Americans in Vietnam War - Article Example

Introduction Many contemporary studies and texts expound on gender roles in the society. Proponents define gender as peoples legal and social status as boys, women, girls and men. Peoples physical appearance does not necessarily define their gender as men or women because gender identity entails feelings and expression about oneself. Therefore, how an individual expresses and feels about himself defines his gender roles; hence, gender role refers to how people say and act in order to express being a man, woman, boy or girl. Various researches indicate that culture, rather than an individual’s sex determines their gender roles. Societal factors define masculinity and femininity in a community as members of a society determine what being a female or male is. This societal concept has resulted in men regarding themselves as masculine and females being feminine. Consequently, through these social definitions, it is also possible for a female to see herself as masculine and vice versa. The texts, “The Quiet American” and “The Things They Carried” are examples of readings that show how gender roles are constructed as many characters in the texts struggle with their societal roles. This paper dwells on the concept of gender roles as depicted in the texts. Moreover, it also focuses on how gender roles and gender affect the actions of societal members. Historically, war fiction has been seen to be more interested with men than in women. The plot of films and novels seem to separate men from women, as their influence is identified by marital status and as objects of men. In many texts men play under the norms of traditional values and traits of masculinity such as heroism, bravery and physicality while women are viewed as second beings. However, the text The Things They Carried deviates from this view as it takes a more feminine perspective (Bloom 91). The Things They Carried shows how masculine inhibit the way men respond to various situations. In the book, men struggle to respond to war, love, death and fear due to societal expectation of men. Tim O’Brien fails to play by masculinity rules as he uncovers the soft side of men. In the story men fail to live up to the expectation of the society (O’Brien 16). O’Brien embraces femininity as depicted in his characters that are in dire need to be loved by women. The traditional culture whereby a man is regarded as the societal mirror and not dependent on women is a perception that O’Brien regards as a misconception (Bloom 91). He subverts this concept by expounding on alternatives of masculinity. His characters struggle with gender roles and reevaluate their stance on what it means to be a female or a male (Bloom 92). In reference to the western culture a man is seen as competitive and aggressive while their female counterparts as cooperative, expressive and passive. Traditionally this difference was viewed as a function of biological factors whereby the division was due to innate characteristics, temperaments, and traits of both females and males. However, it is modernly understood that masculinity and femininity are not a product of biological characteristics but social and cultural factors. Contemporary studies argue that gender roles are shaped by societal factors and, the disparity between female and male temperaments are due to cultural expectations for both sexes. This is evident in The Things They Carried as the characters alter the nature of their masculinity or femininity. Therefore, various gender roles, traits, and identities are no longer tied to sex of an individual (O’Brien 17). The case of Mary Anne explicitly defines how characters went beyond their gender roles in The Things They Carried. In the Vietnamese war, women had numerous roles which forced them out of the societal shell of femininity as they played different roles, which were traditionally dominated by men. Mary Anne is flown to Vietnam to her boyfriend. At first, she is seen to play by feminine rules as she is dressed in “white culottes and a sexy pink sweater” while her actions are of the traditional woman. Eventually, she develops non-traditional roles by becoming very fond of military activities, which was unlike the women of the times who worked for the Red Cross and medical facilities. In the book, she developed masculine features and characteristics especially indicating that women in the texts had both masculine and feminine traits (O’Brien 18). The society has different expectation of both male and female members. These expectations force individuals to make decisions they rarely value, for instance the narrator is forced to go to war because he wanted to live up to the expectations of the society. Expectations are contradictive especially for men. O’Brien’s decision to join the war was determined by a mixture of fear and embarrassment. He feared that his status as a man would be questioned if he failed to join the war. In the last chapter, “On the Rainy River”, O’Brien concedes, “I was a coward. I went to war” thus, revealing that societal expectation drives masculine performance. The theory of socialization clearly reveals that gender roles are highly determined by socialization factors. The war in Vietnam changed man’s attitude towards women as passive beings. Therefore, it is through how people act and express themselves that determine their roles in the society. The gender characteristics are significantly determined by the society. O’Brien fails to embrace this concept as he takes a more non-traditional perspective by reevaluating the roles that his characters took. The story therefore, challenges gender roles of soldiers by showing a feminine perspective of the individuals (O’Brien 22). On the other hand, Apocalypse Now by Frances Ford Coppola takes a more masculine perspective. Even though women served in unofficial and official positions in the military, they play no heroic role in this narrative. The society views that women do not deserve to participate in combat, as they are delicate beings. The society expects women to assume simple and passive roles. The text deciphers the role of women as a man’s sex object. For instance, women take the role of entertaining soldiers and fellow citizens in order to liven their spirits ravaged by the war. This clearly indicates societal expectations of women. As men are seen to safeguard the interests of their country, the women act as sex idols for entertainment (Keller 112). Traditional society divided roles in accordance with gender, race or class. Men dominated their female counterparts in every societal aspect, as they were perceived as fearless and humanitarian. On the other hand, females were objectified, innocent, and weak and are dependent on the male species and due to these traits, women were confined at home. In reference to the texts it is evident that gender is limiting as male and female are not awarded equal opportunities in the society. The society determines the roles of women and men before they are even born. With men dominating the society, women play second fiddle. This shows that female beings are limited by their gender as they experience oppression and discrimination. In many texts and films, women are rarely captured. In instances where they are captured they are characterized by stereotypical roles such as passive nurses, homemakers and secretaries while independent women are often portrayed as promiscuous (Keller 112). Such as females in the text take a passive role so do individuals from the lower class and race of the society. This situation worsens when it relates to race and various classes of the society. Females from Black community, Caucasians and Asians in the war were subject to oppression as they were viewed as subjects of men. Therefore, the notion of femininity mostly affected women from other nationalities. Various texts indicate that women in Vietnam were subjected to act of violence including rape. This shows the masculinity of men, as there superiority is evident in Apocalypse Now (Keller 113). Conclusion Gender role is a controversial notion, which has been captured in numerous films and books. Texts depicting war themes like Apocalypse Now and The Things They Carried decipher how individuals struggled with their gender roles. Traditional perspective views that biological features determine the gender roles of females and males as members of the society. However, a more modern notion contravenes this belief by asserting that social factors result in gender roles. Therefore, we decipher that what role an individual assumes is the product of social factors like socialization. As a result of these factors, aspects of masculinity and femininity are derived. Due to societal rules affecting the concept of masculinity and femininity, individuals struggle to live up to the expectations of the society as is evident in the texts. According to the society, men are guided by masculinity as females are by femininity, and thus the society forces individuals to act as per these roles. These guidelines are what affect the characters in the texts as they are forced to act in a manner, which does reflect their feelings. This discussion underlines the view that each member of the society is equal regardless of his or her biological features and hence women are like men. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Tim Obriens the Things They Carried. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2005. Print. O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York: Broadway Books, 1998. Print. Keller, Catherine. Apocalypse Now and Then: A Feminist Guide to the End of the World. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005. Print. Read More