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Global issue: The moral and psychological conflicts caused by war and conflict
Literary extract: War Photographer (Carol Ann Duffy)
Body of Work: other poems by Carol Ann Duffy- Nostalgia
Non-Literary extract- scenes from the film American Sniper. Involving Chris Kyle’s
interaction with his wife and other people
Non-literary BOW: American sniper film
Intro
War and conflict have persisted throughout human history, and their devastating impacts
reverberate beyond the immediate destruction. They leave a lasting imprint on the human
psyche, causing moral dilemmas and deep psychological scars. Photographers, journalists,
and other witnesses to these conflicts often grapple with the trauma of what they've seen, the
ethical implications of their roles, and the challenge of conveying the truth to a distant, often
disengaged audience.
Analysis of literary extract:
 Delves into the mind of a photographer tasked with capturing the horrors of war.
 Poem's somber tone, reflected in lines like "In his dark room he is finally alone,"
underscores the isolation and emotional turmoil experienced by those who witness
conflict firsthand.
 The imagery of "spools of suffering set out in ordered rows" juxtaposes the chaotic
nature of war with the structured, almost sanitized portrayal in the media.
 Duffy's portrayal of the photographer's internal conflict, torn between his duty to
inform and the haunting memories of what he's witnessed, touches on the broader
theme of society's detachment from the realities of war and disconnect between
people reading about war vs. those who are actually involved in it. (The reader's
eyeballs prick with tears between bath and pre-lunch beers.)
Literary BOW:
 Explores the moment in which the term ‘Nostalgia’ was coined, following the
crusades of 17th-century Swiss mercenaries. It follows the path of the mercenaries,
hired to kill for money, as they begin to miss their homes.
 ‘Those early mercenaries, it made them ill – leaving the mountains, leaving the high,
fine air’- The unidentified ‘it’ presents the condition as an unknown force
 The double repetition of ‘leaving’ emphasises the distance from home and the pain
that it brings with it
 The finality of ‘it was killing them’ compounds the sense of hopelessness
 ‘with his life in a sack on his back’ represents how soldiers lives are reduced to a set
of physical items, without any emotions or feelings- and how this destroys them
 The poem embodies this sense of nostalgia, focusing historically on the coining of the
phrase by exploring the impact of the affliction and the psychological problems it
creates for soldiers.
Non-literary extract:
 Kyle is a US military sniper- one of the best- but the trauma of war takes a toll on
him.
 Extract 1- Kyle’s wife asks him to talk about what he saw, he doesn’t want to- war is
making him internalise the pain. Framing-close up camera angle in a tight space, with
the door closed- symbolises the space he is in very closed off and claustrophobic.
 Extract 2- against the advice of his wife, he returns to the warzone. She threatens to
leave if he does- indicates that trauma is contagious- it is not just limited to the person
who experienced it, it is also experienced by the people around them. Framing- low
light, wife crying- symbol for the darkness of war and its affect on the people
indirectly involved.
 Extract 3- after Kyle finally abandons war and retires from the military, he channels
his pain into helping other veterans. He provides sniper training to 2 disabled veterans
(for fun and bonding). He finds solace in people with similar experiences. Framing-
vs. the 1st 2 extracts, this shot is wide angle with a lot of light- indicating that the
world is opening up for Kyle, he is finding a place for himself in peace.
Non-literary BOW:
 Film itself is a commentary on the horrors of war and how it sucks the life out of
people.
 Against sensible thought it sucks him in for 4 tours
 One of the ways it chooses to commentate on the evils of war- his very first ‘kills’
with the sniper rifle are a woman and a young child who were attempting to bomb
a young child.
 Unique in that it sends an anti-war message through a war film
 There are no fully developed villains in the film- they are tools to tell Kyle’s story

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