PMD - Response to War Lesson
Response to War Lesson
The decades following World War II saw increasing anxiety in America about the spread of Communism and authoritarian governments, fear over the potential use of nuclear weapons, and debates about America's role in world affairs. The United States engaged in military action during the Korean War of the 1950s and the Vietnam War of the 1960s.
Then, for a better understanding of the Vietnam War, please listen to and read the speeches linked below: one by President Nixon and one by Vietnam War veteran John Kerry.
Nixon's Speech: The Silent Majority Link Links to an external site.
Vietnam War Veteran John Kerry's 1971 Speech Link Links to an external site.
Tim O'Brien
Tim O'Brien, author of The Things They Carried, was born in 1946 and grew up in a small town in Minnesota. In 1968, he was drafted into the army and sent to Vietnam. Although he was politically against the war, O'Brien served as a foot soldier in the Quang Ngai province from 1969 until 1970 until he was hit by shrapnel from a hand grenade, earning him the Purple Heart and a ticket home.
Fiction writers are often told to write what they know. Tim O'Brien followed this advice by reflecting on personal experiences from the war and adapting them to create works of fiction.
Reading Assignment: "How to Tell a True War Story"
It is now time to read O'Brien's "How to Tell a True War Story." As you read, look for elements of the story that you think actually happened and others that you think have been fabricated. What elements of Postmodernism do you observe? Use the reading guide linked below to assess your understanding and reflect on what O'Brien has to say about the nature of truth.
"How to Tell a True War Story" Text Link Links to an external site.
"How to Tell a True War Story" Reading Guide Link Links to an external site.
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