CONTEXT
The book is The Red Badge of Courage and the character writing the letter is Henry Fleming and the one receiving it is Jim Conklin
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My dearest friend and ever dearer rival
As i go down on my lovely trip to the land of traitors, A land where cotton is king and men are cattle. Its now officially been two years since i was conscripted into the army and iv'e hated every day of my life since. I feel like the nation i love and fight for is a sphinx rejoicing at every victory, grieving at every loss, gazing at my life and service with hatred and love.
War truly is hell338Please respect copyright.PENANAF6lDBWkSUu
Was this God? Is god punishing me for some sin i committed? I don't remember doing anything wrong, but it cant be. If there was a God he wouldn't have let this happen to me or any man who call's this sad planet home. Perhaps there is a point to all this blood shed. Every time i shoot a soldier, a fellow man, a brother in arms he dies because god wants him dead, if he didn't i would have missed him. Nations going to war is like two elephants fighting, its not only the elephants but also the grass and the creatures living in it that suffer.338Please respect copyright.PENANAxY5q0l9e6J
We are winning the war, though. But at what cost? Is all this killing, violence and bloodshed necessary? It is not necessary to live but carve our names beyond that point. This is necessary. He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.I shall grasp lost souls with my hands and stamp the worlds head with my foot. I shall trample my own dignity with my horse and i will utter a great shout whilst whispering secrets to all mankind. But i can die knowing that i saved the Union and in doing so me and my fellow brothers in arms have lost our humanity and become death, the destroyers of worlds.
your former friend, a man who became a beast Henry Fleming338Please respect copyright.PENANAlEDLeSwYbe
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