The Predatory Nature of War
In The Yellow Birds, war is repeatedly characterized as a living, breathing being that hunts those involved within it. The first notable personification of war occurs on page 3: “While we slept, the war rubbed its thousand ribs against the ground in prayer. When we pressed onward through exhaustion, its eyes were white and open in the dark. While we ate, the war fasted, fed by its own deprivation. It made love and gave birth and spread through fire.” This quote describes war as ritualistic, savage, and sinister, a description we will continually see supported by events throughout the novel. For example, several important characters fall prey to war, either physically or psychologically. These characters include Daniel Murphy, Sergeant Sterling, and, to some extent, John Bartle. Through this personification, Kevin Powers manages to convey the enormous toll that war can take on an individual.
Loss of Innocence
One of the most prevalent themes of the novel is loss of innocence. We see this theme most clearly in Daniel Murphy's character. Murph is an eighteen-year-old soldier who quickly becomes John Bartle's best friend. At the beginning of the novel, Powers characterizes Murph as a young, innocent teenager that is always optimistic. However, throughout the novel, we gradually see Murph lose his morale and start to hold the same pessimistic views as Bartle, the main character. In addition, Murph’s appearance deteriorates as the war goes on, offering a physical representation of his gradual loss of innocence. Initially, Murph is described as having blond hair and blue eyes, but with time, his eyes fall farther into his sockets, and when he dies, his body is further mutilated to the point of unrecognizability.
The Perseverance of Soldiers
The perseverance of soldiers is a theme strongly emphasized in The Yellow Birds. It is a necessity in order to survive the war. On page 116, Powers demonstrates this theme in John Bartle's narration of a military operation: "I kept going. I kept going because Murph kept going and Sterling and the LT kept going and the other squads would keep going and I was terrified that I would be the one who did not." The polysyndeton in this quote (repetition of "and") creates an atmosphere of suspense and danger, suggesting that unity and determination in these soldiers is something inspired out of fear rather than confidence. From this passage, we can also assume that this feeling of fear is not something unique to John Bartle, but is instead the fuel for every soldier's conformity and obedience.
Memory and Time
Bartle’s memories of war, especially Murph’s death haunt the rest
of his days. He says “I was only a week removed from the war, and unbeknownst to
me at the time, my memories would seem closer the farther I got from the
circumstances that gave birth to them” (51). Despite being in Richmond, far from Al
Tafar where he lost his best friend and arguably himself, he could not stop
remembering his trauma. Time is supposed to heal all wounds, but the omnipresent
memories make it almost impossible to rid ourselves of the pain. While in prison,
Bartle made marks on his cell walls trying to recount the events of the war. He soon
realized that “the marks could not be assembled into any kind of pattern. They were fixed in place. They fell where they had fallen” (217). He accepted the reality that he would never truly understand why and how the events unfolded. The details were blurry in his memories, but the pain was permanent and real. His memories of
Murph never really left his mind, consuming every part of his being. Even when he
isolated himself in a cabin on the Blue Ridge mountains, he would picture Murph’s
body flowing down the river. Murph’s death was something he could never recover
from. The whole book seems to revolve around his memory of the war, but more
importantly the memory of the last human connection he had. It goes on to show
that memories, especially ones of death and loss are almost impossible to forget, yet
sadly common and central to human existence.
