Desertion

As the title of the play indicates, the main theme is desertion. The unnamed soldier, who was drafted into service in the war, tried to flee from his military unit when he saw an opportunity to do so. "We got separated from our outfit, this buddy of mine and me. We didn't know where they were, so we just joined this other outfit." The soldier briefly rejoins his military unit and tries to explain to his captain that he cannot fight, but the officer does not listen to him. The soldier says, "He told me I gotta stay there . . . and I left." Unfortunately, the soldier is caught and sentenced to be executed. This surprises him since, as the soldier notes, America does not generally execute its soldiers. The soldier says, "They ain't never shot anybody before. Not even in the last war." The sergeant notes, "You thought we...