Reflections From Sharon Kraus and Jeannine Johnson on "Facing It"
In the poem "Facing It" by Yusef Komunyakaa, Komunyakaa uses his own experiences as a veteran in Vietnam to paint a picture to the readers of what it is like seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial from the viewpoint of a soldier who lived through the conflict. The critics Sharon Kraus and Jeannine Johnson argue that the wall serves as a reminder of all that is bad in Komunyakaa's life, beginning with his past military experiences which shape the social issues he still suffers with today. Along with Komunyakaa, we see the same effect with another soldier where the wall stands as a reminder to him as well. Throughout the poem, both critics seem to separate the issues into two groups. The first group deals with the speakers past, and the wartime issues that haunt him. The second section, however, deals with the social issues that the speaker deals with post-Vietnam. The wall brings both past and present together, creating a powerful place for the speaker. Beginning with the past, we discover an unexpected relationship between the beauty and violence of war. …show more content…
Oddly, there is a beautiful part of war. The speaker is reminded of this when he sees, "The names shimmer on the blouse" (Kraus 117). This comes in contrast with the violence of war readers are more accustomed to seeing. The second veteran is introduced at this time, and the white vet has been "irremediably damaged" (Kraus 118) by the war. Kraus then mentions that Komunyakaa writes, "He's lost his right arm/inside the stone"(118). Since his arm is inside the stone, we learn that the white vet has lost an arm in Vietnam. This is our reminder of the violence in war, which contrasts the beauty previously noted. The vet's missing arm is "not reflected by the wall" (Johnson 119), This shows that all the bad and violence is "trapped within" (Johnson 119) the wall as a permanent reminder of the past, creating the significance of memorial. Both critics seem to agree that the wall is a constant reminder of negativity which influences the speakers life. Next, Komunyakaa gives us a sort of transition from the past to the present. As the speaker looks into the wall, his images "fades" (Kraus 116) into it, making his "very identity" (Kraus 116) one with the monument which represents his past while at the same time bringing light to his current issues. This serves as a perfect transition in the poem, because the wall creates a perfect opportunity to switch the focus from the speakers past, to the new issues he deals with facing society, and more specifically, racism. Racism is the focal point of the speakers modern day problem. We begin with a view on empathy. The speaker wonders if the "white vet" (Kraus 118) feels empathy towards him. Also, he wonders if he is seen as a fellow soldier, or if racism takes over, and keeps the white veteran from looking "through another person's eyes" (Kraus 118). It's evident here that there is an initial awkwardness when these two veterans make eye contact at the Memorial. Kraus and Johnson both agree that race is the cause of this awkwardness, and both feel that this makes the speaker feel alone. The speaker, "a black man" (Kraus 118) feels
In the poem "Facing It" by Yusef Komunyakaa, Komunyakaa uses his own experiences as a veteran in Vietnam to paint a picture to the readers of what it is like seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial from the viewpoint of a soldier who lived through the conflict. The critics Sharon Kraus and Jeannine Johnson argue that the wall serves as a reminder of all that is bad in Komunyakaa's life, beginning with his past military experiences which shape the social issues he still suffers with today. Along with Komunyakaa, we see the same effect with another soldier where the wall stands as a reminder to him as well. Throughout the poem, both critics seem to separate the issues into two groups. The first group deals with the speakers past, and the wartime issues that haunt him. The second section, however, deals with the social issues that the speaker deals with post-Vietnam. The wall brings both past and present together, creating a powerful place for the speaker. Beginning with the past, we discover an unexpected relationship between the beauty and violence of war. …show more content…
Oddly, there is a beautiful part of war. The speaker is reminded of this when he sees, "The names shimmer on the blouse" (Kraus 117). This comes in contrast with the violence of war readers are more accustomed to seeing. The second veteran is introduced at this time, and the white vet has been "irremediably damaged" (Kraus 118) by the war. Kraus then mentions that Komunyakaa writes, "He's lost his right arm/inside the stone"(118). Since his arm is inside the stone, we learn that the white vet has lost an arm in Vietnam. This is our reminder of the violence in war, which contrasts the beauty previously noted. The vet's missing arm is "not reflected by the wall" (Johnson 119), This shows that all the bad and violence is "trapped within" (Johnson 119) the wall as a permanent reminder of the past, creating the significance of memorial. Both critics seem to agree that the wall is a constant reminder of negativity which influences the speakers life. Next, Komunyakaa gives us a sort of transition from the past to the present. As the speaker looks into the wall, his images "fades" (Kraus 116) into it, making his "very identity" (Kraus 116) one with the monument which represents his past while at the same time bringing light to his current issues. This serves as a perfect transition in the poem, because the wall creates a perfect opportunity to switch the focus from the speakers past, to the new issues he deals with facing society, and more specifically, racism. Racism is the focal point of the speakers modern day problem. We begin with a view on empathy. The speaker wonders if the "white vet" (Kraus 118) feels empathy towards him. Also, he wonders if he is seen as a fellow soldier, or if racism takes over, and keeps the white veteran from looking "through another person's eyes" (Kraus 118). It's evident here that there is an initial awkwardness when these two veterans make eye contact at the Memorial. Kraus and Johnson both agree that race is the cause of this awkwardness, and both feel that this makes the speaker feel alone. The speaker, "a black man" (Kraus 118) feels