The military is often considered a place where people are able to escape persecution based on their gender or their race but the reality is that the environment forces both men and women to have to act differently. Walter Dean Myers, author of Fallen Angels, depicts the military environment during the Vietnam War and how it affected male gender roles. Ashley Nicolas, author of, “Women in military are hurt by the bigotry of low expectations”, explains how women are also affected by military expectations and that it is not only men. H Braswell author of, “Suicide, social integration, and masculinity in the U.S. military”, discusses that the military environments forced internalization of feelings influences suicide. All of these authors discuss …show more content…
Myers clearly shows that the military forces men to act masculine when he writes, “My father used to call all soldiers angel warriors. He said, because usually they get boys to fight wars.” (Myers 214) It is clear that Myers is explaining that the military creates an environment in which men are forced to flaunt their masculinity and prove themselves to others. The military creates an environment that perpetuates an over exaggeration of masculinity. Due to this over exaggeration, men are not able to create their own identity, which leads to serious gender and behavioral issues. This forced environment leads to women having to act differently as well because many people feel that “women are not held to the same standards as men” (Nicolas) Nicolas shows that the military environment affects women as well as men and forces genders to act in different ways. Gender is not universal but the military forces gender roles to be blown out of proportion. Women are not held to the same standards as men, which in our day and age should be unheard of. Nicolas’ piece extends the point that Myers makes about the military environment and genders. The military completely alters the modern idea of men and women being able to create their own image of what they want to …show more content…
Myers shows that gender roles and the way genders act are affected by the military environment when he writes, “There was this feeling that everything I was going to say was either too loud or too strange for a world in which people did normal things” (Myers 214) Myers explains that the military causes men and women to feel insecure about what they can and cannot do. Overall, this shows that after the military, men and women alike are not able to create their own identity. They are not able to act in the way they want to and are always forced to conform. This limitation causes extreme behavioral problems, which are not commonly experienced in everyday life. Myers is not the only one who had noticed this because contrary to popular knowledge, “masculine ideologies governing military life play a huge role in the internalization of individual frustrations and in suicidal behavior” (Braswell) Braswell shows that the forced conformity and masculinity leads to serious problems. Both genders are in a way told to act differently than they normally would and are not allowed to be individuals. They are not allowed to express their own feelings and their own emotions. Braswell corroborates Myers claim that the military limits and distorts gender identities. They both explain that this failure to be able to become an
All of the Cadets come into the Citadel with different unique personalities and identities, but when they come to the Citadel, they put all of those to the side. When becoming a “Whole Man” at the Citadel the Cadets clear all differences and possess one identity, a masculine, tough, man. A Cadet states, “it’s like we’re all one, we’re all the same, and-I don’t know- you feel like you’re exposed, but you feel safe”(75). Even though each person is different, they are in the same place doing the same thing which connects them on another level.
In the novel Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, the main character is Richie Perry. At seventeen he graduated high school in Harlem, and he wanted to go to college, but his mother couldn’t afford to send him to college since she was an alcoholic. So he joined the army to escape his unfortunate future, but joining the army meant he had to leave his little brother Kenny, who saw him as a father figure since their father left when they were younger. Perry was sent to Vietnam and through his journey, he made lifelong bonds with many different people such as PeeWee, Monaco, and etc. Also in his journey, he suffers from mental and physical wounds.
Emily Knust English 11 Quarter Three Book Report Fallen Angels is a novel written by Walter Dean Myers. Myers, like Richie Perry, was a colored boy from Harlem. Myers had a speech problem all throughout his life and this gave him the drive to write. He dropped out of school as a junior and later went to the army. He was not recognized until he won a reward for his story, Where Does A Day Go?
The Warriors Ethos is a book written by Steven Pressfield, which was published in 2011. The book highlights a very rich history of warriors and their supporters alike. My goal with this paper is to draw some parallels between the examples in the book and what I took away as applicable to our lives as infantrymen In the United States Marine Corps. Chapter one is named “ Tough Mothers “. The chapter that stuck out to me most for giving perspective that I lacked prior to reading this book.
Staci Alfaro Expository Writing 101 Rough Draft # 2 Catherine Kupiec 25 September 2014 Finding Your Way through Situations Society has always stated to have faith in justice and equality to all. In Susan Faludi’s short story “The Naked Citadel,” she discovers the central problems with sexuality among an all-male military academy.
Banned Book Research Paper Fallen Angels, written by Walter Dean Myers was first published in 1988. There have been many conflicts in whether or not the book should be banned. Though in 1999 the book Fallen Angels was removed from Laton, CA school district for its violence and profanity. And this book should be banned for elementary students most definitely, but for middle school students it should be optional to them or their parents, and for high school students there should be no restrictions because for any male or female looking to join the military force, they should know the concepts of war. Richie Perry.
“For instance, qualities such as aggression, rationality, or physical courage are identified both as an essential component of war and also of masculinity at a given place or time” (Hutchings 389). What are described as traditional masculine behavior are considered to be important when it comes to
It was recorded nearly 2.6 million soldiers were sent to Vietnam to fight a gruesome war. About 58,000 of those 2.6 million soldiers perished by the time the Vietnam War was over (Vietnam War Statistics, 1997). These men had to live and die with strength, wits, impassive, and remorseless, all given by the society they were viewed in. Tim O’Brien a Vietnam War veteran born in Austin, Minnesota, was drafted into the war in 1968. He went through hell and back to write his book the Things They Carried (1990).
In Fallen Angles by Walter Dean Myers, Richie Perry is a very bright seventeen year old. He lives with his mom and is left behind from his father when he was only a child. He has a couple of options to do with his life. He can either go to college, which his mother cannot afford or he can enlist in the army to get out of where he lives. It is around 1967 and the Vietnam War is taking place.
While the effort of America was important in winning the war, there was a lot of discrimination and prejudice against blacks, Native Americans, women, and homosexuals within the military. The men who fought in the war saw terrible conditions and many had mental breakdowns. This chapter in the book explains the deaths that many soldiers witnessed and how many men became separated from humanity. This caused many soldiers to become insane. The final two chapters in the book talk about changes in the American society throughout the war and the results from the war.
Walter Dean Myers titled this book “Fallen Angels.” What is a “fallen angel?” In the biblical standpoint it is an angel that revolted against God. This book was mainly about people fighting in the Vietnam War. Some survived and some didn’t.
The True Weight of War “The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien, brings to light the psychological impact of what soldiers go through during times of war. We learn that the effects of traumatic events weigh heavier on the minds of men than all of the provisions and equipment they shouldered. Wartime truly tests the human body and and mind, to the point where some men return home completely destroyed. Some soldiers have been driven to the point of mentally altering reality in order to survive day to day. An indefinite number of men became numb to the deaths of their comrades, and yet secretly desired to die and bring a conclusion to their misery.
According to the National Center for PTSD, 15 out of every 100 Vietnam War Veterans was diagnosed with PTSD. In the Vietnam War many of the soldiers had to deal with trauma from the things that they had witnessed. The signs of trauma are great, and they affected the soldiers greatly. It is not always evident at first, but can show up in the later years. War is making Americans go crazy.
Tim O'Brien's short story, "The Things They Carried", is a personal narrative of the time he served in the military during the Vietnam War. His experience in the war along with his platoon shows how soldiers have to conform to the specific image of a tough, brave, and emotionless warrior courageously fighting in the heat of battle. However, the story shows young soldiers who try to follow this image, but end up showing individuality by being their true selves. In the nature of war, most soldiers will try to conform to this image, however showing individuality isn't always a negative thing. At first, the group of very young soldiers who have just been drafted try to show their masculinity by hiding their true emotions such as fear.
In Tim O’brien’s book, The Things They Carried, we see the detrimental causes and effects of the enforced stereotype of male masculinity. Tim uses many factors including the setting, characters, symbolism and other components like these to conveys his feelings and emotions. Many of those feelings and emotions derive from his personal experience in the war. The Things They Carried accurately shows what it is to struggle with the stereotypical image of a man in how it presents itself in everyday life along with its adverse and restricting effects.