A Critical Analysis of Dispatches

A Critical Analysis of Dispatches

Michael Herr describes his understanding as a communicator in the Vietnam War in the novel Dispatches. Herr is the journalist for Esquire Magazine and covers two significant military operations of the Vietnam War, the battle of Khe Sahn and the recapture of Hue. Herr had no prior experience in War and had a perspective of War depicted in the media by fictional war movies and war stories. His perspective changes as he is faced with the gruesome reality of war’s destruction. He reveals the emotional and physical impact war has on the soldiers that he encounters throughout the novel. Herr uses multiple literary techniques to depict the truth behind the war, including characterization, setting, imagery, and themes.

Herr starts a book has he describes a map on the wall of his house. He appreciates the map and says, “That map was a marvel, particularly now that the map was not physical anymore… The paper had buckled in its frame after years in the wet, laying a kind of veil over the nations it represented. Vietnam was categorized into its older grounds…” (Herr 3). This account provides the viewers with a feeling of both physical feelings of the surroundings and an old perception of Vietnam’s experience with War. The physical feeling shares to the wet and humid climate explanation. Also, Herr’s map observation leaves the audience with evidence about Vietnam’s history. The allocated areas imply that Vietnam has a historical and a philosophy that has experienced War on their motherland.

During Herr’s tour, he describes an experience which symbolizes the influence of information in War. Herr’s team was on a mission, in searching for and extinguish the Viacom. The team discovers a dead body and could not recognize if the body was Viacom or one of their men. On the way back, the captain reports, “One VC Killed” (Herr 61). This passage demonstrates to the audience the way incorrect information would be described to favor them. Therefore, this indicates battle features. On a small scale, they informed one Viacom murdered, but the truth is that this occurs on a large scale. Commanders may account for wrong hundreds of figures of unknown bodies as Viacom. Thousands of innocent nationals were slaughtered in the crossfire. Herr says, “it was easier as not to shoot” (Herr 61). He then describes the way the gunships would decide whether to open fire on targeted subjects. There were two rules, one was to shoot at the target if they froze, and the other to open fire on the target if they avoided in a changed direction. Neither strategy properly recognized if the target was the Viacom or civilians. He infers that these deaths would be reported as Viacom deaths when, in reality, they could be innocent women and children. Herr identifies the injustices that were practiced and how these injustices were covered up by the higher ranks of the military.

During Herr’s visit at Khe Sanh, he encounters with important figures, Day Tripper, and Mayhew that has been powerfully subjective by the fight. Herr defines Day Tripper as a large Negro from Detroit over six feet high constructed like quarter-back, as he is holding an AK-47. On the other hand, Mayhew was a short white man that had the body of an eleven-year-old. Day Tripper displays no fear of death and outspreads his trip in the war by four months. He is addicted to the rush of staying on the death edge. Mayhew appears quite annoyed that Tripper would prolong his journey. This describes the way battle affects the armies. Day Tripper developed helpless on the lifestyle of searching for the rush of the strength in battle. Mayhew did not adjust towards the way of life and feared death when in the front lines of war. Before he returns home, he gets hit by an RPG and dies. Herr also finds out that Day Tripper reached home securely. When Herr goes back to America, he finds that the media represents the opposite image of the Vietnam War (Herr 215).