FALLEN ANGELSCHAPTERS 1-5

By Walter Dean Myers

Military Chain of Command

Army Rank Chain of Command

Characters• Richie Perry

• Narrator and protagonist• 17-year old high school

graduate from Harlem, New York• Smart, ambitious, and talented

“My plans, maybe just my dreams really, had been to go to college, and to write… All the other guys in the neighborhood thought I was going to college. I wasn’t, and the army was the place I was going to get away from all the questions”

Characters• Harold “Peewee” Gates

• Richie’s closest friend in Vietnam

• Arrogant, flippant, slightly insane

“But anything anybody got in the army, I got. You got a gun, I got a gun. You got boots, I got boots. You eat this lousy (o’l) chip beef on toast, guess what I eat?” (13)

Chapters 1-3• Introduced to differences in

the romantic, idealized concept of war and the harsh reality of it.

• Richie, Peewee, and other soldiers do not have a clear idea of what war is really like.

• Richie believes that the army and war follow a rational plan.

He believes that his medical profile will be processed promptly and that he will not have to go to war.

He believes that peace is not far off and that most soldiers do not actually have to fight.

Chapters 1-3• When Richie arrives in

Chu Lai, he begins to notice that the war effort is not characterized by noble or heroic acts.

• Jenkin’s death reinforces the idea that war is cruel, senseless and unromantic.

Sergeant Simpson’s only goal is to get out of Vietnam alive Captain Stewart later risks the lives of the soldiers in an

attempt to get promoted.

Chapters 1-3: Loss of innocence • Richie, Peewee, and

the others are still teenage boys, even though in Vietnam they must act like adults.• Peewee’s three major

goals in life• Richie spends his first

days thinking about buying Kenny a souvenir.

• Peewee copes with his emotions with a mix of bravado and humor.

• Richie clings to false illusions, irrationally hoping that his file will be processed.

Chapters 1-3: Race and economics• Burden of war fell on youth from

working-class and minority populations.

• College students – predominantly white, middle class – were exempts from the draft.• Peewee says that he likes the army

because it’s the only place where everyone has what he has.

• Myers emphasizes the irony that the men with the least access to the American dream are the ones fighting to preserve it.

Chapters 4-5: War myths• Lobel’s commentary on war

movies highlights the contrast between myth and reality.

• War myths make it difficult to share a soldier’s burden of fear and suffering with his or her family.

Leaves one feeling isolated and alienated from civilian life Richie unable to write a satisfactory letter to his mother and Kenny

• Richie changes his reasons for fighting from heroism and patriotism to loyalty and friendship

Characterization Assignment 10 points

• Create a characterization chart about a character from Fallen Angels and present to the class.

• You can choose your own presentation format: draw a poster, draw a graphic organizer, show a Prezi or PowerPoint.

• Must include the following: visual representation, three adjectives or phrases that describe the character supported by textual evidence (quotes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuk8AOjGURE