Pride And Loyalty In The Bridge Over The River Kwai
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The theme of this book, The Bridge over the River Kwai, is the importance of pride and loyalty one holds for himself, his figurehead, and his nation. Throughout the book there are many challenges which must be overcome by men who have the odds stacked against them. The story is mainly based in the River Kwai Valley with a group of British and Japanese soldiers. The British soldiers are forced into labor under the control of the cruel Japanese Colonel Saito. The British soldiers’ goal, set by the Japanese, was to build a bridge over the River Kwai in order to connect a railway into Burma to further their conquest over Asia. While the bridge is being built a special force in the British Military, Force 317, is preparing to sabotage the bridge and the first train that attempts to cross…show more content… However, this plan to sabotage the bridge was unknown to the British soldiers who were working at the bridge under the Japanese. These events gave opportunity for men to show their pride and loyalty. For example in the beginning of the story the group of men under instruction of the British Colonel Nicholson was ordered to surrender themselves to the Japanese authorities. Well aware of what could become of them and what kind of conditions they would most likely be thrown into, the majority of the British men stayed and faced their fate as Allied prisoners of war. This example demonstrates the loyalty of most of Colonel Nicholson’s men. This loyalty is a key role in the mere fact that it kept the group of soldiers together. It motivated them to help those who needed help and this loyalty helped them receive and conduct orders. However this pride and loyalty is not only in the British but also in the