The conflicting missions of the two armies seemed to have no fog, no gray, only black-and-white clarity. I had lived my life in terms of compromise, rule-bending, trade-offs, concessions, bargaining, striking deals, finding middle ground. In these two great armies, there was no such thing. Good was good, and evil was evil, and they shared no common ground.
The two opposing armies represented a stark dichotomy of values, highlighting a world stripped of ambiguity and compromise. The speaker reflects on their experiences, emphasizing a life filled with the complexities of negotiation and finding balance, which contrasts sharply with the absolute moral positions of the armies. In this battleground, there is no room for ambiguity; the lines between good and evil are vividly drawn, leaving no space for middle ground.
This perspective on the conflict brings to light the clarity that can sometimes arise in extreme situations. The rigid moral framework of these armies serves as a stark reminder of the complexities and compromises that define ordinary life. By juxtaposing the clarity of the battlefield with his own experiences, the speaker underscores the challenges of navigating a world that often exists in shades of gray, where compromises are necessary for understanding and coexistence.
