Content Category
Literary Criticism
Abstract/Description
In this paper, I argue against the mentality that all Vietnam War veterans were irreparably damaged by their time in service. My primary text, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, is very critical of the war and seems to agree with this mentality. However, I am intrigued by the underlying theme of race in the novel. Kiowa, a Native American character, suffers discrimination from his fellow soldiers. However, with further reading it becomes clear that Kiowa is loved and respected by the men, and that their experiences in the field have helped them transcend racial barriers. By researching everything from current race theorists to Vietnam Era children’s books, I construct a theory in which the Vietnam War, though in many ways a damaging force, actually prepared young soldiers to return home and build a better America after the upheaval of the Civil Rights Movement.
Copyright and Licensing of My Content
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Location
B192 JFSB
Start Date
20-3-2015 1:45 PM
End Date
20-3-2015 3:00 PM
Included in
There's a Moral Here: Emerging Ethics in The Things They Carried
B192 JFSB
In this paper, I argue against the mentality that all Vietnam War veterans were irreparably damaged by their time in service. My primary text, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, is very critical of the war and seems to agree with this mentality. However, I am intrigued by the underlying theme of race in the novel. Kiowa, a Native American character, suffers discrimination from his fellow soldiers. However, with further reading it becomes clear that Kiowa is loved and respected by the men, and that their experiences in the field have helped them transcend racial barriers. By researching everything from current race theorists to Vietnam Era children’s books, I construct a theory in which the Vietnam War, though in many ways a damaging force, actually prepared young soldiers to return home and build a better America after the upheaval of the Civil Rights Movement.