Fields of Fire, a historical novel by James Webb, was first published in 1978. The story takes place in 1969 during the Vietnam War and primarily follows three marines who find themselves in the same platoon: Robert E. Lee Hodges, “Snake,” and Will “Senator” Goodrich. While there are other significant characters, Webb focuses on these three individuals and provides detailed backgrounds through both direct and indirect characterization.
As the novel progresses, major events occur including battles and violence, loss and coping, and learning. The themes that naturally accompany these events given the setting are leadership, a loss of purpose, and the effects of war on people. James Webb wrote this novel to demonstrate the real gruesomeness of war in addition to showing that many soldiers involved did not even have a true reason for fighting. Before writing this novel, Webb was an officer in the Vietnam War himself.
Jim Webb served as a Platoon Commander in the United States Marine Corps from 1968 to 1972. He retired after earning an exceptional range of awards as a 1st Lieutenant Officer. Webb has been awarded the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. He also received a Navy Cross, which is the second highest decoration in the Navy and Marine Corps. With his highly decorated military profile and experience, Webb easily possesses authority to write on subjects dealing with war, especially those related to the Vietnam War. In addition to his military history, Webb has a respectable background in education.
James Webb graduated from a high school located in Bellevue, Nebraska. He attended the United States Naval Academy and was a member of the Brigade Honor Committee, graduating in 1968. After serving in Vietnam, he returned to college at the Georgetown Law Center between 1972 and 1975, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 1975. Webb’s educational background, combined with his military profile, demonstrates his proficiency to write on the subjects discussed in his novel Fields of Fire.
James Webb’s novel centers around three main characters: Robert E. Lee Hodges, Snake,” and Will “Senator” Goodrich. Rather than drawing inspiration from a specific historical figure, Webb seems to have based these characters on the shared experiences of soldiers who served in Vietnam. Character development in the novel typically occurs after their initial introduction. Following this introduction, Webb often delves into the character’s life before enlisting and what led them to join the military.
Characteristics that are not mentioned during the introduction or those that change are usually revealed during or after intense and traumatic events, such as near-death experiences or witnessing the death of a friend. The novel focuses on only three characters, each representing a highly prominent reason why Americans enlisted: to continue a family legacy and protect their family’s honor, to escape the steep decline and unhappiness of their lives, or by accident or unwillingly being drafted. In this novel, the characters embody and portray the main themes.
Robert E. Lee Hodges claims that he is fighting to carry on his family’s military legacy, for honor, and “mostly for the bench seat in the town square,” and he embodies leadership. Upon arriving in Vietnam, Hodges is immediately put into action as a platoon leader where he demonstrates his natural ability as a powerful yet likeable military leader. The film Snake” primarily depicts the lack of real purpose for fighting. Snake, who had little purpose in life before enlisting, is easily shown without purpose in Vietnam.
Senator Goodrich enlists in the United States Marine Corps with false expectations of being a part of the Marine Band. He quickly recovers from the loss of fellow squad members and seems to have no reason to be in Vietnam, except to escape his unsatisfactory life back home. However, he is put into the field of battle instead. As a young and scholarly student who grew up in a middle-class home, Senator is wildly unprepared for what he finds in Vietnam. This helps him easily portray the effects of war on humans.
Senator is a character who is easily scared and sensitive. He tends to be the first one to whimper or cry in times of danger, and he is affected the most when he sees other squad members ripped apart by shrapnel. Through Senator, readers can see the psychological effects that persist for a soldier’s lifetime after experiencing war, particularly the Vietnam War.
The three main characters in Fields of Fire embody and portray the novel’s main themes. James Webb’s writing style also plays a significant role in how readers experience the novel. Using a third-person point of view that moves from character to character throughout the story, Webb creates an immersive reading experience.
The purpose of this is to show what each character is thinking and how they act and react. This helps to reveal more information about each character and advance the plot. The dialogue spoken between characters plays a major role in establishing a connection between the reader and the novel. Terms used specifically in the Vietnam War are prevalent throughout the dialogue, along with a certain dialect and manner of conversing that makes readers feel as if they are among soldiers receiving orders from commanding officers.
The use of gallows humor, particularly from Snake, in the face of seemingly certain death is crucial in helping readers understand the characters’ emotions. In addition to dialogue, the novel’s narration is more of a dictation than a traditional narration. While Webb does provide detailed descriptions for some scenes, many events and scenes are presented authoritatively to the reader. Webb’s combination of these styles brings his novel to life for readers.
The setting of James Webb’s novel Fields of Fire displays exceptional historical accuracy and corresponds well with the plot of the story. The book takes place in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The weather is hot and humid, and the area is described as grassy and forested with bugs and insects everywhere. These environmental factors make both battles and everyday life in Vietnam seem even worse than expected. The soldiers are also depicted as having poor living conditions with little or no access to hygienic products.
Webb’s portrayal of the lack of sanitation among most of those who served in Vietnam clearly shows how disgusting and vile war often is. The setting in this novel is used effectively to convey the experience of war to the reader. Fields of Fire is one of the most powerful pieces of fiction written about the Vietnam War. Its author, James Webb, a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran, is undoubtedly qualified to write this book. The novel focuses on three main characters from vastly different backgrounds and explores through them the effects and conditions of war.
