The Man He Killed

As I read Thomas Hardy’s “The Man He Killed”, I viewed the speaker to be more curious about the man’s death and the idea of war altogether, alongside his regret that the death brought to him. “Had he and I but met” (M.1) describes, to me, that if he or she were given the chance to have met this man, the possibility that they could have been friends makes the person’s mind wonder. It also seems the he or she questions wither or not they would have made the same decision if they knew the man personally. “But ranged as infantry/And staring face to face/I shot at him as he at me/And killed him in his place” (M. 5-8). I agree with those members of the class who stated that this entire stanza sounds as if they are simply just engaging in these acts because it is what they are told to do. They either kill the other or they will end up killed. The third stanza attempts to explain, as the speaker searches for reasoning as to why he or she killed this man and the only response is “Because he was my foe” (M. 10). We discussed in class today that nothing, besides the dividing line of these two people, separates one from the other. ”No other reason why” (M. 16) explains that the two people have no personal rivals, but they are just doing as they are told to survive themselves. Today, war seems to get a bit ridiculous, but for some, the benefits are their only chance at survival. Though those fighting may not necessarily agree with why they are fighting, they are simply doing it because they know that later on, they will receive their portion of benefits. I, personally, have not agreed with what is continuing on today and have seen the lasting affects that leave some veterans forever traumatized, therefore, I can somewhat understand the speaker’s feelings towards his actions.