EACH OF THE LETTERS REPRESENTS THE EXPERIENCE OF HUNDREDS OF YOUNG MEN. HOW DOES THE TEXT COMMUNICATE THE HUMANITY OF THE CONFLICT?
Humanity – human kind, civilisation, compassion, kindness, charity, people, sympathy
Contention: Letters do represent experience of young men-soldiers. War and life experience. The text communicates humanity of conflict in many ways – letters, photos, biog details, voices other than soldiers, considers Vietnamese perspective, poetry.
Supporting points (quotes/incidents/characters):
Letters share feelings, experiences and actions of soldiers.
- show loyalty and comradeship
- concern to protect their loved ones from their pain
- show compassion towards Vietnamese
The photos and poetry enhance the reader’s understanding of the humanity in the conflict
- soldiers’ suffering, despair over horrors of war, despair at what is inhumane shows humanity, ‘Beyond the Body Count’
- voices against war, Poetry
- ‘What am I doing here?’ Peace helmet, ‘World of Hurt’ – soldier hugging injured comrade
The strength of human relationships – letters to/from home support everyone survive the war
- import of contact/connection
- love
- Wimbish – depth of human emotion – honour always and remember
Humanity of conflict us highlighted by representation of inhumanity in text
- juxtaposition of characters’ attitudes towards Vietnamese. Downs/
- ability to see beauty of Vietnam despite conditions of living
- The letters, by representing exp of hundreds of men, explore both positive and negative sides of human nature in conflict
EACH OF THE LETTERS REPRESENTS THE EXPERIENCE OF HUNDREDS OF YOUNG MEN. HOW DOES THE TEXT COMMUNICATE THE HUMANITY OF THE CONFLICT?
The letters featured in Dear America – Letters Home from Vietnam provide a snapshot of what a tour of duty in Vietnam was like for the soldiers. The editor of the text, Bernard Edelman, has selected a series of letters that work to represent the experience of hundreds of young men involved in the conflict. These letters explore various aspects of the Vietnam War, one certainly being the humanity of the conflict. However, the letters are not the only way the text communicates this. Edelman also employs the use of photographs, poetry and voices and perspectives other than the soldiers to draw attention to the humanity inherent in the Vietnam War.
In Dear America the soldiers’ letters share their experiences, feelings and actions while in Vietnam. All of the letters add to each other, allowing the reader to gain a broad perspective of what the war was like and how humanity can be a part of it. The soldiers’ loyalty and comradeship to each other is a feature of most letters. George Olsen, an author of multiple letters, comments about how ‘…Men have gone on operations here with broken ankles in order not to let their buddies down’. Kindness and sympathy are demonstrated to be other common values held by the soldiers. Many express their concern for the Vietnamese civilians they see suffering due to the conflict in their country. Bruce McInnes explains how being in Vietnam has shown him how ‘very well off’ he has been in life. He implores his Mom and friends to help the Vinh-Son Orphanage, ‘These kids aren’t underprivileged - they’re nonprivileged …They need, and we have. We must help them’. The fact that some of the soldiers could still feel such compassion for the Vietnamese, despite the Viet Cong being the ‘invisible enemy’, leaves the reader sure that the Vietnam War, or any other conflict, cannot completely eradicate the humanity of people trained to be soldiers.
To enhance the reader’s understanding of humanity as an element of the Vietnam War, Edelman has included photographs alongside of the soldiers’ letters. These two features of the text provide the reader with an insight to the conflict that deepens their ability to relate to the circumstances the soldiers found themselves in. The images that precede the chapters ‘Beyond the Body Count’ and ‘World of Hurt’ strongly communicate the ideas that the soldiers were despairing of the war and suffered greatly. In ‘Beyond the Body Count’, a soldier sits sullen and forlorn in his tent, his only solace a cigarette. In the accompanying exposition a soldier’s writing is quoted, ‘I’ve seen some things happen here that have moved me so much that I’ve changed my whole outlook on life’. This is complemented by Burrows image that begins ‘World of Hurt’. It portraits two soldiers, young men. One has been heavily wounded with his head bandaged so that his sight is obscured, he could possibly be dead. Though it would be easier to engage as little as possible with such a frightening reality that could soon be your own, his fellow soldier hugs him tight to his chest offering comfort and reassurance. These soldiers, in their capacity to not be emotionally desensitised by the horrors they have witnessed, demonstrate the enduring nature of peoples’ humanity.
The text further highlights the humanity of the conflict by exhibiting how the support of the soldiers by their friends and family, and other sectors of the American society, helped them to endure the conflict. Edelman includes letters that the soldiers received from home so that the reader can appreciate the power of human relationships. Children wrote to the soldiers, showing them that they cared about what they were doing. Eight year old Roger Barber wrote, ‘I’m sorry you had to fight in the war. I don’t like to fite do you? Please watch out’. Children such as Roger would not have realised the extent to which their letters would have lifted the soldiers’ spirits, reminding them of the innocent and honest gentleness that people can have. Kenneth Peeples’s parents let him know that they were, ‘… extremely proud … because you did an honourable thing … bitterly against going into the service … [you] stuck it out … You should feel proud of yourself!’ Such affirmation was important to the soldiers due to the climate of hostility surrounding the Vietnam War. To know they were ‘coming home a hero’ to at least parts of the American community allowed them to retain a sense of self respect and dignity. As they had either gone to Vietnam to protect their society’s ideals of freedom and democracy or, they had been conscripted, had they returned home and received no understanding from anyone, it would have destroyed any faith they had remaining in the positive side of human nature.
An irony of Dear America is that the text brings to light the humanity of the Vietnam War even in its representation of the inhumanity of the conflict. Much of the poetry in the text graphically details the atrocity of war. ‘But they just lay there, You could hardly see the holes, It was all so strange, strange, These dead men freshly killed’, relates a soldier. Juxtaposed with the letters of the soldiers, the poetry enables Edelman to ensure the text has a clear purpose behind it, to raise the reader’s awareness of the cost of violent conflict. Thomas Smith suggests in his poem that young men should not let their sense of patriotism cajole them into war because the price is not worth it. He asserts, ‘I Love My Flag, I Do, I Do … I Love My Country, Yes, I Do … Young Men With Faces Half Shot Off Are Unfit To Be Kissed, I Guess I won’t Enlist’. The human dimensions of the conflict come together in the soldiers’ poetry; the vulnerability of young men to be engaged in war, the physical and emotional costs, the feelings of futility it causes, the inhumanity it reaps. In this, the experience of the young men who went to Vietnam is shared in such a way that it will work to deter humankind from war. Through the voices of the soldiers who fought in Vietnam, the text implores future generations to live humanely.
By representing the experience of hundreds of young men at war, Dear America is able to explore both the positive and negative sides of human nature in conflict. By constructing the text to feature photographs, poetry and voices and perspectives other than the soldiers, Edelman enables the reader to connect deeply with the experience of those involved in the Vietnam War. Edelman has constructed a text that is powerful because, despite its honest depiction of the horrors of war, it overwhelmingly communicates the humanity of the conflict.
Humanity – human kind, civilisation, compassion, kindness, charity, people, sympathy
Contention: Letters do represent experience of young men-soldiers. War and life experience. The text communicates humanity of conflict in many ways – letters, photos, biog details, voices other than soldiers, considers Vietnamese perspective, poetry.
Supporting points (quotes/incidents/characters):
Letters share feelings, experiences and actions of soldiers.
- show loyalty and comradeship
- concern to protect their loved ones from their pain
- show compassion towards Vietnamese
The photos and poetry enhance the reader’s understanding of the humanity in the conflict
- soldiers’ suffering, despair over horrors of war, despair at what is inhumane shows humanity, ‘Beyond the Body Count’
- voices against war, Poetry
- ‘What am I doing here?’ Peace helmet, ‘World of Hurt’ – soldier hugging injured comrade
The strength of human relationships – letters to/from home support everyone survive the war
- import of contact/connection
- love
- Wimbish – depth of human emotion – honour always and remember
Humanity of conflict us highlighted by representation of inhumanity in text
- juxtaposition of characters’ attitudes towards Vietnamese. Downs/
- ability to see beauty of Vietnam despite conditions of living
- The letters, by representing exp of hundreds of men, explore both positive and negative sides of human nature in conflict
EACH OF THE LETTERS REPRESENTS THE EXPERIENCE OF HUNDREDS OF YOUNG MEN. HOW DOES THE TEXT COMMUNICATE THE HUMANITY OF THE CONFLICT?
The letters featured in Dear America – Letters Home from Vietnam provide a snapshot of what a tour of duty in Vietnam was like for the soldiers. The editor of the text, Bernard Edelman, has selected a series of letters that work to represent the experience of hundreds of young men involved in the conflict. These letters explore various aspects of the Vietnam War, one certainly being the humanity of the conflict. However, the letters are not the only way the text communicates this. Edelman also employs the use of photographs, poetry and voices and perspectives other than the soldiers to draw attention to the humanity inherent in the Vietnam War.
In Dear America the soldiers’ letters share their experiences, feelings and actions while in Vietnam. All of the letters add to each other, allowing the reader to gain a broad perspective of what the war was like and how humanity can be a part of it. The soldiers’ loyalty and comradeship to each other is a feature of most letters. George Olsen, an author of multiple letters, comments about how ‘…Men have gone on operations here with broken ankles in order not to let their buddies down’. Kindness and sympathy are demonstrated to be other common values held by the soldiers. Many express their concern for the Vietnamese civilians they see suffering due to the conflict in their country. Bruce McInnes explains how being in Vietnam has shown him how ‘very well off’ he has been in life. He implores his Mom and friends to help the Vinh-Son Orphanage, ‘These kids aren’t underprivileged - they’re nonprivileged …They need, and we have. We must help them’. The fact that some of the soldiers could still feel such compassion for the Vietnamese, despite the Viet Cong being the ‘invisible enemy’, leaves the reader sure that the Vietnam War, or any other conflict, cannot completely eradicate the humanity of people trained to be soldiers.
To enhance the reader’s understanding of humanity as an element of the Vietnam War, Edelman has included photographs alongside of the soldiers’ letters. These two features of the text provide the reader with an insight to the conflict that deepens their ability to relate to the circumstances the soldiers found themselves in. The images that precede the chapters ‘Beyond the Body Count’ and ‘World of Hurt’ strongly communicate the ideas that the soldiers were despairing of the war and suffered greatly. In ‘Beyond the Body Count’, a soldier sits sullen and forlorn in his tent, his only solace a cigarette. In the accompanying exposition a soldier’s writing is quoted, ‘I’ve seen some things happen here that have moved me so much that I’ve changed my whole outlook on life’. This is complemented by Burrows image that begins ‘World of Hurt’. It portraits two soldiers, young men. One has been heavily wounded with his head bandaged so that his sight is obscured, he could possibly be dead. Though it would be easier to engage as little as possible with such a frightening reality that could soon be your own, his fellow soldier hugs him tight to his chest offering comfort and reassurance. These soldiers, in their capacity to not be emotionally desensitised by the horrors they have witnessed, demonstrate the enduring nature of peoples’ humanity.
The text further highlights the humanity of the conflict by exhibiting how the support of the soldiers by their friends and family, and other sectors of the American society, helped them to endure the conflict. Edelman includes letters that the soldiers received from home so that the reader can appreciate the power of human relationships. Children wrote to the soldiers, showing them that they cared about what they were doing. Eight year old Roger Barber wrote, ‘I’m sorry you had to fight in the war. I don’t like to fite do you? Please watch out’. Children such as Roger would not have realised the extent to which their letters would have lifted the soldiers’ spirits, reminding them of the innocent and honest gentleness that people can have. Kenneth Peeples’s parents let him know that they were, ‘… extremely proud … because you did an honourable thing … bitterly against going into the service … [you] stuck it out … You should feel proud of yourself!’ Such affirmation was important to the soldiers due to the climate of hostility surrounding the Vietnam War. To know they were ‘coming home a hero’ to at least parts of the American community allowed them to retain a sense of self respect and dignity. As they had either gone to Vietnam to protect their society’s ideals of freedom and democracy or, they had been conscripted, had they returned home and received no understanding from anyone, it would have destroyed any faith they had remaining in the positive side of human nature.
An irony of Dear America is that the text brings to light the humanity of the Vietnam War even in its representation of the inhumanity of the conflict. Much of the poetry in the text graphically details the atrocity of war. ‘But they just lay there, You could hardly see the holes, It was all so strange, strange, These dead men freshly killed’, relates a soldier. Juxtaposed with the letters of the soldiers, the poetry enables Edelman to ensure the text has a clear purpose behind it, to raise the reader’s awareness of the cost of violent conflict. Thomas Smith suggests in his poem that young men should not let their sense of patriotism cajole them into war because the price is not worth it. He asserts, ‘I Love My Flag, I Do, I Do … I Love My Country, Yes, I Do … Young Men With Faces Half Shot Off Are Unfit To Be Kissed, I Guess I won’t Enlist’. The human dimensions of the conflict come together in the soldiers’ poetry; the vulnerability of young men to be engaged in war, the physical and emotional costs, the feelings of futility it causes, the inhumanity it reaps. In this, the experience of the young men who went to Vietnam is shared in such a way that it will work to deter humankind from war. Through the voices of the soldiers who fought in Vietnam, the text implores future generations to live humanely.
By representing the experience of hundreds of young men at war, Dear America is able to explore both the positive and negative sides of human nature in conflict. By constructing the text to feature photographs, poetry and voices and perspectives other than the soldiers, Edelman enables the reader to connect deeply with the experience of those involved in the Vietnam War. Edelman has constructed a text that is powerful because, despite its honest depiction of the horrors of war, it overwhelmingly communicates the humanity of the conflict.
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