On page 135 in the Sturken article she mentions "artifacts" and the Vietnam Memorial. What are some of these artifacts that she mentions? How can we apply this idea to Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, specifically chapter one? Be ready to discuss how the artifacts of war have come to define the Vietnam conflict and what this means to O'Brien's novel. How have these artifacts shaped how we view the Vietnam war today?
Sturken describes the letters that are left within the Vietnams Veteran Memorial are photographs, letters describing what was once the life of the veteran, teddy bears, MIAIPOW bracelets, clothes, medals of Honor and many different artifacts. The most impacting of these artifacts are the letters that are left behind as a memory and recognition of the life of the brave soldier. The impact of these letters arrives when the letters asks in behalf of the soldiers, how they did not want anything fancy, they did not want any medals or any certificates, all they asked for was a simply understanding of what they went through.
Looking back at the first chapter for the book, The things they Carried by O’Brien one is able to identified the things each soldier identified themselves with. Some carried mementos like letters, pictures and small gifts like pebbles. Others felt the need to carry their religious objects either because they felt closer to god or because they were given to them by a family member. Then there were those whom felt the need to carry condoms, hygiene things to keep them clean, socks and a lot of artillery.
These artifacts were more than just objects to these soldiers. It was a way to connect back to their world, a world that appeared completely distant from Vietnam. By simply touching these things they would be transported somewhere where the war didn’t exist and did not make them feel like they were guilty for the killing of thousands. These artifacts kept them sane and stopped them from turning into savage animals. Each one of these individuals had a different perspective of what they war meant to them and what exactly they were fighting for. In truth that question was the one where they would all be able to agree without conflict, no one saw a point to the war.
O’Briens novel depended on the things each soldier carried mentally and physically. Each memory, each laughter shared, each gasp, each heart beat skipped they all contributed to what his novel developed to be. These individuals shared the torture it was to fight a war that most of them were forced to go to in fear of being isolated and looked at as cowards. They placed their life on the line for a country that in many occasions only thought of them as ponds. Pieces which were only used as sacrifices to conquer one the other side. As the book precedes we being to understand how recognition was not something any of them wanted. Some of the characters testimony allowed one to understand that what they ultimately wanted, what they crabbed and what they would die for were for someone, anyone to listen to what truly happened while they were at Vietnam. This were the connection is made between Obrien and Sturken. Within the book the stories are told to reveal what many of these soldiers could not build the courage to say; as for the letters written by others and left at the memorial described, what the Veterans were so eager to exclaim.
No comments:
Post a Comment