How does a guy deal
with being torn between two
people he loves? I
knew I was lucky
that I hadn’t had to choose
between Mom and Dad.
They’re opposites thrown
together because of me,
and they had managed
to keep a shaky
truce for so many years. But
it was difficult.
My dad was a flag-
waving hawk who thought it was
every red-blooded
man’s duty to spill
that blood when America
called on him for it.
Mom’s an anti-war
dove who gave me a ‘Hell no,
I won’t go!’ tee shirt
for Christmas and she’d
convinced Dad and me that I
had to enroll at
ASU as soon
as I finished high school. ‘The
student deferment
will keep you out of
the draft, she said, ‘and unless
we’re really stupid,
this war will be done
by the time you graduate.’
Dad didn’t mind the
deferment. ‘You can
join the ROTC and
graduate as an
officer,’ he said.
‘The Army needs smart leaders
who can help put an
end to the spread of
Communism over in
Vietnam.’ But when
I thought about the
four hundred seventy-one
guys who died last week,
I knew I’d go to
college to avoid the war,
not prepare for it.
I just hoped the war
ended before I had to
decide, because Dad
didn’t need any
more ammunition to use
against my mother.”
What most stands out to you? What does it make you think? What does it make you wonder?
The most that stands out to me from this text is the fact that I as a reader can witness how Ashe is confronted by 2 wars. The first being his parents different points of view on the war and how that creates conflict in the family. The second being the war in Vietnam and how he is trying to avoid being drafted. In the last 2 texts I asked myself what was the other "hits" Ashe's dad used against his mom?
ReplyDelete-Karen
The dual battle Ashe was facing stood out to me as well. It is definitely a good observation that you made. I find this text to be relatable to students even today. You may discover that your peers or even you are experiencing different battles in your life much like Ashe was. The purpose of bringing the war at home into the plot along with the war in Vietnam was to show how every hardship can be as big as a war to the individual. Did you think this was a creative way to make the text more real?
DeleteThe most that stands out to me from this text is the fact that I as a reader can witness how Ashe is confronted by 2 wars. The first being his parents different points of view on the war and how that creates conflict in the family. The second being the war in Vietnam and how he is trying to avoid being drafted. In the last 2 texts I asked myself what was the other "hits" Ashe's dad used against his mom?
ReplyDelete-Karen
What most stands out to you?
ReplyDeletethe most stands out for me was that How he had to deal with being torn between two
people he loves (his parents).
What does it make you think?
it makes me think and wonder at the same time how a young teen at the age of 17 could deal with war between his parents, the two people he loved and inspire, makes him feel like a torn.
Mowada.
You're very right, it's important to look at the war that is waging between Ashe's parents at home and how this is affecting him. What about the other war in the story, though? Is there anything in this quote that shows you how the other war is affecting Ashe?
Deleteman’s duty to spill
ReplyDeletethat blood when America
called on him for it.
This stand out the most to me because He say when someone come to call me I have to go. He have to leave out his family and love one he can remember them in his heart only. He was in trouble to make thing right that the only choice for him to join the war.So this is why it stand out to me the most.
Paw
This stands out to me as well because this was Ashe's fathers point of view about war. It is interesting how vastly different his point of view was from Ashe's mothers point of view. Do you side more with Ashe's father or his mother?
DeleteThis stands out to me as well because this was Ashe's fathers point of view about war. It is interesting how vastly different his point of view was from Ashe's mothers point of view. Do you side more with Ashe's father or his mother?
Deletehis father because I don't like him mom at all when her family got trouble and not doing well .She with another man that just crazy ...His father is kind of mean but compare to his mom he little bit better.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI thought about the
ReplyDeletefour hundred seventy-one
guys who died last week,
These words stand out to me the most because it were really socking how much U.S soldier die in a week. Even if this much soldier die government still keep sending more troop. I want to know if the government think about the people that left behind and hope for their family member, friends, and son to still alive.
Da Ler
You wonder if the government cares about casualties of war and treats the soldiers like people not number in the text. Do you believe this was an issue only during Vietnam or do you think that the lives of soldiers, sailors, airman and marines may still be labeled as numbers in today's battles? If so, how do you think this could be changed?
DeleteYes I think the lives of soldiers and other that serve in war still labeled as numbers today, but the war today and the war back than a little different. The way it different were they don't force young man to go to war like the war in Vietnam. Young man today can chose to go to war or not, even woman can go to war now. I think they thing they could change were not to lose many people lik the war in Vietnam and if th soldiers can't take it anymore let them come back.
DeleteDa
I knew I’d go to
ReplyDeletecollege to avoid the war,
not prepare for it.
This stands out because how he try to finish his education to help his country and his family. He wanted to finish his education and serve for the safe and protective country.
Makarm Ahmed
Do you think he wanted to go to college to prepare to serve his country or to avoid the war in hopes that it would end before he finished school? It's important to figure out which one because this says a lot about Ashe's character at this point in the book.
Delete