Loss Of Innocence In Fallen Angels By Walter Dean Myers

The novel Fallen Angels, written by Walter Dean Myers, is a story that follows a young African American man named Richie through his journey in the Vietnam war. As a child, Myers had a hard time communicating with others as a result of his speech impediment, and looked to writing as an escape. Similar to the main character, he joined the army as a teenager. This novel was inspired by his own experiences in the army, and served as an outlet for him to express all of the things that he learned about war. The main theme of Fallen Angels is the loss of innocence that war brings. Richie and his friends all enter the war as young and naive teenagers, but quickly lose their innocence as the true horrors of war become apparent.

One fact that I learned from the book is that a war is one of the most inhumane and devastating event that could ever take place. Previously, my knowledge on wars was limited to descriptions such as bad and really bad. However now, I understand how gruesome and grim war really is from the eyes of Richie. His vivid and terrifying descriptions helped me see that war shouldn’t be viewed with nonchalance, because some of the most unimaginable things have happened there. Instead, we should learn the truth, no matter how hard it may be. This

I never would have thought that racism happens on the same side, but this book once again opened my eyes. Richie’s experiences with prejudice within his own unit showed me that even when people are in a war and fighting for the same cause, there will always be individuals who remain ignorant. Learning this fact has changed my historical perspective by giving me a greater appreciation for any minority or colored people who have fought in any war. Those people have earned my utmost respect because they not only had to battle with the enemy, but also had to battle their own