the best years of our lives essays

the best years of our lives essays The Best Years of Our Lives aims to draw people ¡Ã‚ ¯s attention towards the efforts made by those World War II veterans to reintegrate themselves into the civilian society and the difficulties confronting them during that process. Thanks to William Wyler ¡Ã‚ ¯s subtlety and delicate touch, this film successfully defines the sensitive problems facing veterans: unemployment, ostracism, alcoholism. Furthermore, this film pulls no punches in telling an important story that many would have stayed away fromD the effects of war on the people. The very first difficulty is unemployment, best exemplified by Fred ¡Ã‚ ¯s experience. The post-war era sees a readjustment of orientation towards the civilian life. The enormous government spending is cut and job opportunities shrink. Without appropriate skills, veterans can not compete with other civilians in the struggle for the shrinking pie of job opportunity. They can not even get across the threshold of society, let alone integrate themselves into it. Through the loan program Al is in charge of, the film reflects the reality that the government is taking some measures to help veterans begin a new life, such as easing restrictions for college. But such efforts are far from enough. Fred ¡Ã‚ ¯s experience in the place full of old planes suggests that nobody but veterans can save themselves. In addition to unemployment, estrangement from their family members and misunderstanding of the civilian people leave them with an unequivocal sense of ostracism. The feeling of being m arginalized by the society exists throughout the whole movie, best represented in the beginning when three men unexpectedly gather at the Butcher ¡Ã‚ ¯s bar after they return home. The cruel reality shatters their dreams. Alcoholism turns out to be a by-product of disillusion and that sense of ostracism, even becoming a barrier between them and their family members. It is pretty daring for Wyler to treat alcoho ...