How was opposition to the Vietnam War portrayed in contemporary literature, film and popular song? - page 3
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: 3 of 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
reaches a climax when the song’s only non-sardonic line is screamed for emphasis. When we hear the words “let’s face our history, NOW!” we realise that Guthrie wants us to question the motives behind America’s involvement in Vietnam. The line is riddled with a sense of regret. Guthrie believes that the, after the horrific behaviour of the Americans serving in the war, America will have to face the negative aspects of the war. Despite being offered in propaganda, the glory that surrounded the war will never be seen. The mild mockery of the American Government’s decision to enter Vietnam and the mention of the many depressing effects of this decision all help to generate an overall pessimistic view of the war.
The negative aspects of the war are presented through the above songs however few artists described the horror endured by the Vietnamese people as well as the American people. In a controversial piece by The Clash, 'Straight To Hell' uses a devastating example of American behavior towards Vietnamese women, 'When it's Christmas time in Ho Chi Minh's city / Kiddies say [papa] take me home', this line subtly introduces the mass rape of Vietnamese women by American soldiers, where the women have been left pregnant, it also blatantly shows the American soldiers' disregard and lack of responsibility. The line, 'Let me tell you 'bout your blood bamboo kid' brings forward a racist element also, which reinforces the American disregard for the Vietnamese people. The final line of the second verse, 'It ain't Coca-Cola, it's rice,' brings to light the
strong denial of the American people when it comes to the consequences of their actions. 'Coca-Cola' represents America as America can be easily associated with corporatocracy and 'Rice' represents the third world as rice is produced by lesser developed countries as a main crop and sold on to richer countries. This directly reflects the rape of third world
countries by superior countries such as America through corporatocracy. This image allows for greater opposition because again, tyranny and terror is presented due to the war. The violence of the war is also presented through the line 'The Volatile Molotov says,' 'volatile' means hostile and destructive and 'Molotov (cocktail)' is type of bomb, in personifying this you see America as destructive.
In the earlier stages of the war many productions came to be, channeling support and a general positive attitude towards the war however,
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