Identity In Vietnam Essay

Improved Essays
This write-up seeks to address the question of the postcolonial identity which emerges from the text, Yuva (2004) by Mani Ratnam. The subject(s) form a sense of communal unity in identity despite being from different social and regional backgrounds, highlighting different roles/identities being played out during the course of the movie and how these identities synthesize by the end of it. For Benedict Anderson, nation “is an imagined political community--and imagined as both inherently limited and sovereign" (Anderson 1983). Aligning with the inference that nationhood is a social construct, we see the three central characters, each trying to blend into this imagined community. On one hand, Lallan is a hired thug who commits all crimes for the sake of the hegemonic ruling class/party whereas Michael and later Arjun too, tries to uplift the ‘common’ people and establish something along the lines of gram-swaraj.

In the same light, Arjun, who believes in a certain desire for the west, its technologically driven ‘progressive’ world and seeks to move to US and study there, stands in contrast to what his dad believes to be a “good life/career” by
…show more content…
Michael embodies the notion of what Fanon calls “the most urgent thing today for the intellectual is to build up his nation"' and that "'the building of a nation is of necessity accompanied by the discovery and encouragement of universalizing values.” Secondly, the idea of nation as a community brings with it a lot of debate and disagreement over the very idea of a fraternity within the boundaries of the state. The movie tackles this idea by presenting how a local idea of ‘nation-hood’ is formed, no doubt contradictory (Lallan’s views Vs. Michael’s), through the view of the public, students and the rural inhabitants in this

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Vietnam War: One Soldier’s Perspective Like many others who were serving, my grandfather, Ronald Gene Huffman, was young. Huffman served in the United States Army from 1968 to 1989. He served in Cantho, Vietnam in the 1960s. He was a member of the Military Police. He retired as a 1st Sergeant E-8.…

    • 1184 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    After the war in Vietnam there were hundreds of thousands, Vietnamese people leaving the country in the search of new place to live. Given the United States role in the conflict, America became obligated to admit them into the country. In total we took over 750,000 Vietnamese people into our country so they could start a new life. Today, we created the same type of war conflict as vietnam that caused thousands of people’s homes being destroyed. Like Vietnam, we should have to coalesce as a country to help the Syrians in need to find a new haven.…

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Vietnam war, Civil Rights Movement, student protests and the counter culture had a big impact on America throughout the 1960s. The Vietnam war was first accepted by the American people, but gradually people, especially young people, began rejecting the war. The Civil Rights Movement was an ongoing battle for years, but 1960 brought bigger changes for blacks and was also instrumental in getting rights passed for women. College campuses across the country saw some of the biggest riots in American history. The baby boomers of the 60s were ready for a change and this caused what many have considered the counter culture of the 60s.…

    • 1728 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It was a rainy morning in Seattle, and I wore my Army dress uniform. Stepping off the bus, I ran 100 yards to the entrance of the Airport. After I purchased my ticket and checked my bags, I headed to the bar. It was the time of the winter equinox, and I was headed home with my discharge in my duffle bag. I suppose I should have worn my civilian clothes, but I had been stateside six months, and the comradeship I experienced in Vietnam had yet to loosen its grip on me.…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Vietnam War Interview The Vietnam War lasted from 1955 through 1975. Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford each held office during this time period of about 19 years. This war was an effort to halt the spread of communism, the Anti- communist forces consisted of South Vietnam, United States, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Khmer Republic, Kingdom of Laos and the Philippines. The communist forced consisted of North Vietnam, Viet Cong, Khmer Rouge and Pathet Lao.…

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Throughout time minorities in war have been a taboo for white soldiers. Ever since the revolutionary war, Black soldiers were deemed not good enough and cannot be in the same line as white soldiers. The fear of the black man all started when African American men tried to join the military and was faced with resistance due to the fear it would lead to the freedom of slaves. Black units were formed and segregation was prevalent throughout most of American history. These soldiers returned home and were able to show civilian life what they saw, and this pushed for a greater change in the military.…

    • 1246 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I believe that people from other generations have a different American identity. Some things that could shape that is if the person has been in a war, a different race, or lastly if they are from a different country. My first reason that people from other generations have an American identity is that if the person had been in a war. This could make Vietnam veterans have a different thought of American identity.…

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The aftermath of the Vietnam War left a lasting affect on American culture. This was the the longest and most debilitating war for the United States and changed the U.S. forever. There was overwhelming protest and debate on the war and it divided the country and its leaders on the uncertainty of foreign policy. My mother was just a child during the war itself but her family experienced the aftermath of the war economically, socially and culturally. The Vietnam War damaged the U.S. economy, spending 168 billion towards the conflict.…

    • 1144 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cambodian refugees and Vietnamese refugees also share differing experiences when it pertains to the topic of hardships faced when fleeing one’s homeland. Although both groups faced complications when fleeing their homeland, the complications and obstacles they faced were distinct. As for the Cambodian refugees, an abundant amount died during the journey to freedom. According to Kuy, “An estimated 3 million died during the Killing Fields, from torture, execution, starvation and disease. Some committed suicide to escape the nightmare” (Kuy 3).…

    • 2181 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Emotional Burdens in the Vietnam War and Tim O’Brien Vietnam soldiers during the war carried emotional burdens because of seeing their mates being killed, the constant fear of death and the traumatic events they were involved. The effects persevere in their minds during and after the war causing a lost in personality and PTSD. The author Tim O’Brien dedicated his life writing about the Vietnam War. The author’s personal experiences and the guilt of forming part of a war he opposed, were part of his inspiration for writing about the Vietnam War.…

    • 1372 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Anti-Vietnam War movement eventually succeeded with U.S forces exiting Vietnam. Previous to that, achievements of the movement were in public opinion not policy. The United States interfered in Vietnam for the purpose of containing the geopolitical spread of communism. The Anti-Vietnam War movement was mainly made up of baby-boom college students, as they were the people threatened by the draft. The movement co-occurred with social change for American women, black people and non-straight people.…

    • 1389 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Americanization was the period when the United States truly began taking over the Vietnam War. President Lyndon B. Johnson began to release for the first time a juncture of air attacks and during the Americanization, this is when the war begins to escalate to a new different level. The Vietnam War had a great significance in the events that occurred in the United States, this era was a period of development, movements, reforms, protest and great revolt.…

    • 1027 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Family In Vietnam Essay

    • 1035 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Vietnam is a very poor country, that’s why the schools are not funded by the government. Most of the funds they get are from the students’ parents such as tuition, and the amount of funds vary between the areas that the schools are in and the wealth of the students’ families. Plus, kids do not have to go to the school within the district that they live. They can pick any school anywhere in the city as long as they can afford the tuition. Most of the schools that are in the big cities or busy districts are more expensive; the tuitions are higher.…

    • 1035 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Vietnam War Essay The Vietnam War was not a favorable war among people in America. Information surrounding the war wa faked and a war we didn 't need to be in. The conflict was started even before U.S. entered into the war and we made it worse by entering. Some people favored the war, while others didn 't because lives were lost at no gain.…

    • 2246 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This novel projects the spirit of nationalism. It is based on the social and amorous Endeavour’s of two main characters Ananya swaminathan and Krish Malhotra.. Revolution 2020 (2011) is by Chetan Bhagat is the story of three childhood friends named Gopal, Raghav and Aarthi. Gopal and Raghav are childhood friends, Aarthi is Gopal’s friend. Gopal is from a poor family, Raghav, belongs to a middle class family and Aarthi is from of bureaucrats and highly placed politicians. After failing in both the IIT-JEE and AIEEE examinations, Gopal is forced to move to Kota to undertake them again.…

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays