Fallen Angels | Literary Qualities

Fallen Angels Literary Qualities

The first-person narrative brings an immediacy to the action and descriptions in the novel. Through Richie's observations and commentary, readers see the interplay between the soldiers and officers on the squad. They also learn about the army hierarchy, the routines, the weapons, and the chemical arsenal specific to the Vietnam war.

The soldiers' talk, often raw and coarse, reveals the elemental function language plays in keeping fear at bay and maintaining the toughness combat requires. This "linguistic setting," the language of the army and the very basic language of survival, is convincing, realistic, and appropriate to the context and the direct tone of the novel.

The emphasis on the dailiness of the men's lives and the effect communication from the World has on their emotional well-being is realistic and sensitive to the characters' identities. Conversations about family, girlfriends, and their lives back home, show how much...
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