Those at war are (or may be) reluctant enemies

Those at war are (or may be) reluctant enemies

Who decides whether or not a country declares war on another? The leader always decides. And to say that every citizen in that same country agrees with the leader is ridiculous. So there’s always a good chance that there are reluctant enemies in war. This is clearly evident in the stories “The Guest” by Justin O’Brien and “Gregory” by Panos Ioannides.

In the story “The Guest”, every character is pretty much reluctant in one way or another to being enemies. The most obvious is Daru towards the Arab. Having killed someone, the Arab became an enemy of the state. And Daru, being a law-abiding citizen who is given orders by the authorities, is part of the state. Hence, they are enemies. But Daru does several things that prove he wishes this weren’t true. First off, he clearly does not want to take the Arab from Balducci. When Balducci first tells him he has to deliver the Arab to a prison Daru says, “Are you ...