Born on the Fourth of July

They are all equally engaging and are successful in how they present their subjects. Born on the Fourth of July is a biography of a Vietnam veteran, which is also directed by a Vietnam veteran. Suffice to say, their work is accurate, as they themselves had first-hand experience. While watching the film, the audience joins the character in his experiences as a young man, a soldier, a veteran, and an anti-war activist. One can see how the main character degrades from a hopeful and enthusiastic young man to a paralyzed alcoholic with posttraumatic stress. He learned from his naivete and he recovered to join a cause that he knows is just and goes on to tell everybody the reality of the war. This makes the audience agree and feel for his goals later on, making the film effective at relaying its views. Thus, it is also effective at influencing…

The Vietnam War on American Soil The Vietnam War was a proxy war America fought from the 1950s to the 1970s. Through this time many Americans had changed their view on the war, going from pro-war to anti-war in just a matter of years. Many of these anti-war activists consisted of college students, but even some veterans soon decided against the war. One veteran in particular was Ron Kovic, an author of his own book, Born on the Fourth of July. In this memoir, Kovic explains his views and…

However, the majority of the characters claim that they wanted to fight for the freedom of their country. For instance, in Platoon, the main character Chris says, “I just want to live up to what grandpa did in the first war and what dad did in the second. I just want to do my share for my country". Similarly, in Born on the 4th of July it is highlighted on many occasions how the title character wanted to serve his country “like a man” and how important it was for him to defend the freedom of…

a flash back because of the imprint made on the brain during the traumatic event(Van Der Kolk, 2002). Ron Kovac was a Vietnam War Veteran who after two tours was struck down by a bullet and paralyzed from the waste down. He believed that this was his biggest problem when getting back to the states, however Ron also experienced PTSD from the war. The film “Born on the Fourth of July” told Ron’s story of how he aspired to be a solider growing up and got the chance to fight in the Vietnam War. It…

War changes people. The Vietnam war changed many soldiers, families, and countries who were affected. This war was different from the other wars we had fought in the past. It was long and, it lasted years longer than they had expected. The war became increasingly unpopular at home in the United States. The Things They Carried is a historical fiction novel that follows Tim O’Brien, who is also the protagonist of the book- and his fellow soldiers in the Alpha Company during the Vietnam war. Tim…

Essay Draft The story The Things They Carried by Tim O’ Brien takes place in the Vietnam War. The author Tim O’ Brien narrates the story of how was it like being a soldier. Also while sharing many of his war stories, it’s becomes interesting how it leads to the stories of other soldiers that he knew during the war. Many young soldiers went to war. It can be seen that Tim O’Brien and other soldiers changed from boys to men. Tim O’ Brien has achieved his first kill in the Vietnam War. Due to…

War, as many people know, creates massive casualties of humans, hatred among humankind, and overall, catastrophe. Many soldiers, who are also the leading generation for our future, are forced to take part in what could be known as “homicide” as they would go on to kill their enemies, most of them belonging to same age. It is no wonder that the horribleness and atrocity of war is a common theme among poets. The literary works of Owen, Jarrell, and Komunyakaa asserts that war causes severe damages…

Magnolia (1999) Like Born on the Fourth of July, this film simply tells a story and gets a valuable message across though relatable characters. However, the one characteristic that sets it apart from other films is that it stars multiple protagonists that each have their own story, and they all connect with each other in some way. In my opinion, this is a perfect example of cinematic brilliance because all of the previous films have only displayed one main storyline. I understand that it is…

Symbolism in A Long Way Gone: Memoir of a Boy Soldier Malcom X once said: “Power in defense of freedom is greater than power in behalf of tyranny and oppression” (izquotes) Freedom is fundamental to the growth of humanity. In A Long Way Gone: Memoir of a Boy Soldier, author Ishmael Beah examines the concept of freedom and oppression through illustrating his encounters as a child soldier during the Sierra Leone civil war in the 1990s. The dark influences of war strips Beah of his childhood…

In Yusef Komunyakaa’s poem “Facing It,” he writes about his poignant experience visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in a way that suggests he is perhaps regretful of his time as a soldier and remorseful as a survivor. Komunyakaa explains to the readers the inner workings of his brain and how permanent war is not only in his mind but in the reality of the death toll. In order to accomplish giving a detailed and understandable explanation to the audience, Komunyakaa uses techniques such as…