Contemporary Literature (1945-present)

English IIIContemporary Literature (1945-present)Historical ContextMedia saturated culture: people observe life as media presents it rather than experiencing life directly. Post WWII prosperityPeople beginning a new century and new millenniumSocial protest

Genre/StyleLines or reality blurred; mix of fantasy and non-fictionNo heroes/anti-heroesConcern with individual in isolationDetached, unemotional, usually humorlessEmergence of ethnic and women writersThe Things They Carried by Tim OBrienPublished in 1990Considered one of the finest books about the Vietnam WarA compassionate tale of the American soldierThe books narrator follows a platoon of infantrymen through the jungles of VietnamThe book is split into vignettes drawn from OBriens own experiencesTim OBrien blurs the lines between fact and fiction

About the AuthorTim OBrienBorn on October 1, 1946Raised in Worthington, Minnesota (small prairie town)Graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul Minnesota in 1968Received his draft noticeDuty from 1969 to 1970 as a foot soldier Sent home with a Purple Heart when he got hit with shrapnel in a grenade attackHe currently teaches creative writing at Texas State University.

The Vietnam War 1959: North and South Vietnam were divided. North sought to unify the country under communist ruleSouth struggled to maintain independence1965: the U.S. Sent ground troops to aid South Vietnam1969: the draft was in full force (540,000 troops fighting in Vietnam)Draft dodgers:failed to registerdidnt report for induction when calledattempted to claim disability left the country to avoid service

The Vietnam WarMeasure of success was counting the dead bodies of the enemyAverage age of U.S. service member was 191968: My Lai Massacre members of a U.S. infantry company slaughtered more than 300 Vietnamese villagers, including women, the elderly, children, and infants. After this event, the American peace movement gained momentum.

Vietnam War (cont.)1973: the warring governments signed a peace accord, ending hostilities between U.S. and North Vietnam.Saigon (capital of South Vietnam) falls to the North Vietnamese, ending the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975.

Vietnam War PropagandaAs we are looking at these pieces of propaganda, note the following: your initial reaction to the posterwhat argument you think the poster is makingwhat evidence in the poster led you to that answer

War on Terror/War in Iraq PropagandaAgain, note the followingyour reaction to the posterwhat argument you think the poster is makingwhat evidence in the poster led you to that answer

How are the perspectives on the Vietnam War similar and different from the Iraq War? Address the perspectives of a drafted soldier, a soldier who volunteered, and a U.S. citizen not fighting in the war.