Otherizing and Harmonizing the Self in Brian Turner’s "Night in Blue"

The decision by the United States to go to war with Iraq in the early 2000s was a multifaceted and intricate matter. The Bush administration's primary justification revolved around their assertion of a strong connection between the Iraqi regime and global terrorism, particularly in terms of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). This justification served as the foundation for the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Brian Turner, an American soldier and poet, participated in this horrible conflict in Iraq. Turner's commitment forced him to witness the horrors of war and the falsehoods of its claims. In light of Said's Orientalism, this study examines the process of otherizing and harmonizing the self in Turner's "Night in Blue". "Night in Blue" offers a poignant perspective on the psychological and emotional effects of war on an individual soldier. By focusing on the soldier's personal struggles and emotions, the poem challenges the stereotypes and dehumanizing tendencies that often accompany narratives of war and conflict. In doing so, it engages the poet and the reader in the process of otherizing and harmonizing the self as well as unmasking the fallacies of war narratives used to invade Iraq.