Johnny Got His Gun Summary
Dalton Trumbo

Johnny Got His Gun Summary

Johnny Got His Gun takes a harrowing look inside the mind of a World War I draftee who is lying helpless without arms, legs, mouth, ears, nose, or eyes, yet over the course of years is determined to reestablish contact with the outside world and tell "little guys" never to allow bellicose politicians to butcher them again.

World War I draftee Joe Bonham is lying in a hospital, bandaged all over and realizing he is at least deaf and has lost both arms. The discovery process is slow, as he weaves in and out of consciousness, remembering the family and girlfriend he reluctantly leaves behind. Bonham knows he has not come to make the world safe for democracy. He remembers saying farewell to beautiful nineteen-year-old Kareen Birkman after making love with her the night before the troop train arrives. She begs him not to report. Their farewell takes place against... View more of the Johnny Got His Gun Summary