Romanticism and Realism in War Stories :: Romantic Period Essays

Romanticism and naive realism in contend StoriesTom Brokaw called the people who lived through World War II (WWII) The Greatest Generation, where he shares many heroic struggle stories in The Greatest Generation. The classic character displayed in the book was a decorated contend veteran who returned to the United States (US) and developed a stentorian lifestyle. The WWII veterans came to symbolize strength, honor, unity, justice, success, and noble sacrifice. This go out was portrayed through literary works and film. Books and movies created an image of the WWII veterans which the US would idolize. Popular culture gave the state of war a romantic appeal. quite a little fell in love with the idea that the US was liberating Europe from the national socialist Hun and the evil Japanese Empire. After the war, men came back to marry their sweethearts and had some(prenominal) children who were called the nestling Boomers. This love story continued through television show s like go away it to Beaver and literary titles similar to Dick and Jane, which dominated popular culture. though popular culture defined the perfect life, the lifestyle was not classifiable for the average American. The Baby Boomers were called into the Vietnam War and expected to follow in their get downs heroic footsteps but unlike their fathers genesis they failed to live up to the expectations. The Baby Boomers rebelled against the state and popular culture, developing anthesis power, free love, and equality. The Vietnam War conflicted with many of the generations values, resulting in ingrained conflict with many of the nations youth. Some men conjugated the military to fight, while other dodged the draft, creating conflict within a generation. Overall, the Baby Boomer generation symbolized individuality, dishonor, injustice, failure, and wasteful sacrifice.Unlike the WWII era, the Vietnam War brought realism into literature and film. There were no heroic movies o f men fighting in Vietnam. workforce could no longer shoot fifty enemy combatants on realise of a tank without being hurt. Instead, popular culture brought a practical(prenominal) view of war, death, pain, and destruction. Author Tim OBrien, like many war veterans, struggled with his Vietnam birth and expressed them through writing. Tim OBrien exposed the truth behind war stories because he shows the difference between WWII romanticism and Vietnam realism.The difference between romanticism and realism can be seen through two variations of the same war story.