Essay On Fallen Angels

Words: 583
Pages: 3

“‘My father used to call all soldiers angel warriors...Because usually they get boys to fight wars, most of you aren’t old enough to vote yet’”(Myers 44). The novel Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers is focused on a boy named Richie Perry. Perry gets enlisted into the Vietnam War where he fights alongside many other soldiers. Perry and the soldiers bond within the terrors and horrific experiences of war including untimely deaths, gory sights, and brutal killings. The soldiers are bonded with their lack of innocence, making them metaphorical fallen angels. Throughout the book the author shows many examples of how the soldiers deal with these daily traumas of war including humor, faith, and creating their own realities. In the novel, Myers shows how the soldiers cope with the traumas and daily struggles of war. One example of how the soldiers cope would be with humor. Almost all of the soldiers use humor as a coping technique, but one who uses this the most would be Richie’s friend, Harold “Peewee” Gates. For example, while a news crew went around asking all of the soldiers why they were fighting, and to ease the tension, Peewee said “‘Vietnam? I must have got off on the wrong stop, I thought I was in St. Louis!’” (Myers 77). Another method some soldiers use to cope would be with faith. The main character, Perry, uses this method quite a few times throughout the book especially in times of distress. One example …show more content…
The author shows these coping techniques to show the hardships of the soldiers fighting for our country. The author also shows this because fallen angels and the loss of innocence are everywhere and it shows the reader that you never know what someone has been through and the things they have seen and the things they had to go through to stay