War Stories follows the journey of three generations of men in the same family, with each character representing a different perspective on the subject of war. Trevor, the youngest member of the group, is naturally the most idealistic and enthusiastic about the topic. He is particularly enthralled by World War II, which he views simplistically as the ultimate confrontation between good and evil. At multiple points, Trevor’s father, Daniel, explicitly uses the word “glamorizing” in a derogatory sense to describe his son’s attitude toward war. As the reader perceives the battlefields of Europe through Trevor’s eyes, even with Jacob and Daniel as choric figures striving to temper his enthusiasm, Trevor seems—at first—incapable of acknowledging the downside of the conflict. In his mind, the people of Europe should feel nothing but fawning gratitude toward the American soldiers who rid them of Hitler.

Trevor’s reductionist approach to World War II stems, in part, from the media he consumes. When the reader is first introduced to Trevor, we see him enthusiastically playing a World War II video game. His father struggles to tear him away from the screen because he is so swept up in the adventure and drama of combat.