// War Literature

I decided to write about how sports can be considered an allegory for war, specifically baseball. An allegory is defined as “a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another,” (-dictionary.com.) In other words, something that can be used to represent something else. In this case, a baseball game can be seen as a war, with each inning being its own battle. The players are the soldiers, and the coaches are the commanders. The first sports were the olympics in Greece, which ceased all struggles between states until the games were over. Men transferred their aggression towards each other in war into games. The Olympics also display nationalism, in that each player represented his home country. This applies to war in that during war, countries display an extra sense of pride and nationalism, just like how fans support and take pride in displaying their favorite teams colors.

I plan to use Delillo’s introduction of Underworld, as well as Clausowitz and Shin Tzu in regards to the Art of War, and war strategies. I also plan on using Freud to interpret the psyches of the players and fans, and how similar they are to soldiers and civilians in war. I also plan on interviewing a few marines to get their point of view on war, on whether or not they view it as a “game.”