Disillusionment in Fallen Angels - Danielle Jago

            At first, I did not think I was going to like this novel very much, but I actually like it! The way Myers writes the firefights and the moments of battle is totally disorienting and chaotic, which completely matches what is occurring. One of the aspects of this book that I was particularly fond of is the way Myers incorporates the sociopolitical issues of the time into the dialogue between the soldiers. The 1960s and 1970s, at the height of the war, saw a number of social justice issues, rallying, and fighting for civil liberties in our country so I was really pleased that he managed to include that in the story.

            Throughout the novel, I kept relating what I was reading to Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried. It is a pretty obvious connection if you’re aware of O’Brien’s work but for those of you that aren’t, it is a collection of short stories he wrote that are based on his own experiences in the Vietnam War. One part of O’Brien’s novel I found so striking was the quote where he talks about the portrayal of war and says,

“A true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior, nor restrain men from doing the things men have always done. If a story seems moral, do not believe it. If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie. There is no rectitude whatsoever. There is no virtue. As a first rule of thumb, therefore, you can tell a true war story by its absolute and uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil.” 

            This passage especially reminds me of Fallen Angels because as the novel progresses, the reader can see Perry’s disillusionment with the war growing. He begins the war with what is more-or-less an apathetic attitude (but fine with contributing to the war effort) saying “I didn’t feel really gung ho or anything, but I was ready to do my part” (20). However, as the novel and the war progresses, Perry’s viewpoint begins to shift. He sees violence, death, illness, and these events cause him to have less faith in the mission of the United States in Vietnam. Specifically, Perry’s letters to his family reflects these changing attitudes. In a letter to Kenny, Perry defines the war not as a triumph or as a moral venture undertaken by the United States to protect others, but rather “the war was about us killing people and about people killing us, and I couldn’t see much more to it…I had thought this war was right, but it was only right from a distance” (269). Here, the reader can see Perry coming to terms with his hopes being dashed by the harsh realities of war. In this way, we see Perry grow from a young, willing volunteer to a hardened, aware man. 

*Also, there are two really awesome songs that, I think, capture some anti-war sentiments and statements seen in the novel. The first is Metallica’s song One and it uses clips from an anti-war movie (based on a book) called Johnny Got His Gun. The second song Portugal. The Man’s song People Say. Although People Say is not strictly referring to an actual war but rather government corruption and public apathy, it still is applicable to this if you’re going by face value.