Martin Tucker, "When Will it End:" An autobiographical essay
...he Battle of the Bulge and Normandy Beaches aid the readers in picturing the many scenes that help to piece his life and its constant struggles together. Rhetorical questions are used regularly throughout Tucker’s autobiography. Even the title of this book, “When Will It End,” is a rhetorical question. This phrase becomes commonplace in the book. Tucker uses this word group often within the passages to show the reader that his battle with religion was not short-lived. It has lived inside him, as he claims, since he began kindergarten at age 5. All of Tucker’s rhetorical questions somehow relate to religion. At certain points in this book he moves away from the narrative to explain his thoughts on faith and the way that some people perceive it. After attending several Jewish and non-Jewish services he recalled that many of the Rabbis or Pastors or Priests would say, “We (man) were made in the image of God.” Later on in the paragraph, after expressing the beliefs of many in the science world, Tucker asks, “If so, am I to believe God looked like a gorilla?” At this point in his life, alike all the rest, he is confused by the beliefs of others around him. These rhetorical questions serve to express Tucker’s confusion as well as to get the reader thinking about his/her own beliefs. Tucker compares by way of simile in his autobiography to help people identify with his thoughts and values. In the introduction of this book Tucker writes, “To many people, religion, like medicine, is helpful but you don’t take the medicine if you don’t need it. And like medicine, if you need it, you should be cautious as its effect sometimes can be deadly.” He uses this statement to show that not everyone needs religion in their lives. Tucker digs deeper into his mind when he mentions that if you need religion and faith, you should make sure that it does not lead to your death as it might if you involve yourself in religious wars such as the Crusades, which he mentioned earlier in the book. The similes that were used throughout Tucker’s autobiography help the reader look in to his written words and understand them more fully. Martin Tucker’s use of literary devices helped me to receive the full impact of his words. I myself connected with this book on many different levels. Throughout my life, short as it may be, I’ve come across many of the same thoughts as Martin Tucker. I was born into a religion and, like Tucker, have come to the conclusion that religion is not something that I need or want in my life. As Tucker says, “I don’t accept any religious laws to govern my life…” I realize that faith is crucial to a number of people in this world. I’ve even seen people in my own family change their lives around completely because of their belief that someone is watching over them, an...