Metaphor

"For example: War is hell. As a moral declaration the old truism seems perfectly true, and yet because it abstracts, because it generalizes, I can't believe it with my stomach." Page 74

The metaphor 'War is hell' is affective but the writer actually uses it in a negative way. I thought it was an interesting way to explain what he found to be untrue and unbelievable. He says it is simply a generalization and you can't always believe a generalization. I thought it was an interesting way to prove his point. He chooses a specific example and explains why it is abstract and not factual. In a way, all metaphors can be viewed in an abstract way. It was an interesting strategy. He also says that it comes down to gut instinct. I think that he was in a way talking about the whole war. A soldier couldn't stop and think. They just had to act on their first instinct.