Initially, I felt disgust as I read the first paragraph of the story. It was quite shocking to read about the Vietnam vet committing those terrible crimes. Raping a young girl, shoving injured soldiers out of a helicopter, cutting off a man’s head and posting up on a pole as if it’s some kind of medal. These things really made me feel like this Vietnam vet should be in prison. However, as I read through the story my feelings began to turn into a kind of understanding for him. I understood that he was trapped in a war zone, afraid, and trying to survive while carrying out orders and doing what he had been trained to do.
This story is about a war veteran who spends his life suffering from the damage imposed on him by the war. Walker uses symbolism by not revealing his name. By not knowing his name the theme becomes centralized on the effects the Vietnam war had on those who fought in the battle. I believe if we had known his name it would have made the story more personalized and more about an individual’s struggle.
I never noticed the representational qualities in not giving the central charecter a name. I guess I just assumed since it was written in first-person he didn't really need a name. I guess I was interpretting it as something like a journal enrty or diary of his own personal thoughts where things can be more loosely labeled and naming yourself is not really required because you already know you are talking about yourself (if that makes any sense).
ReplyDeleteFor me, the plane ride back home was the most representational aspect of the story. He "welcomes" the turbulence of the ride and finnaly accepts his fate. That could possibly represent how he will ultimately view his own fate. As one long turbulent ride that cannot be avoided and is part of him whether he likes it or not.