Born on the Fourth of July
From Mickey Mouse to Michael Jordan, America's media has continually focused itself on the concept of hero worship. Since the formation of icons in our culture began, popular movies, like Forrest Gump, have been built upon the ideals of an American Hero. In that movie, Forrest Gump is the unrealistic ideology of the American Hero: one who is flawless, selfless, without struggle, and a winner. In "Born on the Fourth of July," Oliver Stone critiques this kind of hero worship within American Culture by representing Ron Kovic as a Vietnam veteran, with imperfect traits, who defies his family's expectations to become a hero leading the anti-war movement. In the beginning, Ron Kovic's mother has a dream that he was "speaking to a large crowd...and saying great things." She teaches him throughout his childhood to be a winner, and implements this winning mentality into Ron's everyday life. She drives him to be the best at whatever he does such as wrestling. Oliver Stone uses the mother to voice the feelings and attitude of mainstream America during those times, thus, driving Ron to fulfill these expectations. This winning mentality and drive to be a hero are evident when the Marine recruiters speak at Massapequa High School. The two
We want the best, and we will accept nothing but than the best. Ron also starts drinking excessively and demonstrates that he does not have a clear direction for his future. Ron volunteers to fight in the war in order to prove that he too can live the American Dream and be a winner. He starts by trying to contact the family in Georgia of the soldier he killed, and reads anti-war books like All Quiet on the Western Front. " Ron tries pretending that joining the war effort was the right thing, but in the midst of his speech, he feels himself lying. " Ron receives the same sentiment from his younger brother, who is against the war, and does not appreciate Ron's efforts. men carry a presence and look of Ron's mental image of a winner. Ron's friend Stevie, who was against the war growing up, has become successful in the restaurant business. Yet, he has become a hero to millions of people, especially when he leads protests during Richard Nixon's presidential nomination at the 1972 Republican Convention. He freezes up and begins hearing sounds familiar to him from Vietnam, and realizes that he failed at Vietnam, it was all wrong, and deep down knows he has even failed at his own parade. He challenges the government, and is unpatriotic to the ethos in America. Because there is nothing finer than a United States Marine. There are prostitutes in the Mexican town, and Ron becomes intimately attached to one. Like Ron told his already, "who is gonna love me dad?", he fears no one will like a loser, and is in search for someone to accept him regardless of his failures. " The mother is attached to this psychology in America of winning, and she puts pressure on Ron to join the army and be a winner.
Common topics in this essay:
July Ron,
Oliver Stone,
Eventually Ron,
United Marine,
Ron Kovic,
Vietnam War,
Massapequa Ron,
Western Front,
Ron Kovic's,
Kovic Vietnam,
oliver stone,
winning mentality,
ron kovic,
hero worship,
american hero,
forrest gump,
eventually ron,
hero flawless,
united marine,
fulfill expectations,
|
Acceptance Essays
