FREE ESSAY ON CRITICISM BRIDGE AT ANDAU

CRITICISM BRIDGE AT ANDAU

John A. Franklin
Academic English 12
Mr. George
May 19, 1999
Criticism on The Bridge at Andau
The Bridge at Andau was written in the mid 1950's by James A. Michener. This is a
documentary on the account of Hungary's people and the communist influence from Russia.
Although the people of Hungary lost in their fights with the ADO and the Russians, they
showed us how determination and the will to survive can overcome even the strongest evil.
It is a shame that they didn't overcome all int he end.
Michener did an excellent job in preserving and recording the account of the Hungarian
people as they were mistreated, abused, and murdered by the Russians. The torture and
abuse that is described is simply unbelievable. Communism surely is a terrible
governmental system.
Michener's extremely graphic descriptions gave you the ability to create a very vivid
picture in your head. The terrible things done to torture the people were described down
to every last detail. And the fights with the ADO and the Russian tanks were described so
well that it made you feel like you were there.
The book could have been better if it had been a little less thorough, although all the
details did add to some parts, it did start to get monotonous. If the whole book would
have been written as first person, or actually in the life of one person, and he would
have dropped the documentary stuff, it would have been a lot more interesting and more
readable.
To think that humans could treat other humans the way that the ADO and the Russians did
is insane. To make some one stand staring into a bright light until the pass out and then
beating the persons friends as punishment is inhuman. The routine beatings and torture
just for fun is pure evil, the Russians have shown that this is what Communism stands for
and that it is evil.
This book is highly recommended as an eye opening tragedy but it takes a lot of time to
read and understand. It shows how the Hungarian's will to survive and their determination
overcame the Russians, the ADO, and Communism, even if their victory didn't last very
long.