There are many elements used to describe pain and suffering in novels like A Rumor of War and other works that represent war and others topics within the war. Without this commonality within these books and other works, the war would not be accurately depicted. Pain and suffering are a common element used as a tool in literary works such as A Rumor of War. In the book, Caputo describes the horrendous sights he saw while serving on his tours overseas. He vividly remembers how he felt while writing death reports on soldiers: “All reports had to be written in that clinical, euphemistic language which the military prefers to plain English. If, for example, a Marine was shot in the gut, I couldn't write "shot in the gut" or even "shot in the stomach"; no, I had to say it; “GSW” (gunshot wound) “through and through, abdomen.” Shrapnel wounds were called “multiple fragment lacerations,” and the phrase for dismemberment, one of my favorites, was “traumatic amputation.” observe closely. All of this helped show the pain and suffering of those who died in those camps, and Caputo's pain in simply having to do the book's work regarding the large amount of KIA, WIA, and MIA. Death is one of the main themes used to convey the element of grief within these literary works and other works about wars throughout time. Even films about war through the ages have pain and suffering as an underlying element. One such film is The Hurt Locker, in the film, SFC William James joins an explosive ordinance disposal team that is in the home stretch of their tour in Iraq. James is entering the unit in... middle of paper... it's just too hot for any of them to make it out alive. Lutrell comes down the hill and is saved by a local and the battle continues in the locals' town as they defend it. The element of pain is shown in this film, both physically and mentally and shows how some individuals can endure large amounts of pain. Team members are injured and eventually three of the four members are killed. The film shows the pain Lutrell feels and how he was able to overcome physical and mental limitations to cope. In all works about war, the element of pain is essential. Without pain there is no true happiness. The men depicted in these works all endured great amounts of physical and emotional pain during their tours serving their country, and accurate depictions of their time abroad could not be complete without this element..