DALTON TRUMBO

1905-1976

EARLY LIFEEARLY LIFE

Montrose, Colorado Later moved to Shale City (refers to his hometown in Johnny

Got His Gun While in high school started to write for the local newspaper To support his sisters and mom after his father died, he worked

the night shift at the bakery (refers to this in Johnny) Studied at Univ. of Calif. during this time and his first stories

and essays were published in Vanity Fair 1932- wrote for Hollywood Spectator (film magazine) and left

the bakery when he was offered the job of managing editor

INSPIRATION FOR INSPIRATION FOR JOHNNY JOHNNY GOT HIS GUNGOT HIS GUN

Worked in a bookstore for a man who lost his eye in World War I.

He also read an article about a British officer who was horribly disfigured during World War I.

Inspired by the horrors of World War I and the oppressiveness of the United States draft

Trumbo wanted to show the realistic view of war in a time when war was being romanticized.

HISTORY OF THE NOVELHISTORY OF THE NOVEL

Published on September 3, 1939 (two days after the start of World War II

After Pearl Harbor, this book was taken out of publication and even banned for being “Pro-Axis”

Out of print during the Korean War Regained popularity during the Vietnam War The book won a National Book Award In 1971, the book was made into a movie Did not do well in the United States’ box offices

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE OF THE NOVELTITLE OF THE NOVEL

“Johnny Get Your Gun” was a motivational song from World War I

Novel reveals what happens when “Johnny got his gun”

Title is a sarcastic shot at the romantic vision of war

LITERARY BACKGROUNDLITERARY BACKGROUNDNATURALISTICNATURALISTIC

Ordinary guy is crushed by society (war) Little or no control over his fate “shell has a number on it” Realistic vision of war

FLASHBACKFLASHBACK

The technique used to write Johnny Got His Gun

An interruption of the natural sequence of events whereby a character recalls an incident which has occurred earlier in life

STREAM OF STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESSCONSCIOUSNESS

Writing in a continuous stream of thought without regard to sentence development, grammar conventions, etc. (internal monologue)

How Dalton Trumbo shows the main character’s, Joe Bonham, thoughts

Introduced by the philosopher William James in 1890 An attempt to follow the natural flow of thoughts a

character has. Allows the reader to witness the most intimate

thoughts of the character

ABOUT ABOUT JOHNNY GOT HIS JOHNNY GOT HIS GUNGUN

Joe Bonham (protagonist of book) Soldier in World War I Body has been destroyed in battle At first doesn’t realize his situation When he realizes he tries to find ways to

communicate to the outside world Trumbo follows Joe’s thoughts, feelings, and

memories as he lies helpless in a nightmare (stream of consciousness)