Hard Times: Jane and Tom Yoder + Peggy Terry and Mary Owsley
This post really goes into depth pertaining to what it means to be an American, presented by Jane and Tom Yoder, but also displays traits that aren't fitting of an American, portrayed by Peggy Terry and her mother.
The Good War: Peggy Terry + E.B. "Sledgehammer" Sledge"
This post is interesting in that it offers two completely different views of the war. The first, from Peggy Terry, is introduced by a hillbilly, someone who lived on the home front and experienced the war much differently than Sledge did, as Sledge fought on the front lines and fought his own type of battles. Neither Peggy nor Sledge could ever understand the battles faced by the other, so this post is interesting in that sense.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Larry Heinemann + David Brower
I wasn't initially going to chose to read Larry Heinemann, figuring that he was just another man telling about his experiences in Vietnam. However, when I read that one of his works won the 1987 National Book Award, I figured that he must offer an alternative view of the Vietnam War, perhaps one that I haven't encountered yet.
Heinemann was sent into vietnam a couple of months after the Tet offensive began. This is very interesting, as I know that after the Tet offensive, Americans began disapproving more and more of the war, receiving a distorted picture of the war that told them that they were losing when in fact they were doing quite well. I can only imagine the fear that Heinemann must have experienced before going off to war, having all of his friends and family watch the news in disbelief while they were informed of the atrocities occurring in Vietnam every day. Initially, Heinemann was very indifferent to the war, calling it "a bunch of bullshit" (416). He talks about the indifference he felt, seeing no real point in fighting in Vietnam. This view parallels how a lot of Americans felt about the situation in Vietnam. Once home, Heinemann could no longer live his life the same way, having experienced so much in such a short period of time. He put himself through, the way he calls it, "self-imposed isolation" (419), ignoring all of those around him and acting on his own beliefs. Clearly, Heinemann's experience in Vietnam changed him for the worse. As far as I could tell, he has turned into a cynical, grumpy man who just doesn't seem to be happy in his life. This is very typical of men who were scarred by the war, and one can see just how detrimental the war was to many who fought in it, not just in battle, but once they got home as well.
The second story I chose to read comes from David Brower. David is almost 80 years old and is an environmentalist, so I figured that his experience would allow him to offer a point of view that other younger writers may not have been able to do. David explores the idea of age in his account of his life as an environmentalist. He says how at his age, "they can't do much to hurt me" (527). It is interesting that David holds this point of view as it surely allows him to carry out his work to the best of his ability and certainly better than his younger counterparts might be able to. Brower recognizes this, saying that young people don't have this same freedom that he does and for that they tend to work more conservatively, and rightfully so. They have a long time of working ahead of them and providing for a family; they can't afford to screw up. Brower, at his age, is able to enjoy what life can be like uninhibited. Fully experiencing the freedom of an American, Brower enjoys life and is truly making an impact on this country that he loves so much.
Heinemann was sent into vietnam a couple of months after the Tet offensive began. This is very interesting, as I know that after the Tet offensive, Americans began disapproving more and more of the war, receiving a distorted picture of the war that told them that they were losing when in fact they were doing quite well. I can only imagine the fear that Heinemann must have experienced before going off to war, having all of his friends and family watch the news in disbelief while they were informed of the atrocities occurring in Vietnam every day. Initially, Heinemann was very indifferent to the war, calling it "a bunch of bullshit" (416). He talks about the indifference he felt, seeing no real point in fighting in Vietnam. This view parallels how a lot of Americans felt about the situation in Vietnam. Once home, Heinemann could no longer live his life the same way, having experienced so much in such a short period of time. He put himself through, the way he calls it, "self-imposed isolation" (419), ignoring all of those around him and acting on his own beliefs. Clearly, Heinemann's experience in Vietnam changed him for the worse. As far as I could tell, he has turned into a cynical, grumpy man who just doesn't seem to be happy in his life. This is very typical of men who were scarred by the war, and one can see just how detrimental the war was to many who fought in it, not just in battle, but once they got home as well.
The second story I chose to read comes from David Brower. David is almost 80 years old and is an environmentalist, so I figured that his experience would allow him to offer a point of view that other younger writers may not have been able to do. David explores the idea of age in his account of his life as an environmentalist. He says how at his age, "they can't do much to hurt me" (527). It is interesting that David holds this point of view as it surely allows him to carry out his work to the best of his ability and certainly better than his younger counterparts might be able to. Brower recognizes this, saying that young people don't have this same freedom that he does and for that they tend to work more conservatively, and rightfully so. They have a long time of working ahead of them and providing for a family; they can't afford to screw up. Brower, at his age, is able to enjoy what life can be like uninhibited. Fully experiencing the freedom of an American, Brower enjoys life and is truly making an impact on this country that he loves so much.
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