Synopses & Reviews
Reading Vietnam amid the War on Terror argues that the examination of contemporary American war narratives can lead to newfound understandings of American literature, history, and national purpose. The book contends that these narratives trouble not only the jingoism pervasive in American culture, but also it's opposite—the ubiquitous cynicism about American national identity one encounters from within and without the halls of academe. The creative, controversial, and interdisciplinary approach will make this study of interest not only to scholars working in the growing field of contemporary American war literature, but also to readers interested in literary history, cultural rhetoric, military history, military tactics, international conflict, and veterans affairs.
Review
'The inclusion in this 'Vietnam' book of America's post 9/11 conflicts sharply contemporizes Hawkins' vital insights, not only making Vietnam still relevant, but teaching us the commonality of all war. Hawkins has powerfully documented the loss of innocence that must accompany any sentient soldier's combat encounters and aftermath. A haunting read.' - Donald Anderson, editor of War, Literature and the Arts and When War Becomes Personal
Synopsis
Argues that the examination of contemporary American war narratives can lead to newfound understandings of American literature, American history, and American national purpose. To prove such a contention, the book blends literary, rhetorical, and cultural methods of analysis.
About the Author
Ty Hawkins is an assistant professor of English at Walsh University of Ohio. He teaches American literature, general education literature, and writing courses. His scholarship has appeared in War, Literature and the Arts, College Literature, and Papers on Language and Literature, among other outlets. He taught previously at Saint Louis University and the University of Illinois at Springfield.
Table of Contents
American Myth, Vietnam, and the Prospect of Repetition * Philip Caputo's Deconstruction of the Warrior-Hero Ideal * Michael Herr's
Dispatches and the Allure of Combat * The Perversion of Labor in Larry Heinemann's Vietnam * Tim O'Brien's Search for an Ideal Femininity * Community in Bobbie Ann Mason's War fiction