The Brutality and the Sweetness A.K. Bobo College

In his novel Dispatches, Michael Herr narrates his experiences in the Vietnam War as a correspondent. The lack of plot, characters, and chronological ordering of his stories epitomizes the disorder and chaos surrounding the war, allowing his readers to—in a sense—experience a fraction of the turmoil he felt. Herr also ties in many different themes from the war into his writing, contrasting American culture with Vietnamese culture, humor with hopelessness, brutality with sweetness. In fact, the stark juxtaposition of brutality—the cruelness of war, with sweetness—the moments of innocence or purity that remain even after the trauma, is a theme prevalent throughout the entire novel. Herr describes how different people he meets during his time in Vietnam were affected by or reacted to this frequent contrast, including stories about the soldiers, the Vietnamese civilians, and even himself. In an effort to reconcile the inhumane realities of war with the innocence of humanity, the people involved in the Vietnam War each attempt to cling to a sense of normalcy, ultimately failing as the brokenness of war overpowers them.

In the chapter entitled “Khe Sanh,” Herr describes the Marine Corps as a “fraternity” of sorts, a band of...