From the first page of Kyle's riveting novel, the audience is captivated by his incredibly effective use of descriptive language. During the beginning of his journey to discovery, the words Chris uses are gentle and soft, reflecting his naivety. On seeing the defense force advertisement, he describes it as "endless opportunities with nifty uniforms and smart weapons" As Kyle discovers the harsh truths of the job, his language begins to change becoming more forceful, blunt and graphic. What once was considered "nifty" has become "brutal". A quote from his last deployment reads, "Just because war is hell and beyond, doesn't mean you can't have a little tough fun to break the repetitive damage on your mind" His attitude has changed drastically, altering his discovery in quite a harmful way.
When Chris sees the reality of life in SEAL's, it leads to him wanting more from the job, not just the black and white. Many of these moments are discovered through diary entries, allowing Kyle to expose his personal thoughts in conflicting situations, as well as enabling a clearer layout of the sequence of events that take place. Chris speaks of the "regular cravings for normality" in the repetitive strain of war. "I felt as if I needed to lay all my emotions out on the table at once and leave for home Thoughts just kept building up inside, yet I had the urge to keep them hidden in an attempt to stay masculine and soldierly in front of my men" As Chris focused on creating a strong facade for his men, he spent less and less time thinking about where the profession would lead him. Disregarding this small detail, he ended up re-enlisting and voluntarily making headway to become a full-time serving SAS member in an attempt to make progress in his role.
As the novel progresses, sentences become more fractured and truncated. While Kyle's journey of self-discovery becomes more intense and fragile, tension mounts in the dialogues of his fellow SEAL's.
