The Scar That Binds: American Culture and the Vietnam War Contributor(s): Beattie, Keith (Author) |
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ISBN: 0814713262 ISBN-13: 9780814713266 Publisher: New York University Press OUR PRICE: $88.11 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: May 1998 Annotation: In The Scar That Binds, Keith Beattie examines the central metaphors of the Vietnam War and their manifestations in American culture and life. Blending history and cultural criticism in a lucid style, this provocative book discusses an ideology of unity that has emerged through widespread rhetorical and cultural references to the war. A critique of this ideology reveals three dominant themes structured in a range of texts: the "wound", "the voice" of the Vietnam veteran, and "home". The analysis of each theme draws on a range of sources, including film, memoir, poetry, written and oral history, journalism, and political speeches. |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - History | Military - Vietnam War - Social Science | Sociology - General - Philosophy | Ethics & Moral Philosophy |
Dewey: 959.704 |
LCCN: 97045456 |
Physical Information: 0.84" H x 6.28" W x 9.24" (1.00 lbs) 240 pages |
Themes: - Chronological Period - 1960's - Chronological Period - 1970's - Chronological Period - 20th Century - Cultural Region - Southeast Asian |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: At the height of the Vietnam War, American society was so severely fragmented that it seemed that Americans may never again share common concerns. The media and other commentators represented the impact of the war through a variety of rhetorical devices, most notably the emotionally charged metaphor of the wound that will not heal. References in various contexts to veterans' attempts to find a voice, and to bring the war home were also common. Gradually, an assured and resilient American self-image and powerful impressions of cultural collectivity transformed the Vietnam war into a device for maintaining national unity. Today, the war is portrayed as a healed wound, the once silenced veteran has found a voice, and the American home has accommodated the effects of Vietnam. The scar has healed, binding Americans into a union that denies the divisions, diversities, and differences exposed by the war. In this way, America is now over Vietnam. |
Contributor Bio(s): Beattie, Keith: - KEITH BEATTIE is Director of the Contemporary Studies Program of the University of Queensland, Australia. |