How was opposition to the Vietnam War portrayed in contemporary literature, film and popular song? - page 2
Keywords: gcse history coursework question one 1 vietnam war portrayed literature film song
By exploiit on 19/06/2010
Level: GCSE Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
Page Number: 2 of 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
of obscene satire and is completely insensitive to the damage down to both American and Vietnamese soldiers. Talcum talks us through a conversation between two young lovers, “Hey Frankie, aren’t you gonna give me your class ring? / I’m afraid I can’t do that Annette / Why not? / Because I don’t have any arms!”. Talcum also ends this dialogue with a prolonged howl of laughter, but this is done to deliver his point. To laugh at the devastation of the Vietnam War would be twisted and cruel, but in saying that we realise just how extreme this devastation was. Talcum is not mocking what had happened; he is contesting the American involvement in the war in a very effective and attention-grabbing way.
Another very efficient way for songwriters to deliver their oppositional ideas is through the use of an anecdote or empathetic writing. This is seen in practice through the lyrics of “Post-War Breakout”. Although penned by the famous American folk singer Woody Guthrie, he never got the chance to complete the song. It was however brought to life more recently by American activist punk outfit, Anti-Flag. The second verse of the song is perhaps the most successful and hard hitting section, beginning with a direct reflection of the mentality of the soldiers installed in Vietnam, after their time in the war, “I’m an evil-minded breakdown / I’m a vulgar-thinking crackdown”. These lines highlight the effects of post traumatic stress disorder, a very common condition found amongst Vietnam veterans. This leaves listeners sympathetic to the suffering of the ex-soldiers, and brings to light the negativity of the war and its consequences. A very blatant line surfaces further in the verse, “I’m a non-commie drifter”. The war is obviously about Communism, and this line represents the American government’s stubborn stance on Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, President L. B. Johnson referred to Vietnam as a “fourth-rate, raggedy ass little country”, and this hard headed opinion is similar to that in “Post-War Breakout” - it portrays American self-importance as foremost in the war, and shows the obstinate attitudes that America held, along with their lack of compromise. Any open minded citizen would oppose these actions, as they were clearly more about self-righteousness than national security or aid. Directly after this opposing opinion is presented, Guthrie criticizes American patriotism with a slip of sarcasm, “I’m an ex-GI for sure, oh sure”. This verse
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