The Lesser of Two Evils

            It is no secret that war can have devastating effects on nations, families, and individuals. However, although these can be so terrible, often it is the lesser of two evils, and therefore justified. The War relates full scale war to skirmishes between two groups of children. It is depicted as being a primitive and childish way to resolve conflict. This is one way to look at war, but it is more importantly a tool of stopping ongoing violence and preserving freedom for those who cannot defend themselves.

            In the auction scene of The War, the drunken Lipnicky comes onto the 13 year old Stew. In response to this, Stephen Simmons protects his son by holding Lipnicky down with a throat hold, and they both apologize. This lesson can be paralleled in the real, when a militant force oppresses a people, and a capable foreign power comes in to protect that nation and threaten the perpetrator into leaving them alone. Although this creates a burst of violence, it is better than allowing long term violence. “He who allows oppression shares the crime” said Desiderius Erasmus, Dutch theologist. As Simmons teaches his child, fighting is not right to instigate without cause, but standing up for others is moral. Sometimes the oppressed can try to defend themselves without conflict. In The War Stephen does this by showing love and compassion to those who wish harm to those he cares about. This love is fueled by understanding, because he knows what the kids are going through. All the people living in that town are dirt poor. It is obvious to see that in addition to being so poor, these kids are mistreated and “haven’t been given anything in a while.” By giving the under-privileged Lipnicky kids the cotton candy meant for his wife and daughter, he demonstrates he is willing to forget past strifes and forgive them. A noble attempt, and one that should always be tried first, but when they refuse to accept the peace treaty, it still leads to “war” over the tree house. Even the fighting ends up having a positive effect on the children, because it shows them what it has done to them. Stew would not have come to the realization that his dad was right all along without the confrontation. The lesson here is that sometimes letting harsh feelings and hostility fester in ones heart instead of resolving them can lead to a bigger and more destructive confrontation later on. Violent resolution should never be a first option, but it is better than letting one’s self or others be subjected to oppression and mistreatment.

            The War  is not only dealing with the morality of war, but also the effects it can have on people who are involved in it, whether you fight, or you know someone who fought. This is why the story is told as a memoir. Although Lydia herself does not go to war, she is still profoundly influenced by it. She also sees how her dad and brother are influenced by it. The memoir genre allows the viewer to peek into her thoughts and see on a personal level how she changed throughout the story. She originally thinks that her PTS diagnosed father is a dead-beat, lazy man who doesn’t care about providing for his family. In the movie PTS is portrayed as being misunderstood, like when Stephen loses a janitor job merely due to the fact he has it, when he has clearly shown by the way he treats his family he is caring and gentle. As Lydia reflects on how her dad really does work hard and risks his life for the family, she starts to appreciate him more. These realizations are usually accompanied by auditory signals, such as a helicopter sound when Stew realizes his dad was right about fighting. Despite all the hardships this family goes to, they manage to hold on to hope in the form of a run-down house. The image of this white house represents a feeling of cleansing and redemption after the demise of their old house. This also angers Stew because he felt his father gave him false hope, while he really got them the house.

            War has been a commonly accepted and widely used method of resolving theological or ethical differences for millenniums. Although sometimes it is a good option, it is often rushed into and it always leads to personal and national issues later on. Families are often torn apart, and if the people don’t support the war, soldiers who went to fight are ostracized. While the downsides are great, it is still a necessary tool and often cannot be avoided if evil is to be vanquished.