Paco’s Story (Masterplots II: American Fiction Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Larry Heinemann
- First Published: 1986
- Type of Plot: Magical Realism
- Time of Work: The early 1970’s
- Setting: Vietnam and the American Midwest
- Principal Characters: Paco Sullivan, Gallagher, Ernest Monroe, Jesse, Cathy
- Genres: Long fiction, Magical Realism
- Subjects: 1970’s, World War II, Alienation, Ghosts or apparitions, Midwest, Rape, Substance abuse, Vietnam War, Veterans, Drug addiction or addicts, Armed forces, Massacres, Vietnam or Vietnamese people
- Locales: United States, South Vietnam
The Novel
Based in part on Larry Heinemann’s experience in the Vietnam War, Paco’s Story tells a representative tale of the brutality of war and the subsequent problems of a veteran’s adjustment to life in small-town America. Heinemann presents this material through a narrative that focuses on Paco Sullivan’s arrival in, partial adjustment to, and departure from the typical American crossroads town of Boone, a river town in the American Midwest. This strand of the narrative is punctured by scenes of the massacre of Paco’s company at Fire Base Harriet, Paco’s...
[The entire page is 2370 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
