Individuals around the world grimace at war. The images of the cannon firing, the bursting of bombs and the shock of the soldiers all provoke a grimace and a shudder. Moviegoers close their eyes during bloody battle scenes and only open them once the wail of bullets stops ringing in their ears. War is hell, as the common aphorism goes, and the pain of war is just as hellish. Most people naturally accept this conclusion even if they have never experienced war themselves. Without bearing the real pain of war wounds, individuals continue to emphasize the importance of war and its miseries. Individuals rely on media and entertainment to educate themselves about the suffering and evils of war. The writers give a keen sense of the physical and mental burden of a soldier through vivid imagery and apt metaphors. Books can express the seemingly inexpressible pain of war through graphic descriptions. Individuals can then evaluate war – its how and why, its causes and effects – with greater understanding. The writer can use the audience's gained understanding of the pain of war to address the meaning of suffering. Through the clarity and horror of war descriptions, a writer can successfully convey the pain of war, as well as its point of view and purpose, to the general public. Through the use of startling imagery, Tim O'Brien in The Things They Carried and Laura Hillenbrand in Unbroken effectively recreate the pain of war for audiences who might not otherwise understand its magnitude. However, while O'Brien uses his descriptions to criticize the evils that cause pain, Hillenbrand uses his equally vivid images to extol the resilience that results from pain. Tim O'Brien reproduces scenes from his own experiences in Vietnam to immerse his audience in the medium of paper is painful, but without direct experience, these values ​​have only incomplete meaning. A writer's job is to color in the gaps, to paint a complete picture of the immense and excruciating pain that war inflicts. Beyond monotonous explanations, a writer produces engaging moving images that awaken all the senses. Once fully aware of seemingly indescribable suffering, the audience can evaluate the purpose and meaning of the suffering of war. A writer latches on to an audience's changing perception to present his or her own point of view. A powerful description not only reproduces an immersive experience, but also communicates and encourages the development of new ideas. Works Cited Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken: A story of survival, resilience, and redemption during World War II. New York: Random House, 2010. Print. O'Brien, Tim. The things they carried. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1990. Print.