Surname 4
the same spirituality. Using religion to manipulate the human will of an individual is more
dictatorial than spiritual (56).
During his career as a reporter, Paul cannot help himself but feel like a second class
citizen. His career in the military as a navy paid off because it was a time of pride for the nation.
Moreover, it was a rite of passage for every American citizen. However, his life as a reporter has
a limit due to his education background as he feels like access to a more prestigious school
would have eased things up. He feels like he is on the field with a younger generation that
questions everything and thus making it easy for them to come up with suitable stories to report
beforehand (63).
Paul is slightly doubtful of himself and considers prestigious education as the only
pivotal means to flourish in a career. However, education acts only as a basis for building a
career. The steps one takes during the career journey are what moulds and speeds an individual
career path. He fails to note that practice makes perfect. Exposure is the essence of growth in any
passionately pursued field.
As Paul grows to be a more experienced reporter, he considers his journalistic skill set as
a holy grail. He holds the key to influence the tides of an essential story to an upraise or to
collapse. At some point, Paul has the power to write a story that will help cease the war between
America and Vietnam but chooses to hold his horses and in turn, fuel the vendetta. He even
contributes to egging the protesters against the war (64-65).
When challenged to use power for good as a reporter, Paul chooses to ignore the sane
path and backs up the alleged American spirit of fueling the war. It is proof of how power can be
poisonous if not put under a control mechanism that validates its consideration.
