Born On The Fourth Of July Analysis

Words: 1869
Pages: 8

1. How does the perception of “home” change as a result of war for civilians, veterans, or both? What qualities or functions of home (the domestic home, hometown, or homeland) are scrutinized in one or two examples?

In Born on the Fourth of July, starring Tom Cruise as Ron Kovic, there is a major change in perception of “home” for his character. While enlisted in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, Ron sees and does things that forever change the way he experiences life, regardless of being home or abroad. The gruesome violence of accidentally killing an innocent family, his accidental, reactionary killing of a fellow Marine, and his own personal injury that left him paralyzed from the mid-chest down leave him scarred physically, mentally, and emotionally. Upon returning home, Ron has an extremely difficult time adjusting to civilian life in the United States. When he was at war that’s all there was, just war, and everyone who he interacted with was either trying to protect him or trying to kill him. At home, there
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In Born on the Fourth of July, Tom Cruise’s character Ron Kovic is in the midst of a firefight in Vietnam during a retreat from a village they had just attacked. Ron becomes disoriented from everything that is going on around him and loses his focus. Suddenly he turns and sees an enemy jumping over the mound he is hiding behind. Instinctively, Ron turns and fires his weapon at the enemy, killing him in the process. As the viewer, we are able to see that it is not actually an enemy, but one of Ron’s comrades. The friendly-fire kills Wilson, his fellow Marine. In the moment, Ron doesn’t comprehend what he’s done, but eventually sees what he did and tries to come to terms with it, eventually trying to discuss it with his superior, who nonchalantly tells him to forget about