...The war in Vietnam caused conflict between Western imperialism and Vietnamese self-determination that dominates throughout The Quiet American. The text mounts a compelling argument against war, which is presented, in case, as a futile and unwinnable conflict. The French soldiers on the ground are resigned and weary rather than committed to the cause. Captain Trouin admits to Fowler that they are simply pawns, ‘fighting till the politicians tell us to stop’ (QA p.144). The press conference with the French colonel is equally revealing. For the benefit of the Press Corps, the colonel weaves his ‘web of evasion’ (QA p.55), losing his composure only when he is goaded into admitting that this war makes no allowances for the wounded. ‘It is better...
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...Anyone know about the symbolism in ‘A Quiet American’ by Graham Greene? | Pyle represents the idealistic New Age America, thirsty for heroism. Phuong represents pre-war Vietnam, passive, innocent. What exactly does Fowler represent? Is it the wisdom and world-weariness of Old Europe or Britain’s involvement in the war simply for personal gain? | The symbolism of the individual characters has to be placed within the context of colonialism, since that was the relationship between the nations they each represented. Pyle's motives are far from heroic. An idealism that is motivated by interventionism in a Third World country's affairs can be dangerous and destructive, not only in the way Graham Greene saw it in the early fifties, but as history proved it by the events that unfolded years later, leading to the US war in Viet Nam. Or for what is happening now in Iraq, if you will. Fowler had the "old colonialist" wisdom that questioned Pyle's justification for violence. He had already learned that "democracy" is something many countries neither understand nor want, and any foreign attempt to impose it is doomed to failure. I don't know that this helps, but I can't see the novel any other way. | | Outline of characters | Thomas Fowler is a British journalist in his fifties who has been covering the French war in Viet Nam for over two years. He meets a young American idealist named Alden Pyle, who is a student of York Harding. Harding's theory is that neither Communism...
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...Jazmin Morinigo “No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now,” Richard Nixon explained, “Never have the consequences of their misunderstanding been so tragic.” The Vietnam War swallowed the lives of Americans and left a generation full of lost, broken youth. In The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, O’Brien conveys how the lack of an audience enhances the isolation the soldiers feel and the despair they fall into. They are unable to forgive themselves for Kiowa’s death and fall into destructive patterns. O’Brien proves that forgiveness can only be achieved by revisiting your burdens and expressing the emotions you carry. O’Brien recalls events from...
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...The Vietnam War The Vietnam War was a time in American history still spoken of with strong emotions today. The events of the era helped to spawn countercultures that helped to mold the country. There was strife and violence, fear and wounds, but mostly there was a quiet moment when the country’s college students moved from childhood into adulthood. This growth gave them the power to speak out against a war they did not believe in and were forced to send their brothers, boyfriends, and husbands to die in. In the eight years that America fought the Vietcong, more than 58,000 American soldiers died and America changed in ways the citizens never thought possible that are still felt in the world politic policy of today. In the early 1960s America was disrupted by the Civil Rights movement. Black, white, right, wrong; these were the ideals that the college students of the day were concentrating on. In the background, the United States was becomming involved in the civil conflict in Vietnam. Students turned their attention to this conflict as Presidents Lyndon Johnson then President Richard Nixon sent more soldiers to fight despite promises for peace (Coltrane, n.d). The college students became alarmed about how many American men were dying in a war that had nothing to do with them. Once the draft was reinstated and more men were sent to Vietnam, demonstrations, teach-ins and rallies were held on many campuses around the country protesting the war. The draft seemed to be the keystone...
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...James Sikes, a member of 100th Frist Advance Infantry, recalled his first moments back on American soil after being medical evaluated from Vietnam. James Sikes was born in the early cool February of 1954 to a family of sharecroppers. Growing up, the Sikes Family was considering “poor white trash.” And James could never have understood why people treated him like that. Growing up, he grew to hate the world and everything...
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...the less we use our power the greater it will be.” (Jefferson) Power and the thought of defeat is a deterrent of war. War is appalling and uneasy. Kurt Vonnegut, novelist and veteran, was captured at the Battle of the Bulge during World War II and was a Prison of War (POW) during the famous bombing that lead to a firestorm that wiped out the city of Dresden, Germany. That dreadful experience of war would forever intrude on his mind for the rest of his life. In 1955 the Vietnam war began, the United States became involved and the American people were not supportive. This war would lasted until 1975 and it was detrimental in many ways. In 1968, the Viet Cong initiated a massive...
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...Canadian Involvement in the Vietnam War; Playing Both Sides. Although Canada “officially non-belligerent” in the war against Vietnam they were active and played a huge role for and against the war. It is a common belief that Canada’s position during the Vietnam War was strictly neutral but the government was more involved than many Canadians realize. The Canadian government aided the U.S by sending Medical equipment, providing technical assistance as well as diplomatic aid. In 1981, it was discovered that Canada had been secretly involved in testing U.S chemical warfare agents for Vietnam. The Canadian government also welcomed about 30,000 American war resisters and draft-dodgers who did not support the war across the Canadian borders; at the same time about 30,000 Canadians crossed the border to volunteer to help the U.S soldiers fight in Vietnam. Scholars like Jessica Squires spoke on The Canadian Anti-Draft Movement, which “was a network of groups in Canadian cities that actively supported the immigration of War resisters”. This Network was active from 1966-1973 and its activities were seen as a sort of resistance to the American War on Vietnam. At this time in the early 1970s there had been protests and demonstrations in Canada and various parts of the world, which denounced the war on Vietnam and the actions if the U.S Government and this Anti-Draft Movement was one of the ways Canadians were able to influence or oppose the Vietnam War. In 1966, Hans Sinn...
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...A quiet night we lay there hidden. My battle buddy is asleep next to me, as I keep watch. I look around and see the pairs of my unit, one asleep, and the other keeping watch. Soon my battle buddy and the other soldiers asleep will be woken up and then I will get some sleep. We have to keep rested the best we can because we could be attacked or told to move at any second. *Bang* Everyone is now awake, with gun in hand surveying the area trying to see or hear what is coming upon us. You can hear the silent prayers being said as we all hope we make it out alive. This war is taking more bodies than any of us even could imagine. The tide of the war started being measured by the kill-ratios versus the amount of cites we conquered. Later I learned that by 1968 more than 20,000 soldiers had been killed (The Sixties, The Origins of the Vietnam War, The American Yawp.) I am writing you as one of the blessed ones that got to come home....
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...Johnson’s Limited War HIST-415 DeVry University November, 2013 The year 1965 could easily have been named Lyndon Johnson’s “Conflicted Conflict”. When we consider the big picture of 1965, the war in South Vietnam is not exactly progressing, as those in Washington would like, anyway. There have already been limited strikes against some targets in North Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. However, the full brunt of American military force has yet to be felt by Hanoi. General Westmoreland, a decorated veteran of two wars is in command at MACV and devised several strategies to allay Johnson’s greater concerns over a wider war. This paper examines Johnson’s trepidation with widening the war in South East Asia, the strategies he was offered to allay some of these fears, and finally a general assessment of the “Rules of Engagement” as they were applied in Vietnam. President Johnson’s unconditional war on poverty was his greatest concern in early 1965, over all he wanted to complete the work of the New Deal and include all Americans in the prosperity of freedom. He was also a fervent believer in containing communism, and did not intend to loose South East Asia in the same manner that China was lost. (Moss, 2010 p.122) Additionally he feared broadening the war because there was always the possibility that if the United States became too aggressive in its prosecution the Soviets and or Red China may intervene. The Chinese intervention in Korea was still a fresh memory...
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...Throughout the short stories in The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien creates a diverse group of characters with his collective explanations of what they individually possessed. One of O'Brien's characters, Kiowa, carries both physical and mental things during the Vietnam war that defines his disposition as both a young soldier and an average human being. Each physical belonging carried, gave individuality to those who possessed it; including Kiowa. The important belonging Kiowa carried is described by O'Brien as an "illustrated New Testament that had been presented to him by his father." Kiowa's Bible symbolizes his obvious faith and devotion which help him get through the war. By Kiowa choosing the Bible as one of his most important items...
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...memories of War Post-Traumatic Stress disorder also known as PTSD is an emotional illness which is caused by a traumatic experience in one’s own life that was frightening, life-threatening, or highly unsafe. Individuals who suffer from PTSD are very sensitive to normal life and cannot function how they once were. Combat Stress Reaction (CSR), more commonly known as “shell shock”, is a type of illness that World War I soldiers suffered. Shell shock is another kind of psychological illness that is almost like PTSD. However, its illness causes a soldier to decrease his fighting ability due to shock waves from artillery shells during the frontline battle. These psychological illnesses are more commonly known with war soldiers who have experienced some kind of horrific event and what a soldier remembers from his experience causes destruction psychologically and mentally. Veteran soldiers who return home suffer with this type of disorder and therefore, must find a way to cope with it. People and more specifically soldiers cope with the memories of war in many ways. They either cope with it through avoiding people they love or keep distant from society, through anger and hostility, and focusing on a certain object or thing that they can use to cope with the memories of war. There are two different stories that show how a Native American and an African American soldier cope with their memories of war. Both stories are from two different time periods: one from World War I and the other...
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...walk in the park. MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT Montgomery Alabama, 1955 and 1956 was an extremely volatile time for African-Americans and Whites, but the events of that year made history and changed the way of life for every Montgomery resident. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a peaceful protest that lasted one year. Its main goal was to put an end to racially segregated seating on buses, but by the end it accomplished much more (Toonari). A Walk on the wild side Prior to the Supreme Court 1956 decision, African-Americans were forced to ride at the back of the bus. They suffered ridicule and racial slures at the hands of the bus drivers and the White passengers. In the early 1950’s two teenagers, Claudette Colvin and Mary Louise Smith were both arrested for refusing to give their seats to white passengers (Allen, R. 2000). Although this created some tension within the African-American community it tool the arrest of Rosa Parks, a former NAACP secretary who refused to give up her seat on the bus, on December 1, 1955 to set the wheels in motion for what would be known as the largest, most organized, non-violent protest in history (Allen, R. 2000). Support of the community The protest, originally intended for one day was organized by the Women’s Political Council (WPC). The WPC was a group of professional African-Americans focusing their energy on the Jim Crow practices in Montgomery (Encyclopedia). As momentum of the protest grew...
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...Company during the Vietnam War and what the young soldiers brought with them, physically and metaphorically. From comforting items like comic books, illustrated Bibles, pictures of loved ones, to deeply-ingrained emotions and trauma, O’Brien carefully crafts each character to represent a different aspect of war. Kiowa, the Native-American and Christian best friend of the character Tim in the novel, is one of many complicated, tragic stories brought to life through literature. While there are other facets of war demonstrated by different characters in the novel, Kiowa is specifically used to demonstrate the most devastating of them all: the human cost of conflict....
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...The Vietnam War saw many moving parts, so horrific that they have left a lasting scar upon anyone who witnessed and experienced them. One of the horrors came from a United States defoliation program called "Operation Ranch Hand". Beginning in January 1962, the purpose of this operation was to destroy the forest cover and crops that protected and fed the Viet Cong troops. The operation ended five years later in April 1970. In order to do this, the United States employed the use of the "Rainbow Herbicides". Over nineteen million gallons of herbicides were deployed over four and a half million acres of land (Young). The motto of Operation Ranch Hand was, "Only we can prevent forests" (Young), a play on Smokey the Bear's slogan, "Only we can prevent...
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...Juxtaposition/Imagery to show the beauty out of something that is dark and unimaginable. He shows us both parts of death. One being beautiful with flowers and sunshine. The other dark, evil, and the sense of war. This is Tim's first time killing in the war. He feels so ashamed and distraught that he begins to imagine how the boy's life would have been if he did not kill him. Kiowa as his...
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