Some metalanguage terms for discussing 'Dear America'

Form, ideology, juxtaposition, symbols, tone, mood, letter writer, editor, collection, chapters, images, setting, compilation, poetry, stanzas, simile, metaphor, personification, allegory, first-person, third-person, anthology

Get to know your metalanguage

Metalanguage is the language used to decribe or analyse language. You will be dealing with metalanguage throughout each Area of Study so it is important to develop a good understanding of exactly what it is. Though it might seem like an alien language, lucky for you, you have been doing this your whole schooling career. For example similes, adjectives, verbs, metaphors and alliteration are all metalanguage terms.

Take the time to research sites on language features and techniques. A world of knowledge providing explanations and examples of literary devices is at your fingertips. Start by looking up these terms; symbolism, sarcasm, irony and intertextuality.

Some structure points

Genre: Dear America can be referred to as a social commentary and history

There are various authorial voices. These can be categorised into 3 types:
1. The editor - Bernard Edelman
2. The photographers - Bernard Edelman, Mark Jury and Larry Burrows
3. The letter writers.

Organisation of text: 8 chapters prefaced with exposition notes and accompanied by photographs. The chapter titles can be viewed mataphorically. They outline the premise that the soldiers are involved in a relationship with Vietnam that is akin to that of a romantic relationship.

The chapters provide the reader with an overarching plot from which to view the text. Sub-plots are presented through various letter writers to detail the breadth of Vietnam War experiences.

Edelman provides the reader with biographical details pertaining to each soldier.

An introduction by John McCain, foreword by William Broyles, Jr. and preface by Bernard Edelman open the text. All these men were participant in the Vietnam War. McCain and Broyles, Jr. as soldiers and Edelman as a journalist. Together they set the tone from which the reader approaches the text. They position the reader to consider the experience and treatment of returned soldiers, to see the human element of the conflict and to view this text as an accurate, reliable representation of Vietnam War history.

The compilation concludes with an epilogue. This concluding statement of the text is a letter by the grieving mother of William 'Bill' R. Stocks, Eleanor Wimbish. Her letter highlights the conyinuing suffering of those touched by the war.

Poetry features prominently in the compilation.

Dear America: chapter titles and accompanying photographs

Complete responses in full sentences. Put the questions in your answer.

Now that you have listed in order the titles of the chapters in Dear America, write a paragraph about your assigned chapter photo/s:

• who took the photo?
• what does the photo show?
• in your opinion, how does the photo relate to the chapter title, why has it been chosen to accompany it?
• do you think the photo occurred at the beginning, early stages, middle, winding up stages or end of the war? Explain
• what does the image make you think about the Vietnam War and how does it make you feel?

My/our assigned chapter photo/s:

The chapter titles and photographs are important structural features of this text. Study them closely so you can use them as a discussion point in an essay.

2012 Class Responses:

Chapter 6 “What am I doing here?”

• Photo was taken by Mark Jury

• The picture shows a man looking hopelessly lost and thinking of home. He is battered and dirty.

• The photo of the man ties into the tittle well as it shows similar emotions that could relate to the question what am I doing here? His blunt emotional state shows raw and no- deceptive feelings.

• The photo was taken near the end of the war, after a lot of hard work done by the soilder.

• It makes me think that war would be so painful and too much suffering occurs.
Chapter 2: “Humping the Boonies”

Who took the photo?

Larry Burrows

What does the photo show?

A serviceman marching through the harsh terrain with a heavy and debilitating weapon strewn across his back followed by other soldiers doing the same

In your opinion, how does the photo relate to the Chapter title, why has it been chosen to accompany it?

“Humping the boonies” means to march with a heavy pack through the jungle or countryside which is what the photo is depicting. This image matches perfectly with the chapter title
Do you think the photo occurred at the beginning, early stages, middle, and winding up stages or the end of the war? Explain.

It occurred at the beginning and early stages of the war as ‘Dear America’ chronologically follow the soldiers’ journey through the war as this image appeared at Chapter 2
What does this image make you think about the Vietnam War and how does it make you feel?

I feel saddened for the soldiers as the conditions they had to survive in were treacherous and horrific and it must have been incredible hard to keep fighting a war that many believed shouldn’t be happening.


Letters to Vietnam- Chapter 7 “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place”

Who took the photo?

Defence Auto Visual Agency Photograph

What does the photo show?

A soldier sitting down probably somewhere inside who’s holding onto a Christmas card (most likely from a loved one) and he’s looking down into his folded arms, covering his face.

In your opinion, how does the photo relate to the chapter title, why has it been chosen to accompany it?

The chapter title here is “We gotta get out of this place”, I think the picture relates to this title because the man is sitting there thinking to himself about just how much he’s missing back at home and just wants to be back there to celebrate big occasions with family and friends.

Do you think the photo occurred at the beginning, early stages, middle, winding up stages or end of the war? Explain.

I think this picture was probably taken during the middle stages of the war. It was probably about the time when this man really started to think about where he is and how much he’s hating it. By the middle of the war he would really start to miss his family.

What does the image make you think about the Vietnamese Was and how does it make you feel?

It makes me realise how much hard-ship the soldiers went through and that they didn’t want to be there. They went through depressed stages when hearing about things that are happening back at home and when receiving personal things like Christmas cards.

2012 starts here!

Chapter 3 - 'Beyond the Body Count'

Chapter title and phot analysis:

This photograph was taken by Bernard Edelman and shows quite a sad looking, lonely, depressed soldier sitting inside a dirty, wrinkly tent. I think that this image relates to the chapter title because as the chapter title is called ‘Beyond the Body Count’, and talks about killed and wounded soldiers, I would assume that this soldier is grieving for the loss of one of his squad members and/or good friends. I think that this photo would of been taken around the start/middle of the war based on where it has been placed in the book and the fact that this a time when the battles first started to become a lot more intense, bloody and a great number of soldiers were killed. This image makes me feel very sorry for this soldier as he would have had to endure things that I could never even imagine and also makes me feel grateful for what I have.

By Kirsty

Chapter 5 - 'World of Hurt'

This photo was taken by Larry Burrows, and it shows a solider supporting and cradling a hurt Vietnamese civilian, who looks to be a young child. The child is crying and has its head and eyes covered with a bandage, and the solider is carrying them in his arms.


Chapter title and photo analysis:
This photo relates to the chapter title perfectly because, when someone called out “Medic” because they had blood spurting out of a part of their body, it meant that they were in a ‘World of Hurt’. So the picture of the injured civilian in the soldier’s arms relates to the title because the child would be in a world of hurt or pain.

I think this photo occurred in the middle of the war, when the American soldiers started to go into the villages and fight amongst the people.

This image makes me feel horrible, knowing that these poor innocent people (including children) had to live and try and survive amongst all this blood and terror. Even tiny little children like the one in this photo were killed and badly injured everyday as a result of this war.

By Kim