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Apocalypse Now And Vietnam Essay

1064 Words5 Pages

War, on a global scale, is often categorized as an economical activity. Increases in home-country manufacturing, economy, and often times patriotism, while also stomping across seemingly inferior economies occur. However, in the eyes of the grunts, the soldiers, the actual "doers", war is nothing but trauma. The Vietnam War is portrayed as not only physically traumatizing, but psychologically traumatizing in the short story "The Things They Carried" by Tim O 'Brien and the films Apocalypse Now and Letters Home from Vietnam.
More than its tangible meaning, "The Things They Carried" by Tim O 'Brien offers the concepts of trauma by describing exactly the "weight" of each soldier in both tangible and intangible items. Even the order which the …show more content…

Finally, the film Apocalypse Now suggests psychological trauma by guiding the audience through the unpredictable terrors of Vietnam and by introducing the main antagonist as a PTSD survivor. The PBR, or Patrol Boat, River, is comprised of five soldiers, all but one who eventually die. Even before evidence is shown, just the thought of depending on one another, being around one another 24/7, having to deal with one another and inevitably establishing relationships with one another, and having them killed one by one? That enough will almost invariably cause psychological trauma. However, there are more factors--take for instance the first attack on the boat. An unseen enemy nearly destroys the place you sleep and live and stay--your home, essentially. Completely by surprise, no warning; literally overnight, shelter is almost lost. And not only that, but the next day after attempting to call for help, two more people are murdered, and one goes so far as to attempt to murder his own passenger? This unpredictable, unlawful, and he blames himself and attempts to throw away his humanity. The things they carried weren 't just guns and ammo, but sentiments; Kiowa 's hatchet, Sander 's condoms, Lavender 's dope--O 'Brien portrays these men as complicated humans with experiences unmatched by anything other than war. They aren 't just machines and psychopaths with clips as the returning soldiers were made out to be. They weren 't there by choice. They were human. Lt

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