Extended Metaphor

"They carried the soldier's greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing" (page 21). The soldiers in the war never want anyone else to know of their weaknesses. If they are afraid of death, they joke about it. "They were actors" (page 20). They had to pretend they were not afraid of anything. Actors are not themselves when they become the character. Almost everything about themselves is forgotten to fully become the character. The soldiers could not always admit to the realities of war because it was too much for the human mind to cope with. The soldiers had to develop different personalities and mindsets to cope with the war.