Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Fallen Angels, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
War, Trauma, and Dehumanization
Perseverance and Heroism
Race, Identity, and Belonging
Reality and Fiction
Faith and Hope
Summary
Analysis
Perry isn’t in pain, but he can’t move. Around him, chaos and confusion reign. Jamal checks Perry head to foot, then several hands lift him into a helicopter. The smell of blood reminds him of Jenkins’ death as he listens to the medics working on Brew. He tries to watch but doesn’t understand what they’re doing. When Brew’s hand flops down next to Perry, Perry squeezes it, and he thinks he feels Brew squeeze back. But only a few minutes later, he hears the medics zipping Brew’s corpse into a body bag.
The fates of Jenkins, Carroll, and Nate Turner have already shown Perry that he can do nothing—short of running away—to escape the possibility of death on the battlefield. Now, having been shot, his shock prevents him from fully feeling the pain and fear of this moment. Betrayed by their country and thrown into a war far more violent and terrifying than they could comprehend, the soldiers cling to their friendships with each other. It’s in this vein that Perry provides Brew his last taste of human affection and kindness by holding his hand as he dies.
Themes
Perry hears a distant voice calling his name as he wakes up in the hospital. A tall, dark-skinned man orders him to pee, and Perry realizes that both his arms are bandaged. He asks what happened, and the man replies that Perry luckily escaped serious injuries. But unluckily, this also means he’s not eligible for a medical discharge yet. Perry learns that he has a concussion, suffered a shrapnel blast, and that a bullet grazed his wrist, chipping the bone.
Perry wakes up in the hospital at Chu Lai, injured extensively, but not injured enough to get out of the war. Obviously, he feels lucky to have survived, unlike Brewster—elsewhere he has confessed his gratitude when other soldiers die instead of him. But he’s also said that the loss of each friend feels like a piece of himself dying, too. So as he recuperates, he has physical and emotional wounds that need attention.
Themes
At the hospital, Perry hears gossip that Vietcong forces in the north now have tanks. He reads books to a soldier in dark glasses. He writes a letter to Mama, trying to make light of his injuries. He thinks about writing a serious one, but he doesn’t want to admit his fear. One day, a sharply dressed officer confronts Perry on his way to the PX (the on-base store that sells food and goods to soldiers) for some food. Perry feels like he’s being interrogated, and he loses his appetite.
Perry’s experiences in the hospital take on the same air of unreality as events at home described in the news. His desire to talk about his experience runs into a dead end when he realizes that his family can’t handle the truth of his life in Vietnam, while his squad mates (who can) are hundreds of miles away. The officer at the PX metaphorically points to the way the army needs soldiers like Perry, but also shows them little concern.
Themes
One day, Perry wakes up to find Judy Duncan at his bedside. She recognized him on her rounds and wanted to say hi. She confesses that her experience has been different than she expected, much messier, much harder. She kisses Perry and tells him to take care of himself. Some of the other patients tease him about the kiss, and when he ignores them, they mumble about guys “from the boonies”—from near the front lines—being weird. Perry agrees; everything he wants to say feels too strange or too loud for a world where “people [do] normal things.”
Judy Duncan represents a bridge for Perry. He met her when he was still a boy, still innocent and naive and unaware of the horrors that lay in wait for him. She, too, was innocent, naive, and unaware. Their conversation helps him to normalize how his identity has changed in Vietnam—Judy also feels changed—but it still fails to answer the question of what his new identity is or will be.
Themes
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A chaplain and a colonel visit the ward to hand out Purple Hearts, and the chaplain tells the soldiers they’re fighting for the highest reason known to man—defending freedom. Perry sends his medal to Kenny along with a letter promising to do normal things together, like go to the museum or basketball games. He muses on Peewee’s idea that protecting himself is the only reason for killing “Congs.” His injuries heal, and he’s terrified and angry—but not surprised—when his orders to return to his unit arrive. He flies north with a group of fresh marines straight from the U.S. They seem excited for combat, and they quiz Perry about his time. He thinks he’s seen more than enough action already.
For the pain and suffering—both physical and psychological—Perry has undergone, the army gives him a medal, which seems totally insufficient after what he’s been through. The chaplain repeats corny sentiments that Perry might once have agreed with. But the “action” of war—its violence and dehumanizing struggle—contradict this motive. Perry knows that he isn’t really fighting for freedom, but no one can adequately tell him what they want him to fight for. And this increases his sense of alienation, isolation, and trauma.
Themes
