Blog 11 - JWE

Bobbie Ann Mason's In Country is not only a war novel but also a story about identity. Sam, the main character, has only had the chance to know one of her parents and wonders what her dad was like and how her life would be different if he was still alive. Not only does she have to deal with that but also the fact that she knows nothing about the war he died in or what he did their. Sam can look at Emmett for help to understand her father because he is also a Vietnam veteran but he also represents her mother's side because he is Irene's brother. She tries finding her identity through other people as well but none of them can help her. Sam's friend Dawn could be a help but she becomes pregnant so she is too much like Sam's mom and Sam also looks towards Tom as a father figure but because of his impotency he pushes her away. With no one left to turn to she must find her missing identity on her own. She does this by looking through his letters and war journals but when this isn't enough she decides to try and re-enact Vietnam. She goes to Cawood Pond, which is similar to the terrain in Vietnam. She hopes that by re-living the experience she will be able to relate to her father and find her full identity.

By having the novel set after the war it shows how much the Vietnam war effected not only the soldiers fighting the war but also the people they left behind. In all the other wars stories we have looked at we never see so much emphasis put on someone who never fought or was not even indirectly involved in the war. This is ironic because the title of the novel is In Country which is a term usually used to describe a soldier who is currently invloved in the action. In this book, the title represents that even people like Sam, who have never seen fighting and know very little about war are still fighting to counteract its effects.

Popular culture was also a large part of this novel. The biggest example would be how Sam and Emmett would watch M*A*S*H together. Even though this show is about the Korean War, Sam uses it as a way to try and understand the Vietnam War. Another example of pop culture in the novel is lyrics from the song "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springstein.