42 pages • 1 hour read
Dalton TrumboJohnny Got His Gun
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1939A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
While Joe is physically immobilized by his injuries, his mind remains active. What tactics does he use to orientate himself and maintain his sanity? What roles do his dreams, memories, and fantasies play?
Christian symbolism appears in the novel through the figure of Jesus and his suffering. How does this symbolism illustrate some of the novel’s key themes? How does it relate to Joe’s own characterization?
Trauma, in both physical and mental forms, is dominant in Joe’s experiences throughout Johnny Got His Gun. How does the novel depict the nature of trauma, especially war-related trauma?
Consider Joe’s relationships with the nurses and other medical staff. To what extent does he forge a connection with others in the hospital, and how? What is the wider significance of these connections?
Joe attempts to experience and regain agency throughout the novel, especially at the novel’s end. What is the relationship between disability and agency in the novel? In what ways does Joe succeed in exercising agency, and in what ways are his efforts thwarted, and why?
How is gender—in particular, masculinity—depicted in the novel? How does Joe relate to other men in his past, or to women?
Joe comes from a relatively modest socio-economic background. What is the significance of his background? In what ways does it connect to the novel’s wider preoccupations with authority and power dynamics?
Through memories and reveries, Joe reveals some details about important people from his past, such as his father and Kareen. Analyze the depictions of two or three of these supporting characters. What role do they play in advancing or illustrating the novel’s key themes, plot points, and/or motifs?
How does Joe’s attitude towards war develop throughout the novel? How are his beliefs influenced and shaped by his experiences?
Compare and contrast the depiction of war in Johnny Got His Gun with that of another famous anti-war novel, such as Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms or Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. What do the novels have in common? How do they differ? What literary tactics do the authors use to convey an anti-war message?
