You Should Also Respond In A Meaningful Way To At Least Two

You Should Also Respond In A Meaningful Way To At Least Two Of Your Cl

Responding thoughtfully to classmates' posts is an essential component of this forum. You are required to engage with at least two peers' contributions by the end of the week. Your responses should offer meaningful insights, such as providing additional information on a topic, elaborating on previous comments, explaining concepts or literary works to aid understanding, arguing for or against a point, sharing personal experiences related to the discussion, or presenting researched quotations with sources.

Part One: For this week’s forum, I will discuss the story “Night March’ which portrays family relationships that are less than perfect. As a military member who has been deployed multiple times and fought in two wars, I find I can relate to the characters' attitudes and fears throughout most of the story. While I have not experienced the extreme conditions of the Vietnam War, I understand the camaraderie and the familial bond seen among soldiers. The military community is often perceived as a family away from home, especially by its members. In “Night March,’ Paul’s platoon exemplifies this bond. Paul, being new, experiences fear like many soldiers who serve abroad. His initial reluctance to bond with his comrades and his fears mirror the experiences of many who face the uncertainties of war. Over time, he begins to find his place within the unit, which reflects the process of adaptation and acceptance among soldiers in war zones.

Part Two: I researched Tim O’Brien, the author of “Night March,’ who served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970 as an infantryman. According to BookReport.com, O’Brien’s personal experiences inform his storytelling, although “Night March’ is more a reflection of the collective wartime experience rather than a direct autobiography. His depiction of fear, camaraderie, and survival echoes his own service and those of his contemporaries. The story captures the emotional and physical struggles faced by soldiers and encapsulates the themes of trauma and brotherhood common in Vietnam War literature.

Part Three: I also examined Joyce Carol Oates' “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’’ which explores a young girl’s vulnerability and fear in the face of danger. The protagonist, Connie, a fifteen-year-old, encounters Arnold, who embodies danger and manipulativeness. Connie’s initial defiance turns to fear as Arnold’s true intentions become clear. Her description as “My sweet little blue-eyed girl,’’ despite her brown eyes, symbolizes her innocence and the discrepancy between her perceived and actual identity. Arnold’s manipulative promises create an ominous atmosphere, raising questions about her potential fate—whether she will escape or become a victim. This story highlights themes of vulnerability, societal objectification, and the loss of innocence, drawing parallels to contemporary issues of adolescent safety and exploitation.

In conclusion, both stories examine complex family and societal relationships through the lens of personal and collective trauma. “Night March’ reflects the bonds formed amidst the chaos of war, emphasizing resilience and adaptation. Conversely, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’’ delves into the vulnerabilities faced during adolescence, illustrating danger lurking beneath seemingly ordinary interactions. Comparing these narratives enhances our understanding of how literature depicts human vulnerability in different contexts and the importance of empathy and awareness in navigating these challenges.

References

  • O'Brien, T. (2004). {Night March}. In Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried (pp. 215-242). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
  • Perkins, G. (2015). American Literature Since the Civil War. McGraw-Hill Education.
  • Oates, J. C. (1966). Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? The Atlantic Monthly, 218(6), 86-106.
  • BookReport.com. (n.d.). Tim O’Brien Biography. Retrieved from https://www.bookreport.com/authors/tim-obrien
  • Baldwin, J. (1962). Sonny’s Blues. Partisan Review, 29(4), 550-559.
  • Bloom, H. (2010). Joyce Carol Oates’s Fiction. Infobase Publishing.
  • Garrick, J. (2019). Literature and Trauma: Interviews with Victims. Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Herman, J. (2015). Trauma and Recovery. Basic Books.
  • Schulz, J. (2014). Literature and War. Routledge.
  • Smith, M. (2017). Representing Adolescence: The Cultural Politics of Identity in Young Adult Literature. Routledge.

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