Bibliographic data
Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. New York: Scholastic, 1988. ISBN 0590409433
Critical analysis
Richie Perry, an African-American protagonist and the narrator, joins the Army right after graduating from high school in Harlem, so he may be able to attend college when he returns. Having Richie tell his story in the first person gives readers an intimate glance into his personal thoughts throughout his time in Vietnam. He and others in his squad joined for many different reasons, but all have one goal in mind – leaving alive. Some views portray war as a romantic event, as in a lover goes off to war and returns to his love a hero and all is well. This is not that type of novel.
Richie finds himself in the depths of Vietnam, and having to deal with race issues within the Army along with the troubles of combat. The crew is a mixture of all different cultures, religions, as well as race. One soldier is even gay while another is Jewish. These differences are put aside once they all come to the realization that they must come together in order to survive.
Richie finds that the line between good and evil is sometimes ambiguous. Richie’s captain is all too focused on rising up in the ranks in the Army than keeping his platoon safe. The platoon search for answers on why they are there fighting in the first place. This seems to have happened a lot during Vietnam. The soldiers, families, friends, and neighbors all wondered the ambivalent question of “Why?” In this search for answers, Richie also searches to find himself. Myers writes a beautiful, sad, and realistic portrayal of a coming-of-age story.
His friend in his squad, Peewee, tends to get through the trials of war by using humor. He seems immature at the beginning, only interested in drinking wine, smoking, and making love to a foreign woman. Peewee later leaves a more mature man looking to take a responsible role as a stepfather to his girlfriend’s child. Many soldiers, like Richie, are at a loss as to what they should do when they return to home. These boys enter this war, some not by their own choice, but throughout their trials and tribulations they are able to leave as men.
The language of the book is the usual basic language of survival in the armed forces. There is plenty of curse words, hateful language, derogatory name-calling, etc. Words are usually exchanged quickly and without a flowing narrative. This quote from the book demonstrates the type of conversations that are exchanged in wartime. Something goes awry in combat.
Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. New York: Scholastic, 1988. ISBN 0590409433
Critical analysis
Richie Perry, an African-American protagonist and the narrator, joins the Army right after graduating from high school in Harlem, so he may be able to attend college when he returns. Having Richie tell his story in the first person gives readers an intimate glance into his personal thoughts throughout his time in Vietnam. He and others in his squad joined for many different reasons, but all have one goal in mind – leaving alive. Some views portray war as a romantic event, as in a lover goes off to war and returns to his love a hero and all is well. This is not that type of novel.
Richie finds himself in the depths of Vietnam, and having to deal with race issues within the Army along with the troubles of combat. The crew is a mixture of all different cultures, religions, as well as race. One soldier is even gay while another is Jewish. These differences are put aside once they all come to the realization that they must come together in order to survive.
Richie finds that the line between good and evil is sometimes ambiguous. Richie’s captain is all too focused on rising up in the ranks in the Army than keeping his platoon safe. The platoon search for answers on why they are there fighting in the first place. This seems to have happened a lot during Vietnam. The soldiers, families, friends, and neighbors all wondered the ambivalent question of “Why?” In this search for answers, Richie also searches to find himself. Myers writes a beautiful, sad, and realistic portrayal of a coming-of-age story.
His friend in his squad, Peewee, tends to get through the trials of war by using humor. He seems immature at the beginning, only interested in drinking wine, smoking, and making love to a foreign woman. Peewee later leaves a more mature man looking to take a responsible role as a stepfather to his girlfriend’s child. Many soldiers, like Richie, are at a loss as to what they should do when they return to home. These boys enter this war, some not by their own choice, but throughout their trials and tribulations they are able to leave as men.
The language of the book is the usual basic language of survival in the armed forces. There is plenty of curse words, hateful language, derogatory name-calling, etc. Words are usually exchanged quickly and without a flowing narrative. This quote from the book demonstrates the type of conversations that are exchanged in wartime. Something goes awry in combat.
The machine gun on the right opened up again, and Doyle started screaming.
“Cease fire! Cease fire!” Doyle was jumping around and waving
both of his arms over his head.
“Oh, shit!” Scotty turned around and leaned against the sandbags.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I hope not what I think it is,” Scotty said.
We waited as Doyle walked a little ahead of his position, hands on his hips, and
looked out to the field ahead of us. Behind us I heard choppers. I turned and
saw them headed for us. They went by us out to the target zone.
“Hey, Scotty, did we…?”
“Yep, we just shot the shit out of the first platoon.”
(102-103).
Practical suggestions:
Invite a local Vietnam Vet to talk to the class about problems that soldiers faced both in Vietnam and in the United States upon their return. Students will prepare interview questions for the guest speaker.
Have students prepare a book talk using a story telling medium, such as PhotoStory. Students use a combination of music, images, and carefully chosen quotations from the novel.
1989 Coretta Scott King Award
Fallen Angels is listed as number 24 in the ALA’s list of 100 most frequently challenged books of 1990–2000 due to its use of profanity and mature themes involving war.
External assessments:
Children’s Literature
By showing what is going on in the minds of teenagers both drafted and volunteering to serve their country, the reader is drawn into the experience, sharing the good and the bad. Hiding no horrors, the reader experiences death, fear, loss, friendship, hate, racism, and hope for the future along with the characters in the army, particularly Richie's friends, Peewee, Lobel, Johnson, and Brunner. A useful book for any literature tie-in with a history class studying war or racism, this work will assist students in gaining a real-life understanding of what occurs during such situations, rather than solely the facts studied in a traditional history course.
School Library Journal
This is a compelling, graphic, necessarily gruesome, and wholly plausible novel. It neither condemns nor glorifies the war but certainly causes readers to think about the events. Other difficult issues, such as race and the condition of the Vietnamese people, are sensitively and realistically incorporated into the novel. The soldiers' language is raw, but appropriate to the characters. This is a book which should be read by both young adults and adults.
Practical suggestions:
Invite a local Vietnam Vet to talk to the class about problems that soldiers faced both in Vietnam and in the United States upon their return. Students will prepare interview questions for the guest speaker.
Have students prepare a book talk using a story telling medium, such as PhotoStory. Students use a combination of music, images, and carefully chosen quotations from the novel.
1989 Coretta Scott King Award
Fallen Angels is listed as number 24 in the ALA’s list of 100 most frequently challenged books of 1990–2000 due to its use of profanity and mature themes involving war.
External assessments:
Children’s Literature
By showing what is going on in the minds of teenagers both drafted and volunteering to serve their country, the reader is drawn into the experience, sharing the good and the bad. Hiding no horrors, the reader experiences death, fear, loss, friendship, hate, racism, and hope for the future along with the characters in the army, particularly Richie's friends, Peewee, Lobel, Johnson, and Brunner. A useful book for any literature tie-in with a history class studying war or racism, this work will assist students in gaining a real-life understanding of what occurs during such situations, rather than solely the facts studied in a traditional history course.
School Library Journal
This is a compelling, graphic, necessarily gruesome, and wholly plausible novel. It neither condemns nor glorifies the war but certainly causes readers to think about the events. Other difficult issues, such as race and the condition of the Vietnamese people, are sensitively and realistically incorporated into the novel. The soldiers' language is raw, but appropriate to the characters. This is a book which should be read by both young adults and adults.
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