Saving Private Ryan

Themes: an idea that recurs in or pervades a work

Courage- The men had a lot of courage. They were told to save Private Ryan and they actually did it. Some people were thinking "Well why should I try to save his life instead of my own?" The men who went to find Ryan were very brave.

Manhood- I think the men gained bravery when they went to find Ryan. Most of the men were only thinking of themselves, but then the captain started changing their minds.

Self-preservation- No body understood why they should put their own lives at risk to save one guy, but in the end they realized what good it did them and what it meant to Ryan's mother.

Disregard for Human Life- The German soldier stabbed the American.

Motifs: distinctive feature or dominant idea

Noise and Silence- When a US soldier was shot or wounded there was complete silence.

Light and Dark- Light was when they were traveling and dark was when they were resting or planning the next attack.

Clean and Dirty- The dirtier the men are, the more they have fought. When they started on the beach they were all clean, but by the end of the beach scene they are all dirty and full of blood.
Youth and Maturity- Upham was the youth. In the beginning he never shot anyone but in the end he matured and has no regaurd for human life.


Symbols: objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas
The Dead Soldier- When captin dies there is pure silence. He was respected by everyone. All the men stood around him and cried.
The Flag- The flag could be the freedom. It represents the thing that the soldiers were fighting for.