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8/9/2019 Kyle Somerville Final Summative
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Love Is Stronger Than Hate
By: Kyle Somerville
Mr. Kemp
ENG 3UI
Due: June 23, 2010
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Throughout the novel Firefight, by Chris Ryan, readers are provided a glimpse into the cold-
hearted, brutal world of international terrorist activity and counter-terror methods taken by Britains
Military Intelligence, Section 5 (MI5) and Americas Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). With frequent
attacks and deadly responses, the value of human life appears cheap. Even though there is apparently
little value placed on life, compassion clearly outweighs revenge in numerous instances over the course
of the novel. As the central character and former member of the elite British forces SAS squadron, Will
Jackson seeks revenge against Faisal Ahmed, compassion for Latifa Ahmed while Wills changing attitude
throughout the novel demonstrates that love is stronger than hatred.
Firstly, Will Jackson, the protagonist, seeks revenge against an Afghan national, Faisal Ahmed,
for the murder of Jacksons wife and young daughter in a Christmas department store bombing. Ahmed
had killed Jacksons family in a terrorist attack and, therefore, shattered the hardened SAS veterans
world. Falling into a deep depression and became an alcoholic, Jackson tried to drown his sorrows. Only
upon learning that it was Faisal Ahmed who had killed his family does Jackson find a new purpose in life,
to stop Ahmed from hurting anyone else. Sir Lowther Pankhurst, the Director of MI5, and Donald
Priestly, the CIAs top UK official, select Jackson to kill Ahmed since Jackson is a highly skilled military
man and has the added motivation of revenge. Strange, too, how something else is perfectly clear to
him now. The two men at Thames House, unwittingly, had offered him a lifeline. A way out of his bland
existence. They might want Faisal Ahmed dead for the best reasons, but in this moment of honesty Will
knew one thing: he wanted him dead so that he could avenge his family. Avenge them, and move on.
(Ryan 89). Jackson is realizing that all he has wanted over the past three years is to avenge the deaths of
his wife and daughter. Until recently he had no idea that Faisal Ahmed even existed, but when he hears
his name, he feels as if he had always known it. Will believes that he is the only one that can stop Faisal,
and also the only person whose life had been destroyed by him.
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After a failed attempt to kill Ahmed in England, Jackson is held at gunpoint by his adversary and
learns that the department store bombing was not intended to result in casualties and that it was
actually the CIA official, Priestly, who sought fatalities in a series of planned attacks to keep Britain in the
war against terrorism alongside of the US (Operation Firefight). Ahmed spares Wills life which reduces
Jacksons desire to seek revenge even further. Jackson begins to see that Ahmed may not be the enemy
and he begins to feel compassion for the man who has also suffered in life. Learning that his target of
revenge had witnessed the brutal murder of his parents as a child by the Soviets in Afghanistan, deeply
loved and risked his life for his sister, Latifa, who had been captured and tortured by the Taliban and had
been set up and exposed as a heartless terrorist by the CIA after refusing to stage attacks with casualties
across Britain. Ahmed kills the CIAs Priestly with Jacksons support since it was truly Priestly who had
been responsible for the bombing fatalities. The general had been killed; only the foot soldier
remained. And as Ahmed stood there, resolutely waiting for death Will couldnt help a creeping feeling
of respect. (462). Even after all the pain Faisal had caused Will, Will still has great respect for his foe
and is unwilling to kill Ahmed. This shows that even after someone has committed a horrible act against
us, we can still forgive them and end the vicious cycle of revenge. Following this moment Jackson kills
Faisal Ahmed in a defensive move after Ahmed shoots Jackson in the shoulder. Clearly Jackson begins to
re-evaluate murder when he relates, Ahmed had been right... Revenge wasnt sweet. Revenge wasnt
what he thought it would be at all. (465).
In addition, Wills compassion for Faisal Ahmeds sister Latifa shows that love is stronger than
revenge. Jackson was sent on a mission to rescue her in order that MI5 and the CIA could establish the
whereabouts of Faisal Ahmed. When Will finds Latifa in Afghanistan, she has been tortured and beaten
by the Taliban. He couldnt help feeling a twinge of respect for this woman; it was an uncomfortable
sensation, given how much he loathed her for what her brother had done. (234). Will is seeing Latifa
for the first time, and he wants to hate her because of her family, but he cant bring himself to after
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seeing the strength and courage she possesses. Wills hate for Faisal would have been transferred to his
sister, but when Will sees her frail, tortured body in a Taliban camp, he only feels pity. The mission in
Afghanistan was compromised and Jackson had the chance to abort the operation and flee to safety.
Instead, he rescues Latifa, provides her with his snowsuit in the harsh Afghanistan winter conditions and
carries her on his back to safety while being pursued by heavily armed Taliban soldiers. Later, Jackson is
shocked when CIA orders force them to land in Poland where they are taken to a black camp (place of
torture) rather than the planned safety of England. He had rescued Latifa from the torture of the
Taliban only to have her tortured by CIA agents in Poland. Will blinked. A surge of anger flickered
through him. This wasnt right. It didnt matter who Latifas brother was. This wasnt right. (304). Here
Will is becoming more protective of her, and he no longer associates her with her family. He sees her as
any other deserving human being, and wants her to be treated as one. Throughout the story Will
becomes more protective of Latifa and repeatedly risks his life for her on multiple occasions. Even
though Will wants to kill Faisal, his pity and love for Latifa is stronger and overcomes the obstacles that
were brought upon them. Although Jackson was later shot by Ahmed after the murder of Priestly, he
continues to keep Latifas London safe house location secret. Compassion is clearly superior to revenge
as Jackson fulfills Faisal Ahmeds request to protect his sister. In fact, the novel ends with Jackson
escorting Latifa on a Eurostar train to freedom in Paris.
Lastly, Will Jacksons character changes dramatically throughout the novel. Clearly he is a
dynamic character. As the novel Firefightbegins Jackson is a depressed, alcoholic, former soldier who
has nothing to live for but the mourning of his family. The outline we are provided with in the early
stages is one of a soldier who is an efficient, cold-hearted murderer and well respected in the SAS for
successfully completing dangerous missions, not a man prone to sentimental compassion. During the
mission to rescue Latifa in Afghanistan, the mission is compromised by the Afghan informant to the SAS,
Ismail. Tipping off the Taliban led to the death of one SAS soldier and the imprisonment of Jackson and
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the other SAS soldiers. After escaping, Jackson hunts down Ismail to seek his revenge. He should plug
him now. Silence him. Make sure he could not tell the Taliban where to look for them. But something
stopped him. (241). Jackson learns that Ismails wife and child have been kidnapped and would be
killed if he refused to report the SAS rescue mission. Jackson did not have the heart to kill Ismail and
even provides him with a hand gun for his protection against the Taliban. Jackson was no longer a single
minded soldier of vengeance. As a trained soldier, Will Jackson was a hardened veteran. In Jacksons
own words, Killing people had been his job for a long time... (460).This toughness seems to disappear
as Jackson confronts the CIAs Operation Firefight mastermind, Priestley. Shut up, Priestly! He burst
out...Its just a fucking game of soldiers to you, isnt it? Who cares if people die? My daughter was six
years old...How do you live with that, Priestley? (460). It is at this point in the novel that the reader
recognizes the transformation of Will Jackson into an individual who values human life and has no
stomach for vengeance and reprisal.
As the dynamic, central character in Chris Ryans Firefightnovel, Will Jackson embodies the
major theme that compassion is a far more powerful force than revenge. In a fictional work filled with
casualties resulting from terrorist acts and counter terrorist measures, the tone remains surprisingly
positive as the protagonist becomes ever more firmly committed to the value of human life and the
need to protect it.
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Work Cited
Ryan, Chris. Firefight. London: Century, 2008. Print.