Analytical Essay

In David Griffith’s “Prime Directive” the idea of his story is to state his disproval of the war in Iraq and to state that through silence people can subconsciously agree with a wrong doer’s actions. Griffith uses a night of partying to set up his point about silence on the events of Abu Ghraib. When looked at closely the stories contents tales a different side of just another night partying. By comparing and contrasting the details of Griffith’s story we can find the real meaning behind the “Prime Directive.”

Griffith’s story starts out with him attending a Halloween party where he is dressed up as Captain James T. Kirk from Star Trek. Griffith then uses another guest at the party to bring up the subject of the prime directive on the television show Star Trek. The prime directive is a moral code that governs the conduct of all Space Federation members. The code says that no Star fleet personnel may interfere with the healthy development of alien life and culture. Basically this is saying don’t get into the business of other planets or countries. Right after saying this Griffith then compares the Prime Directive to the war in Iraq, basically conveying that the U.S. should not be interfering with the problems of other countries and civilizations. Personally I thank it is a stretch to compare the United States affairs to a sci-fi television show that doesn’t even come on anymore.

Another way Griffith subliminally portrays his disproval of the war is through the characters that are attending the party. First we have the Prozac pill, a pill that is taken for depression, that signifies the depressions of war and the depression that some of the soldiers have to go through after returning home from war. The second character that has a second meaning is Ms. Scarlet from Clue and Griffith says in his story, “Ms. Scarlet is carrying a noose, but wishes it was a wrench instead; she’s afraid that people will see her as just another beautiful suicide.” This can easily be compared to the people that believe the soldiers that are going over to Iraq are “just another beautiful suicide” and that they are throwing their lives away for something that doesn’t matter. This line in his story rubs me the wrong way because I have such a high respect for our soldiers and I know what they are doing is meaningful and not just a waste of their wonderful lives.

Griffith uses many other situations that draw comparisons to a soldier or the army. He talks about how he is away from his wife for a little while and how he is lonely by himself, the same way a soldier would be if over in Iraq away from his family. Griffith moves around a lot in his story the same way a convoy or army battalion would move around in a time of war. All these small details that draw comparisons add to Griffith’s main idea of his story.

Griffith really brings it home in the last part of his story when he tells us of how he willingly took a picture with a friend who was dressed as army specialist Charles Garner, the man who was in the pictures at Abu Ghraib. He tells us how he didn’t say anything but instead just smiled and posed for a picture. This tells us that through his silence that he doesn’t see what happened at Abu Ghraib to be that bad or that he could see himself doing it. I really like his feelings after taking this picture because I can see myself just posing for the picture just like he did. Later on in the story Griffith tells us that he has learned from his experience of silence and he is able to get across to us that when we are silent about big issues we are really taking a side even if it is not the one we intend to take.

Griffith’s “Prime Directive” is a successful story that is easy to read yet has an underlining idea or theme to go with it. After reading his story we can clearly see where he stands on the war in Iraq, which I disagree with, and we can also walk away with a message of how silence can be damaging in many ways. Overall this is a very successful story that uses creative ways to get the author’s real idea out.