am
I do not agree with you because Barnes was reckless and strong headed he did do what he had to do to survive and was one of the best but his hard on action got half of everyone dead. He killed incent people with no remorse cause of one guy that died it happens its war. Yeah it was an everyman for their self-war but he was to tuff people need the kindness form Elias in this brutal war. They had nun but pain and heartache and suffering so they need the comfort of some who knew how to treat people. And Elias didn’t judge the men if they did or got something wring not everyone is going to just jump into war and know right away okay I have to be strong they are just humans they will be weak from time to time and Elias gave them that comfort of knowing okay I can be human but I also have to know I am in a war gave them time to learn that on their own find themselves not tell them who they should be.
4
3/1/2015 01:31:52 pm
Sergeant Barnes is a very ruthless and bad person, he does not care about who he has to kill in order for him to complete his mission, be in complete control of or just have anything around him going on according to his believes and by you agreeing with Sergeant Barnes and saying you'd be on his side you are basically saying you would be willing to be under someone's command that would literally kill you if you got in his way in any type of situation in the battle field so I don't understand your judgement skills my friend, it seems like you don't care about yourself or your life.
10
3/3/2015 12:01:55 pm
I agree with this response because Sgt Barnes killed in cold blood and didn't follow the rules. And in my opinion had no morals.
10
3/3/2015 12:00:51 pm
I don't agree because Sgt Barnes would kill innocent civilians to make a point and allow his men to rape and abuse these people because they were associated with the enemy.
10
2/27/2015 05:58:32 am
I follow SGT Elias because he has morals and follows the rules that are given to him. I would feel safe with him and not think that he is going to put me out in danger to save his own self and stay and fight beside me. The way that he leads his team would make me feel comfortable and allow me to follow him without any doubts that he isn't going to make a shady call that doesn't has a good option and a bad option and choose the bad option. I feel that he would lead me to have a better future.
1
2/28/2015 04:25:10 am
I agree Elias did follow the rules the right and the wrongs. Who knew what was supposed to be done in a fashion manner. I would also feel safe not for the fact that he was kind but for the fact he used his mind. He thought about what needed to be done before jumping into the deep end and can’t swim. He held his head up high and didn’t follow the crowd of wanting to make Barnes happy or proud of him. He knew what he believed in and he knew what he stood for. When if that meant standing alone.
2
2/27/2015 05:59:34 am
If I was a character in the film Platoon I would, without a doubt in my mind, no hesitation follow Sgt. Elias. I would follow Sgt. Elias for many reasons having to do with who I’m, my morals in life and simply being able to live with myself after the war. Not taking anything away from Sgt. Barnes, I think he is an amazing soldier and i would respect him only for the fact that he will do whatever he is told with no questions asked. But as a man I could never respect Sgt. Barnes, id refuse to give up on my beliefs as a good respectable man to follow the orders of some corrupted government regardless of the amount of money I’m making or if they can put me in jail for the rest of my life! It’s simply not worth it for me. A leader like Sgt. Elias is respectable, a soldier like Elias would allow you to leave that war a better man, a more respectable man. Though the upmost important reason I would follow Sgt. Elias would be that if I were to die in that war if anything were to happen after whatever happened at that village and I chose to stand for my beliefs I would have died a peaceful man with no regrets and that is the most important thing in the world to me!!!!
2
2/27/2015 06:00:17 am
I am***
3
2/27/2015 06:02:32 am
why
3
2/27/2015 06:00:28 am
I choose the side of Sgt. Barnes. Because he was very vise even though he was addict to drugs. He did what he had to do for his men mad sure they were all okay and pulled together. He always knew what was good for his men he tried to do what was best and if things went wrong he would have a plan B… for the people in his army unit and things did get rough at many times in this movie.
4
3/1/2015 01:56:48 pm
I do not agree with your way of thinking. First of all how would you trust someone as ruthless and non caring about others lives as Sergeant Barnes? He would literally kill you in the battle field if you were on his way and he would give a damn. He doesn't care about his men he cared about himself and about following orders to just be done with the mission. He uses drugs, doesn't care if he kills someone that doesn't deserve to be killed. So would you put your life in the hands of someone like this? Think about it.
7
3/2/2015 06:07:27 am
I agree with your decision to follow SGT. Barnes but Barnes was straight edge on the drugs he did none he might have drank some whiskey but he what needed to be done
1
2/27/2015 06:02:12 am
I would follow Sgt. Elias because he is a honorable man. He wanted peace throughout the war. Even if they are fighting he wanted to keep thing cordial and peaceful. When everyone was in My Lai the village and they was killing everyone for no reason. Just cause they found one of their men hung on a tree during the war. After people were being killed by the soldiers Elias fought Barnes because he was killing off people. Elias was standing up for those who couldn’t stand on their own. He was the one who was sweet and respectful and was the positive role mortal for those who never had a dad and who missed theirs. Barnes didn’t have any respect for anyone but himself. He had so much rage and hate that he was getting himself killed and those who followed him got killed as well he was determined but he didn’t have soul or heart or compassion he died with no honor no peace just death. Like how would feel if you went to follow a man who died for nothing. Elias lived a full life he saved life’s and he fought for things that need to be fought for. He rather is against someone that everyone else would follow. I’m not like those people I would follow Elias because he has hear he thinks for himself and even though he died he died with honor and being proud of who he was. He stood on his two feet and didn’t fall for anyone’s else tricks.
9
3/3/2015 02:28:02 am
I agree with the decision to follow Sgt.Elias because he really showed a positive way for his soldiers and really is a good example as a very good leader.
5
2/27/2015 06:06:58 am
I would follow Sgt. Elias because was a man that had a lot of sense of mind towards others opinions to do an attack. He always had respect for other people and considered their ideas as useful information to complete a mission. Sgt. Elias was a great leader in the missions that led to moving forward and keeping on with a mission if given. When he fought Barnes shot him, Elias just kept going but allowed Barnes to believe that he had killed him. Elias always stood on his own two feet and never allowed a person to detour him from going with what he believed was right to do for his people. Elias was one of the more realistic and sympathetic towards his men. When Sgt. Elias was running through the Vietnam fields to get away from the Vietcong, it showed that he had the will and power to fight for his men.
9
3/3/2015 02:28:52 am
your decision was really accurate and I was intrigued with it
9
2/27/2015 11:35:39 am
I choose to be on Sgt.Elias because he showed a more positive reaction towards his crew and also cared about their safety too whilst Sgt.Barnes just cares about how he is going to win the war by doing anything in order to reach his goal. Elias was very respectful to his soldiers and considered every ideas useful to the war, He was strong person who knew he couldn't get defeated by Barnes even he got shoot he still stood up showing Barnes how bold he was during the Vietnam war allowing Barnes to think he died so Sgt.Elias is a good example of a great leader
14
3/1/2015 05:58:44 am
this is one of the most powerful films and this is because this teaches you about how peoples characters change during the movie. I also think that it is extremely difficult for the soldiers to get along because not all of them came come from the same place and when they was at war that's the only time that they had each others back and they don't really don't have much to lose accept the fact that they cant go home to they family when they want to.
4
3/1/2015 12:56:34 pm
During this whole story or movie you see a lot of different types of behaviors from the soldiers, you see people that care about life, people that don't, guys that look like they actually like being at war, guys that don't, you basically see a lot of everything but then there's the Sergeants. Sergeant Barnes gave me a bad vibe since I first saw him, he just looked like we wasn't genuinely a good person, he looked like the type of guy who would stab you in the back in the battle field if he had too. When I saw Sergeant Elias I immediately got a pretty good vibe because he just looked like a good guy, I personally lean more towards Sergeant Elias side I do understand that Sergeant Barnes is a ruthless guys who is just following orders and sees everyone that's related to the enemy as enemy but it's not right to kill innocent children and old people who have nothing to do with this war and it isn't right to stab any of your fellow soldiers in the back ever, not in the battle field or anywhere. So me personally I have to lean towards Sergeant Elias side because he does follow orders and if he has to maybe to something wrong to protect his people he'll maybe do it but it's all to a certain extent because he has morals, he would never kill one of his own men, rape anyone, kill innocent people or do anything that's not moral or just messed up so if I was a soldier I would much rather be on Sergeant Elias side. Comments are closed.
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