Dylan Steider

Title of Book: American Sniper
Genre of Literature: Nonfiction
Author: Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen & Jim DeFelice
Publisher: William Morrow and Company
Copyright Date: January 2, 2012
Number of pages: 400
Setting(s): Mostly Iraq, Odessa Texas
Main Characters – Chris Kyle and Taya Kyle

 

Summery

    In my book American Sniper the Author, and main character Chris Kyle. tells the story of when he joined the Navy Seals, was sent to war, and came home. This story takes place in the setting of 1998-2004. In the beginning of this story Chris is just a country boy with a dream. He grew up in Texas and grew up working as a ranch hand for money. He also pursued a short career in rodeo. He then remembered that he had always wanted to be in the military in some way. He wanted to join a section of the military where he could see fighting. He joined the Navy and became a SEAL after years of training. He was not put into combat until the world trade centers were taken down by terrorists. He was then finally put into combat and was sent off to the Middle East. He is know among the base while he’s there as the “Legend”. Chris was deployed in the Middle East a couple times in his military career. He know now as the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history. He has the furthest confirmed kill in military history also. This book ends with him finishing his last mission; which is the mission that he got the longest confirmed kill in. He was then taken home and felt with severe PTSD from all of his combat experience. He eventually gets this barrier out of his life and is now a great father to his kids and a great husband to his wife Taya who all through this was his main supporter and also his main worrier.

 

Application Questions

1-What is the most important event in the book? Why is it the most important? When does this event take place in the book (page numbers)?
– The Most important event in this book is probably when Chris is on his last mission in his military career. It’s important because it is when Chris gets his longest confirmed kill and the longest confirmed kill in military history. It’s also important because after this he finally goes home to his wife Taya. This happens at the very end of the book. (329-355)

 

2-Choose one character – Give a more detailed description of their role in the book, and then compare them to someone you know personally today. Use two quotes from the book to help illustrate your description – cite page numbers where the quotes are found.
– Chris, his role in then book is the main Character. He’s a born Texan boy, he grew up a country boy but he also grew up as a Christian in his family. He was raised as a Christian young man. He did rodeo and was a ranch hand for money in his teenage years. He later joined the Navy and pursued being a SEAL. He was put through school in the military and later chose to go to sniper school. He was then a sniper in the SEALS from then and became a Legend in the US military ranks. He did everything he ever out of his love for our country.

-“I am a strong Christian. Not a perfect one, not close… but I strongly believe in God, Jesus, and the Bible.”(10)

-“I signed up to protect this country. I do not choose the wars… It’s all the lives I couldn’t save that haunts me.”(377).

 

3-Use two quotes from the book to show new things you have learned about this time period in history. Explain what each quote helped you to better know or understand – cite page numbers.
-“We put the Iraqi face on the war…?”(251). I learned from this quote they trained three massive groups of iraqi people to help fight for the US to give us an upper hand over the enemies and to give us “guides” throughout the country.

-“I will say one thing, going through hell week is far worse than reading about it…”(34). I learned that the training for being in these elite military groups is actually Hell. It’s the toughest training someone can endure.

 

4-How might our world be different today if the historical events in your book had turned out differently? Use two different examples to explain your answer.
– Our world would probably be terrible. My two reasons for this are that if we didn’t go to fight back against the terrorists we would’ve just been attacked again and again and again. So that’s one reason but the second is this; if we wouldn’t have went in and taken out the taliban, Alchaida, etc… and won we would’ve been destroyed by their forces and probably would’ve had many more attacks on our country in cities and places that mean something to us.

 

5-What are three life lessons that can be learned from this book – how does each apply to your life?
-Patience, I can use patcience like Chris had in the book in my life for when I’m getting frustrated at someone or something that’s not happening when or how i want it too.

-Selflessness, i can use this in my life because it’s good to be selfless and humble in our society and lives today.

-Bravery, I can use bravery by standing up for other people who are being bullied or oppressed by others, or by being brave in personal situations like public speaking or doing something that’s out of my or others comfort zone.

 

6-If you were to give this book an alternate title, what would it be? Explain why.
– One Man, One Nation. I would say this could be an alternate title, because in the book it tells Chris’s whole life story. In his life the main reason he joins the military is to serve the country he loves. Once the trade centers were brought down he went straight to the base and asked to be deployed because he would do anything for this Nation he loves. He’s just one man who made a huge difference in all of our lives today.

 

7-Explain in about 50 words why you would or would not recommend this book to your classmates.
– I would recommend this book to my classmates because it tells a great story about a man when is now famous, but what he did to get famous was just his job and duty to our country. He saved as many of his men’s lives as he could, which is what he says his personal mission was the whole time. Not only does this story tell us about a great man it also shows us a historical standpoint. Which is out reaction to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center towers and what we did in retaliation to that attack.

 

8-Cite any sources beyond the book that you used to complete this project.

-None