VLVL 4: War, politics and love
Mark Wright AIA
mwaia at yahoo.com
Sat Aug 30 18:43:28 CDT 2003
Howdy
--- jbor <jbor at bigpond.com> wrote:
> No, you've misunderstood me. He has returned with the troops he
> fought
> beside but actively dissociated himself from them, tried to pretend
> he never
> fought in Vietnam, that he was never a soldier like they were.
There is an incredible book titled "Achilles in Vietnam", by one
Jonathan Shay MD, about the psychological traumas experienced by many
vets from many conflicts (but particularly Vietnam) covering the
phenomenon of the "berserker" at length among other topics. Based on
what I've seen viz Iraq, our armed forces appear to have absorbed a lot
from this little book.
Perhaps RC just can't *talk* about it. Perhaps, at the same time, he
can *think* of little else. He has become a close mouthed man with a
"mortally cautious bearing".
http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/lit-med/lit-med-db/webdocs/webdescrips/shay942-des-.html
Shay's point of view as a VA clinician gives him extraordinary insight
into Homer, and Homer gave him insight into the experiences of some of
his patients. Wonderful book.
Perhaps the way in which RC and Moonpie, both, have come to a fairly
healthy functional arrangement with each other and with the world can
be seen as a personal and even a moral triumph. They are one of those
rare really hopeful elements in Pynchon, which he seems determined to
touch upon lightly so he doesn't bruise the fruit for us.
Mark
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