Barn Burning And The Vietnam War

Personal narratives are subconsciously created and used in everyday thinking often unknowingly by the individual. We, as a society, formulate personal narratives based on personal experience, as a way to excuse the behavior or action that we commit(TIME). Similarly, grand narratives are created and believed by a larger group of individuals. Since personal narratives are almost always based on the personal experience this means society is unable to directly understand the motives and thinking process of a specific individual. Because of this, society is commonly quick to judge the personal narratives of others. This theory is repeatedly proven true in the literary works, Fences by August Wilson, “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner and “Facing

The Vietnam War in many ways was the first. One being the first well-watched war both during and after the war had finished. This also was the first war where soldiers were not seen as patriotic heroes but violent traitorous. Again, The Vietnam War was the first in that returning soldiers' behavior were closely monitored. It was later revealed “that Vietnam veterans who entered the military, served and fought in Vietnam, and were released into a hostile American society were severely handicapped in terms of either ego-retrogression, (associated with severe estrangement and identity diffusion that may manifest in mistrust and self-doubt) or psychosocial acceleration premature, (precocious ego development that may manifest in, for example, acute anxiety and periodic

Self-estrangement can be closely associated with a symptom of depression, many of these soldiers were later diagnosed with PTSD, where depression is a symptom commonly found. Many soldiers, including Komunyakaa, entered the war with the mindset that this act was a necessary precaution to prevent the spread of communism not only just to the US but the rest of the world. Despite the Americans citizens so strongly opposing the use of force, the soldiers and US government believed this amount of force was essential in the combat against the spread of communism.To show their disapproval of the war, American citizen often protested the issues in some cases this eventually broke out in violence. Anti-war protesters were known for being extremely ill-mannered and even violent to returning soldiers by throwing garbage, eggs and various other objects. Many theorized that the hostility shown in US Soldier played “an important environmental factor” (Begg) in the development of the Soldiers PTSD. Komunyakaa directly addresses this hostile environment, he has been subjected to as a Vietnam War veteran by saying in his poem“My clouded reflection eyes me/like a bird of prey”(l. 7). He believes that he has been placed under harsh scrutiny by the public. Komunyakaa also recognizes the struggles that other soldiers have faced as a result of differences in narratives. When looking at the eyes of