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I found that Tom Hudner, a legend and old man once again putting his life on the line and returning to North Korean soil to fufill a promise to a friend over 60 years ago, represents a major shift in the book from action to a larger grief haunting millions. Seeing Tom go from invincible god in the cockpit to an old man looking for his lost brother proves that war never really ends for soldiers, it just changed forms.

The soldiers are not portrayed as merciless killers; in fact, they seem to have their qualms about bloodshed. The author included these elements to highlight that while the soldiers seem to occupy a different plane of existence, one where life and death constantly hang in the balance, they are just people. The author is effectively creating a deeper bond between the reader and the characters in these moments.

Throughout this section of the book, Makos's skill as a writer is on full display. Makos sets up this scene on page 7 when he briefly mentions the “horrors they faced after nightfall” when describing the Marines in the Chosin Reservoir. 250 pages later, he brings those horrors to life in a way so chilling that the only suitable term to describe the carnage, reduction of humans to feral animals, and terror is Hell.

I noticed how the author’s seamless emotional projection turns the chaos of war into a nearly intimate moment. As Tom concludes his assault with orange tracers and a proximity bomb, vivid sensory details bring the scene to life. Tom is described to have a"gleam of certainty" in his eyes (232) as he whistles toward the ground at hundreds of miles per hour, capturing a moment of almost beautiful, lethal precision.

The author often highlights Jesse’s brief moments of success as a pilot, only to abruptly interrupt them with reality. By juxtaposing his military "brotherhood" against the systemic racism he faces externally, the author contrasts professional merit with deeply racist societal norms. However, I have noticed it to be quite ironic that those who seem to be the most accepting are those trained to kill and wage war.

Though it is a non-fiction novel, foreshadowing of a dark path runs rampant throughout. While clear instances exist, such as when Jesse discusses a life insurance policy with Daisy (151), more subtle moments can be found as well. For example, the author deliberately builds up Ed Correre and his bright baseball career ahead in a way that seems almost too perfect, suggesting that he might not make it there alive.

I noticed that Cannes, France, feels idyllic, yet it seems to foreshadow darker times, almost as “the calm before the storm.” At the time, the pilots are spending their days hanging around beaches and casinos relatively carefree. However, these moments feel too perfect with the Korean War raging on in the background. I predict this euphoric feeling will soon be broken, and brutally so.

I noticed a similarity between “Devotion” and another novel, “The Opposite of Loneliness”. In this novel, the message that your notions and theories are just that when faced head-on with a real problem is pushed. In “Devotion”, though the pilots seem to understand the dangers associated with their duty, they, and especially Jesse, are in shock when a fellow pilot perishes. This event shatters their sense of safety.

I found the contrast between Tom and Jesse’s experiences intriguing but fitting. Tom, a well-off kid from Fall River, while virtuous, runs home after a fight that hadn’t even escalated. On the other hand, Jesse, from a poor Black family, is immediately harassed based on his skin color. However, Jesse can’t just run home because he is responsible for his brothers' safety. I wonder if this dynamic will continue?

I find it very intriguing that the ones that seem the most unnatural are the humans. While "artificial" robots have embraced the cycles of life and have even accepted death, humans can barely survive in the wild. Chambers used this to highlight our own problems. Humans of today have traded our biological instincts for comfort and must learn to respect the fundamental laws of the wilderness again.

I was interested in how the author revealed a key aspect of human behavior. After making a meal, Dex feels uncomfortable that they can not offer the robot any food, and gives it a plate. Chambers included this moment to encapsulate the purposefully inefficient things that humans constantly engage in. Dex themself even acknowledges this as illogical, yet they do it anyway, highlighting the significance of culture.

I found Dex’s perception of the river quite revealing of human nature. Even though the water that Dex has drunk their entire life has come from places similar to the river, they seem uncomfortable with drinking it. The author included this to criticize how humans ignore the “dirty” work that goes into the creation of the things they use every day. Once, they themselves must do this work, they view it as wrong.

I was interested in the interactions between Dex and Mosscap. Repeatedly throughout their conversations, each holds stereotypes about the other, but they politely correct one another and understand the misconceptions. The author included this to criticize our society, in which people from different backgrounds resent one another without even taking the time to have a conversation and understand each other.

I noticed a similarity between this novel and another novel, “The Opposite of Loneliness”. In this story, the point that your ideas and theories are just that when faced with actual problems is raised. In Dex’s tale, they believe they are ready to be a Tea Monk, only to realize that when they actually come face to face with someone who needs help, Dex is speechless.

I was intrigued by the infrequency with which characters other than Dex are brought up. In fact, it takes about two and a half pages before a person, not including Dex, is even mentioned. I suspect the author is trying to mirror Dex's introverted and socially uncomfortable lifestyle in her writing style. The result is an undertone of loneliness projected without directly addressing it in a utopian-like world.

I am concerned by the eerily similar path Changez is on. Like Erica’s love for Chris, which spans beyond death and pulls her into another world, Changez becomes increasingly blinded by his love for Erica. He describes spending an entire day with her in his mind during only a few hours, reliving flashbacks and even imagining a shared life together, subtly hinting at children.

I feel the irony in Jim asking to fight for the team and not quit his mission in Chile. Changez, who has been getting harassed due to his appearance, without a voice of support, is now being asked to put his emotions aside and stick to the fundamentals. This mirrors the trap of Underwood Sampson, which pushes workers to be robotic and their focus on profit over humanity, explaining why Changez wants to leave.

I am interested in how American culture has rooted itself in Changez’s mind. The subtle changes in how Changez acts, shown when he tried to flaunt his American Express card, and how he focuses on money instead of people, seem to come to a head when he views his own home as lowly. Though he quickly corrects himself, it is a testament to his inner change, as he used to refer to his home as having a “special charm”.

I found the change in comparison of Underwood Sampson and the US compelling. Underwood Sampson, which had seemed to represent America in its cutthroat goal of making money at all costs, now seems distant from the country as a whole. Now, while Underwood Sampson is still focused on making as much money as possible, the US seems to be caught up in intense nostalgia, eerily similar to what Erica is going through.

Changez appears successful at this point in the book, thriving at Underwood Samson, dating Erica, and enjoying elite status, but beneath the success, it seems there is tension. Changez often suppresses himself to fit an American mold that doesn’t fully accept him. Whether it be by hiding his true emotions or trying to act more American, it is as if he is putting on an act to fool himself into believing he belongs.

I wonder why Changez always seems to be acting. Many times throughout the story, he changes into what others want him to be. Whether that be by portraying himself as a rich prince, a typical American, or even a dead boyfriend, he seems to be living the lives of others. I predict that soon, the world that he has been trying to acclimate to will tear him apart and judge him by his race and not by who he tries to be.

I am concerned by how deep Erica’s scars are. Changez describes her as having an emotional crack(52), and while it is initially described as tiny, I believe it’s dangerous. Erica constantly brings up her dead boyfriend, Chris, and seems to surround herself with people to fill his void. But with others, she seems absent, and only comes to life when looking at Changez, whom she is actively trying to mold into Chris.

I am intrigued about what will happen to Changez and Erica’s relationship. Even though they seem to have a unique intimacy, shown when Erica is described as the only person to understand Changez’s sense of humor(29), she and America are described as being left behind. I wonder what happened to this blossoming relationship, and I predict that the events of 9/11 and a lack of physical intimacy played a part in its end.

I was impressed by the seamlessness with which the author controls what the reader thinks. For instance, the author directs the perception of the American. This control is constructed by a detailed analysis of how he acts and the strange actions that subtly hint at him being a foreign agent. Whether it be the Americans' apparent unease or his namelessness, the author constantly controls the reader's assumptions.

I found it interesting how the author describes David's feelings of gratitude and affection for his uncle when he is dying. He doesn’t feel remorseful or even sad, rather, he sees this death as a positive outcome. But the author describes this moment as one that only further separates David from the normal life he desires. He does this by using the line “I was a child. I believed all these things to be true”(156).