It seems that patriotism is one of the most common terms used in times of war. Governments often use propaganda about nationalism to support their political views on hostilities. Sometimes they even impose patriotism on their voters with scaremongering techniques, which can have dangerous implications. This is not to say that patriotism is inherently bad: many wars have been won for just causes thanks to it. However, it is a mistake to think of war only at the national level. There are devastating effects on soldiers, families and victims of war hostilities. The stories read this week discuss the struggle between concern for macro-society (patriotism) and micro-society (family/personal interests) during war. While no narrative completely rejects the idea of ​​macro-society, they clearly highlight the greater importance of micro-society and the consequences of patriotism. “Loyalties” is the first story to discuss the concept of macro- and micro-society. It centers on a family living in an African village during the Nigerian civil war. The father and the teacher seem to be the most loyal characters from the beginning, as they are great supporters of the new Biafra. However, at the end of the story they returned their allegiance to Nigeria. Their perspectives clearly reflect the broader concept of macro-society. There is an element of humor in the way they transition so dramatically from one side to the other. The mother, on the other hand, represents the concern for microsociety, because she is only interested in the tasks of daily life. The tone of the story clearly favors the mother's perspective. After all, she is the only character whose loyalty remains true throughout the story, and the author mocks the politics of men. The mother also sees the humor in all this, telling her son, “Go and collect the goat…after all, it is a Biafran goat now, so we must take better care of it” (144). At the conclusion of this story it is evident that the concept of macro-society during wartime has some limitations and weaknesses, which can have a great impact on the individuals and families involved. Just as “Loyalties” discusses the flaws of patriotism, “Peace and War” explains the failures of micro-society. It depicts two men who go to war every day and treat it like business. They are casual in their work because the war is in... middle of paper... and they honor when they are away from the battlefield, as this girl is. However, when there are personal connections, it is much more difficult to accept the concept, just as Biyumi struggles with her sense of nationalism. While many of these stories have specific settings and historical meaning, they also speak to today's world. We have seen a great shift toward patriotism in the years since the attacks of September 11, 2001. It would be wrong to not respect the soldiers who have fought bravely for the United States ever since, as it was for his wife at the time. “Peace and War” to underestimate the dangers that surround it. However, we must also honor micro-society, both here and in other parts of the world. Will our actions as a nation lead our soldiers into traumatic situations like the soldier in “An Easy Death”? Or will we consider the families and communities involved, saving ourselves from micro-social harm? I just hope we can learn from stories like these and not push our “blind” patriotism too far. Works Cited Global Cultures. A transnational reader of short stories, ed. by Elisabeth Young-Bruehl (University Press of New England, Hanover and London, 1994)