ENG 380LVietnam War in Lit & Film

Catalog

ENG 380L Vietnam War in Lit & Film - This course undertakes an historical, psychological, and philosophical exploration of the Vietnam War (1965-1973) through literature, film, music, and the broader forms of cultural memory and witness by which the war continues to be remembered and interpreted. We will consider not only the political and military crises that had unfolded abroad-especially the fate of very young soldiers, many drafted into service and thrust into a war whose purposes were often obscure and internally contradictory-but also the turbulence within the United States: a society and government divided between patriotic support for the war and growing moral and political opposition expressed in mass protest, student uprisings, draft resistance, sit-ins, and teach-ins. Above all, the course confronts the war's staggering and morally unsettling loss of human life. The Vietnam War appears as a great skein of interwoven histories and experiences-past and present, Asian and Western, American and Vietnamese lives, volunteers and conscripts, patriotism and rebellion, political authority and dissent, maturation and psychic damage, life and death. The course seeks to trace these tangled threads, asking how literature, film, music, remembered testimony, and the still-living voices of those marked by the war-heard even now in the reflections of aging veterans, families, citizens, and authoritiesseek to render intelligible what continues to resist moral and historical clarity. Our work will engage writers, filmmakers, and musicians including Michael Herr, Frances FitzGerald, Tim O'Brien, Ken Burns, Stanley Kubrick, Werner Herzog, Michael Cimino, Francis Ford Coppola, Brian De Palma, Spike Lee, Hai Ninh, Jean-Luc Godard, Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese, the Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and the Doors, while also attending to contemporary forms of remembrance and testimony of the War within digital and social media communities. NOTE: I DO NOT ALLOW STUDENTS' USE OF LAPTOPS OR PHONES DURING CLASS. CAUTION: TRIGGER WARNINGS: because the course addresses the realities of this devastating war, students may encounter racial bigotry and images of human suffering that deeply disturb. I will do my best to anticipate and flag especially difficult content: but throughout the semester students who do find any material potentially overwhelming should feel free to step back, fast-forward, or disengage as needed. ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION: This course functions as a seminar. Much of its intellectual work occurs not through examinations but through attentive, shared viewing, collective listening, sustained discussion, and dialogue that cannot be replicated outside the classroom. For that reason, regular and consistent attendance is essential, not optional. Students should expect to attend every scheduled class meeting and to arrive prepared to engage actively. Absences-especially repeated ones-will directly affect a student's ability to participate meaningfully and will therefore impact the final grade. Students who anticipate frequent absences due to ongoing health concerns or other significant obligations are strongly advised to consider whether this course structure is appropriate for them this semester. If serious or extended illness arises during the term, students should consult the university's established procedures regarding accommodations or medical withdrawal. This course cannot be successfully completed through sporadic attendance, remote substitution, or passive enrollment. Presence matters here. FINAL GRADE based on several papers, engagement in discussion, consistent attendance. TRANSPARENCY: I am a Vietnam War combat veteran.