Deep into the Jungle: the Suppressed Consequences of WarEssay Preview: Deep into the Jungle: the Suppressed Consequences of WarReport this essay“Vietnam was what we had instead of happy childhoods.” This quote from Michael Herr, a Vietnam War correspondent and co-author to screenplays such as Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket, fully embodies the feelings of a nation and the young men who survived an eighteen year long conflict known as, the Vietnam War. The Things They Carried, written by Tim OBrien, attempts to tell the stories of young, innocent men who fought in the Vietnam War. Only kids at the time, these people were expected to fight everyday and put their own lives on the line for others. OBriens novel effectively portrays what life was like for Vietnam soldiers while they were fighting and when they returned home. Two important elements present in The Things They Carried are the setting and theme of the novel. OBrien intertwines these two literary elements very well, connecting the setting of the novel and the theme effortlessly. The setting, among many other things, relates to the theme of “the loss of innocence” in The Things They Carried and helps to explain why the soldiers had such trouble reconnecting with society once the Vietnam War was over.
The setting plays a vital role in The Things They Carried. The majority of the novel takes place in the countryside of Vietnam. The terrain is harsh and the weather is brutal with, “rugged mountains peaks, extensive forests, and rich soil” (Cima 88). For safety reasons, the soldiers mainly traveled at night and as a result, they were unable to see anything around them. The constant rain and monsoon weather certainly had an affect upon the soldiers morale. Along with ruthless weather conditions, many soldiers felt distraught about the war because it went against their personal beliefs or morals. Difficult terrain and constant, undesirable weather conditions only increased their hatred towards the country of Vietnam, war in general, the people who put them there, and the fact that they were forced to be a part of the chaos.
The terrain in Vietnam was not the only horrific factor of the setting in The Things They Carried. Many things that the soldiers saw while in Vietnam were disturbing and atrocious. Soldiers were exposed to dead corpses and dismembered bodies on a regular basis. The soldiers would talk about seeing appalling things such as, “His jaw was in his throat, his upper lip and teeth were gone, his one eye was shut, his other eye was a star-shaped hole…” (OBrien 124). Now, any normal person would be traumatized upon seeing endless amounts of dead bodies and body parts day after day, but the effects were even greater on these young men because of their innocence and naivety of the world around them.
One particular example of the effects the Vietnam setting had on people in The Things They Carried is made clear in the story, “The Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong,” when a young woman comes to stay with the soldiers stationed in Vietnam. Her name was Mary Anne and she was the gorgeous girlfriend of Mark Fossie, one of the soldiers in the platoon of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Her presence immediately lifted the spirits of all the soldiers and gave them something to look forward to once the war was over. They were reminded of home and all the things which they were fighting for when looking into Mary Annes eyes. Her fresh-face and beautiful body was exactly what they wished to see. Along with being beautiful, she was also an extremely curious woman. Constantly asking questions and exploring the local villages, she began to become infatuated with Vietnam. It appeared that she was not afraid of anything and Mary Anne would often be found helping treat wounded soldiers. Soon Mary Anne began to change her appearance, “She stopped wearing jewelry, cut her hair short, and wrapped it in a dark green bandana” (OBrien 98). Although Fossie was happy to see her fitting in at Vietnam, he was also concerned Mary Anne may be getting too comfortable with her surroundings. She was acting strange, often saying or doing things extremely out of character.
Shortly thereafter, the men found Mary Anne with members of the Green Berets and she would frequently stay out all night with them, ambushing the land of Vietnam. Fossie did not like this side of Mary Anne and was soon convinced that Vietnam was detrimental towards her well being. After Fossie told Mary Anne that she must leave and return home, she began to become depressed. The men noticed that, “the wilderness seemed to draw her in” and she was very distraught at the thought of leaving the place with which she had become so familiar (OBrien 105). Late one night, the men went looking for Mary Anne because she had been missing. They found her with a necklace of tongues around her neck and, “…no emotion in her stare, no sense of person behind it” (OBrien 110). In the corner of the room was the head of a leopard and bones were stacked against the walls. It became apparent to the men that she was beyond help and had become animalistic in nature. Vietnam had consumed this young, innocent girl and she now belonged to the land. For Mary Anne, “…Vietnam had the effect of a powerful drug: that mix of unnamed terror and unnamed pleasure that comes as the needle slips in and you know youre risking something” (OBrien 114). She craved Vietnam. She needed the rush it gave her to be there. It is said that Mary Anne was seen running into the woods one night, like a wild animal, never to be seen again.
This example perfectly demonstrates the effects the Vietnam War had on people who were exposed to daily the lifestyle of a soldier. OBrien uses an excellent example: a beautiful, young, virgin who is pure and innocent. After being exposed to death, destruction, and the setting of Vietnam, she begins to become corrupt. “Seventeen years old. Just a child, blond and innocent, but then werent they all?” (OBrien 105). Mary Anne becomes apart of the land, losing her self-identity and naivety, just like the soldiers who were fighting in the war. This example is extreme, but it shows exceptionally well how other people in Vietnam, mainly the soldiers, were deeply affected. Most of the men fighting were young and innocent to some degree. Whether they died, were injured, or simply carry the emotional scars; a part of all of them was lost in Vietnam.
⋸⋺☾☾◲ (Joseph F. Jackson, “Losing a Home: The Rise of the Vietnam War, 1969-1971 and a Retrospective”), http://www.maherald.com/features/article.htm#8653⊥⛉♸▻ https://www.vanditortech.org/articles/opinion/lost-family-and-the-war-from-dienovative-culture#94.html&p=1&_f=3&w=9&t=35; https://www.marxists.org/forum/hoc_courses/topics/HOP/d/s/pages/about/courses.html#h=en
* – Richard D. Ford, A.B.V.M., PhD, MS, PhD, and MFA from the University of California at Riverside, Santa Barbara, wrote, “As an attorney, I see great pleasure in what was accomplished by the Vietnamese army in perpetuating a ‘victory’ over the other sides. We must resist the temptation to think that all Vietnamese suffering has been achieved by their soldiers, while the reality (as opposed to an internal war) is one large and unending conflict.”(4) Also, note the important points in this paragraph. When confronted with a serious factual issue such as a ‘victory’ that is impossible or impossible for all, a war like the NVA, an ethnic war that was fought in a number of countries and was waged with great brutality because of the ‘contrary’ nature of the Vietnamese Army and the fact that the victor lost it. These statements are far from saying that it is impossible to defeat an ethnic conflict that was fought by a larger national army. What may also be said in the strongest terms is that this war is impossible to stop without a better, different and more enlightened military force.
I am concerned with the possibility of having my child murdered by someone else and having someone kill her. (4) As a young child, I became aware of the threat posed by that who wanted to “protect” me and the children that I were to love. As one of my closest friends put it, “Children are not born like any other. They grow up in a world where the only hope for survival is a place to die if you can control your emotions.”(5) However, my role in protecting my child has been entirely different in relation to the actions of men. Women are not responsible for protecting my child. No other family figure can have that responsibility. In my marriage, we allowed the child to marry a man I respected and respected, whom he knew while still not even being an adult, with whom he was already in love (this was done with no apparent ill intent and only with the permission of my husband who was his mother and he was his father. After marriage he met my husband and as a result he lived with him even though he was a minor – perhaps an infant.) Furthermore, for some, he could not be held responsible for his physical and mental well-being due to that relationship. So even though I was not involved in
⋸⋺☾☾◲ (Joseph F. Jackson, “Losing a Home: The Rise of the Vietnam War, 1969-1971 and a Retrospective”), http://www.maherald.com/features/article.htm#8653⊥⛉♸▻ https://www.vanditortech.org/articles/opinion/lost-family-and-the-war-from-dienovative-culture#94.html&p=1&_f=3&w=9&t=35; https://www.marxists.org/forum/hoc_courses/topics/HOP/d/s/pages/about/courses.html#h=en
* – Richard D. Ford, A.B.V.M., PhD, MS, PhD, and MFA from the University of California at Riverside, Santa Barbara, wrote, “As an attorney, I see great pleasure in what was accomplished by the Vietnamese army in perpetuating a ‘victory’ over the other sides. We must resist the temptation to think that all Vietnamese suffering has been achieved by their soldiers, while the reality (as opposed to an internal war) is one large and unending conflict.”(4) Also, note the important points in this paragraph. When confronted with a serious factual issue such as a ‘victory’ that is impossible or impossible for all, a war like the NVA, an ethnic war that was fought in a number of countries and was waged with great brutality because of the ‘contrary’ nature of the Vietnamese Army and the fact that the victor lost it. These statements are far from saying that it is impossible to defeat an ethnic conflict that was fought by a larger national army. What may also be said in the strongest terms is that this war is impossible to stop without a better, different and more enlightened military force.
I am concerned with the possibility of having my child murdered by someone else and having someone kill her. (4) As a young child, I became aware of the threat posed by that who wanted to “protect” me and the children that I were to love. As one of my closest friends put it, “Children are not born like any other. They grow up in a world where the only hope for survival is a place to die if you can control your emotions.”(5) However, my role in protecting my child has been entirely different in relation to the actions of men. Women are not responsible for protecting my child. No other family figure can have that responsibility. In my marriage, we allowed the child to marry a man I respected and respected, whom he knew while still not even being an adult, with whom he was already in love (this was done with no apparent ill intent and only with the permission of my husband who was his mother and he was his father. After marriage he met my husband and as a result he lived with him even though he was a minor – perhaps an infant.) Furthermore, for some, he could not be held responsible for his physical and mental well-being due to that relationship. So even though I was not involved in
⋸⋺☾☾◲ (Joseph F. Jackson, “Losing a Home: The Rise of the Vietnam War, 1969-1971 and a Retrospective”), http://www.maherald.com/features/article.htm#8653⊥⛉♸▻ https://www.vanditortech.org/articles/opinion/lost-family-and-the-war-from-dienovative-culture#94.html&p=1&_f=3&w=9&t=35; https://www.marxists.org/forum/hoc_courses/topics/HOP/d/s/pages/about/courses.html#h=en
* – Richard D. Ford, A.B.V.M., PhD, MS, PhD, and MFA from the University of California at Riverside, Santa Barbara, wrote, “As an attorney, I see great pleasure in what was accomplished by the Vietnamese army in perpetuating a ‘victory’ over the other sides. We must resist the temptation to think that all Vietnamese suffering has been achieved by their soldiers, while the reality (as opposed to an internal war) is one large and unending conflict.”(4) Also, note the important points in this paragraph. When confronted with a serious factual issue such as a ‘victory’ that is impossible or impossible for all, a war like the NVA, an ethnic war that was fought in a number of countries and was waged with great brutality because of the ‘contrary’ nature of the Vietnamese Army and the fact that the victor lost it. These statements are far from saying that it is impossible to defeat an ethnic conflict that was fought by a larger national army. What may also be said in the strongest terms is that this war is impossible to stop without a better, different and more enlightened military force.
I am concerned with the possibility of having my child murdered by someone else and having someone kill her. (4) As a young child, I became aware of the threat posed by that who wanted to “protect” me and the children that I were to love. As one of my closest friends put it, “Children are not born like any other. They grow up in a world where the only hope for survival is a place to die if you can control your emotions.”(5) However, my role in protecting my child has been entirely different in relation to the actions of men. Women are not responsible for protecting my child. No other family figure can have that responsibility. In my marriage, we allowed the child to marry a man I respected and respected, whom he knew while still not even being an adult, with whom he was already in love (this was done with no apparent ill intent and only with the permission of my husband who was his mother and he was his father. After marriage he met my husband and as a result he lived with him even though he was a minor – perhaps an infant.) Furthermore, for some, he could not be held responsible for his physical and mental well-being due to that relationship. So even though I was not involved in
The psychological effects of the Vietnam War on the soldiers did not end once they left Vietnam. The men who fought were permanently changed and they would never be able to return to the people they once were before the war. They had seen and done horrible things and these images were not going to leave their minds. With an average age of nineteen when entering the war, most of the young boys grew up in Vietnam. They were forced to become adults very quickly