hearts & minds and peer editing

I enjoyed peer editing because it made me realize even more that there are so many topics that you can talk about in Hearts and Minds. The documentary seemed to have all effected us in different ways, each focusing on one specific part of the documentary. It also gave us ideas of writing styles and techniques that we got from reading peers' papers. I think we were all relieved to finally see a different perspective than we've gotten used to with Apocalypse Now, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket.

Trip To Hanoi gave us a perspective of the Vietnamese culture that we have also not seen with the exception of the opening scene of Hearts and Minds, though that was just a small amount. Susan Sontag's writing were effective in that we were able to feel as if we were there with her and understood her frustraion in being able to communicate and connect with the Vietnamese. The way that she compared and contrasted views of the Vietnamese and Americans helped us understand a bit of the Vietnamese culture and perspective and see how these two differ from one another. Not only have we learned of the war itself and its effect, I think learning about the Vietnamese culture is important to better help us understand where they are coming from.