The Plight of the American Hero

 

I was focusing on altruism and how this value is challenged with the other views the characters hold, but as I continued to watch the series, I realized the main source of conflict is rooted in empathy conflicting with patriotism and military order. The doctors within MASH have traditionally been seen as pacifists, but this is not an accurate perception. They are engaged and assisting in war based on their views and allegiance to their country; however, they don’t perceive what the country deems as a national threat as worth sacrificing for the betterment of the country, valuing human life regardless of their national identity. Characters like Hawkeye uphold their values as a doctor and won’t allow civil politics to compromise their responsibilities to their patients. I began to understand that MASH is not defined by what takes place in the operating room, but its reflection on the concern for humanity. These doctors sacrifice and act in accordance with concern for human life for the soldiers harmed from war to directly have them face death again on the battlefield. They are placed in a moral plight responsible for the wellbeing of their patients, but allowing them to enter a space that presents a peril to their safety. Their patients' lives have value within the operation room, but on the battlefield their lives are deemed a necessary sacrifice for America’s democratic virtue against communism. In the hospital, a passing is “the death of a Us Citizen” while on battle ground it's the “loss of an American hero”. Although the doctors and soldiers serve different responsibilities for the betterment of the nation, they both battle the idea of sacrificing themselves to be the "American Hero" their nation is dependent on.