Review Of Autobiography "American Sniper" And Novel "Shoeless Joe" (Book Review Sample)

Name: Instructor: Course: Date: AMERICAN SNIPER AND SHOELESS JOE Shoeless Joe is a novel that was written in 1982 by W.P Kinsella. The novel is better known because of ‘Field of Dreams’ which is its adaptation. The themes of baseball, religion and faith as well as making the dreams come true is the bottom line of the Shoeless Joe’s story. The novel Shoeless Joe is about a man who was obsessed with playing baseball and who had the will of making his dream come true. Shoeless Joe novel has many allusions and references to the religious practices and beliefs. A strong contrast is presented by Kinsella which is between the traditional Christianity and what he believes is a truer life promoting religion form which is mediated by the game of baseball. The theme of religion in this story is played by the baseball. “At night a ballpark is more like a church than a church”. CITATION Gal16 \l 2057 (Gale)This compares the love he had for basketball which became like a religion to him.Traditional religion in the book Shoeless Joe is presented in a negative light. For example, it is epitomised in the perception of Ray towards the family of his wife. Annie’s mother is judgmental and self-righteous, and into every conversation, she brings in her religion. Mark brother in law to Ray is a fundamental Christian who detest Catholics and atheists. CITATION Kai11 \l 2057 (Warren) Conversely, baseball is considered as a quasi-religion form. Ray says of the baseball fans, “we are not just ordinary fans, we are a congregation.” Ray imagines the baseball fans waiting for the start of a game as they sit in silence, joy, wonder, awe, anticipation rather like worshippers do when in a cathedral. Joy as an element lacks in the perception of Ray of how Christianity is normally lived. Baseball offers stability and calmness experience for which people usually look to religion. Like religion, baseball offers the possibility of miraculous events that can reverse or transcend time. As Ray says, in a baseball game, anything may happen:” Oceans can open, tides can reverse”. The dead can live again through his dedicated baseball love. American Sniper is a United States autobiography by Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. It I s an autobiography of the United States most lethal sniper written with Jim DeFelice and Scott McEwen. This autobiography talks about Chris Kyles story which is a Navy Seal who from the year 1999-2009 completed the tours in Iraq. This book illustrates the upbringing of Kyle in Odessa, Texas, Iraq’s combat experiences as well as the Navy SEAL training. According to what Chris Kyle says, a great way of fighting a war is by preparing to defend yourself for winning. We see her faith in various instances. She says “I ‘m a strong Christian. Not close to being a perfect Christian. But I strongly believe in God, Jesus and the Bible.” CITATION Chr13 \l 2057 (Chris Kyle) He believes that God will hold him accountable for anything he has done when he dies. He believes that God may hold him back up to the last time and through the line, He may run everyone else through as it would take so long to go over his sins. CITATION Ran15 \l 2057 (Cooper)He believes that there is God and believes that what is in the Bible will come to pass. He believes that there will be judgement day. As he says it, he doesn’t know what will ensue on this day. He leans towards that everybody knows their sins and that God a well knows them and shames come after knowing that God knows every sin you have committed. CITATION Sar15 \l 2057 (Bailey) He believes that, in that he has accepted Jesus as his saviour, He will be his salvation as well. Compared to the Shoeless Joe, Mr Kyle, unlike Ray, believes in God so much. Ray, on the other hand, has made baseball his religion. He has so much faith in baseball, and he says how the baseball fans are not just fans but says they are a congregation. Mr Kyle, however, believes that in God’s backroom, when God confronts him of his sins, He will not judge him on the killings he made during the war and therefore will not be counted as one of his sins.” Everyone I shot was evil. I had a good cause on Every shot. They all deserved to die”. CITATION Chr13 \l 2057 (Chris Kyle) Mr Kyle believes that God will not consider all his killings a sin. He believes that there are those who deserved to die and...