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Fallen Angels
by Walter Dean Myers
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quickNotes: Table of Contents
1. Fallen Angels: Overview
2. Fallen Angels: About the Author
3. Fallen Angels: Setting
4. Fallen Angels: Themes and Characters
5. Fallen Angels: Literary Qualities
6. Fallen Angels: Social Sensitivity
7. Fallen Angels: Topics for Discussion
8. Fallen Angels: Ideas for Reports and Papers
9. Fallen Angels: Related Titles / Adaptations
10. Fallen Angels: For Further Reference
Fallen Angels: Overview
The sole support of his family, seventeen-year-old Richard Perry puts aside his dreams of college and a
writing career: He has neither the money for clothes nor the books and supplies his dreams require. Richie
chooses the army as a way out of Harlem and a way to fulfill his responsibility to his mother and little brother,
Kenny.
Although Richie has a medical "profile"— a knee injury gained while playing basketball during basic training—
his medical records are misplaced and he is sent to Vietnam and into active combat. His account of this year
near the end of the war, the friends he makes, the boredom endured, and his terror of combat and death,
provide readers with a realistic picture of the Vietnam conflict and the horror of war in general.
Fallen Angels: About the Author
Walter Dean Myers was born August 12, 1934, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Myers' mother died while he
was an infant, and soon afterwards, Florence and Herbert Dean took the young Myers and two of his sisters to
raise as their own. The Deans moved to Harlem when he was three years old, and Myers lived there through
his young adult years.
Although the Deans were poor, Myers writes that he never experienced hunger or cold while growing up. He
felt the unfairness of life, however, when he realized there was no money to send him to college. Myers
Fallen Angels 1

dropped out of high school, but continued the high volume of reading and writing he had begun in grade
school. He drifted for a few years and then, at seventeen, joined the army. Once out of the army, Myers
married, started a family, and worked at various jobs in New York City. While his strong desire to write led to
publications in magazines, finding an audience and market for the kind of writing he hoped to do remained a
challenge.
After a divorce, Myers became a senior editor for the Bobbs-Merrill Publishing Company where he learned
the business of writing first-hand. During this time he published his first picture book for children, Where
Does the Day Go?? (1969), winning a contest sponsored by the Council on Interracial Books for Children.
More picture books followed—The Dancers (1972) and The Dragon Takes a Wife (1972). When he published
his third picture book Fly, Jimmy, Fly! (1974), Myers changed his given name—Walter Milton Myers—to
Walter Dean Myers in honor of the parents who raised him. He continued to write for a variety of magazines,
and he also published his first young adult novel, Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff (1975).
Since then he has written several highly acclaimed books for young adults. The Young Landlords (1979), The
Legend of Tarik (1981), and The Mouse Rap (1990) were named American Library Association Best Books
for Young Adults. The Young Landlords and Motown and Didi (1984) both received the Coretta Scott King
Award. Scorpions (1988), his book depicting the hard and sometimes tragic choices young people have to
make regarding gangs, guns, and drugs was a 1989 Newbery Honor Book. Myers's latest works include a
biography, Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary (1993), and a beautiful book of poems written to accompany
photographs of African-American children living at the turn of the century, Brown Angels: An Album of
Pictures and Verse.
Myers remarried and now lives with his family in Jersey City, New Jersey. In the course of his career, he also
attended the State College of the City of New York and received a B.A. from Empire State College. He has
taught classes in college and workshop settings, sharing his knowledge and experience with writers of all
ages.
Myers has found both an audience and market with his young adult novels. In addition, he has discovered
important aspects of his role as a writer: to show the value of young African Americans' lives and to fill a
longstanding literary void with serious and constructive images of African Americans in life, work, and
relationships with others. "It's my job as a writer," he recently stated, "to include people— to bring people into
society."
Fallen Angels: Setting
Upon his arrival in the country, Richie is sent to the American base at Chu Lai in South Vietnam. He spends
the greater part of his tour of duty on patrols and pacification missions in the villages nearby. Richie describes
the monotony and tediousness of army life—long days punctuated by predictably bland meals, mail call, and
the brief but terrifying forays into the countryside where violence and death occur with astonishing and
numbing consistency. The physical danger Richie and his comrades face is framed within the ever-present
threat of death and the black body bags awaiting those "warrior angels who fall."
Richie's one respite from duty is at a hospital where he recovers from minor shrapnel wounds and is awarded
a purple heart. Given orders to rejoin his unit, Richie arrives in time for the Tet Offensive. He earns yet
another purple heart before being sent back to "the World"—the soldiers' term for America and the lives that
await them should they survive.
Fallen Angels: About the Author 2

Fallen Angels: Themes and Characters
Coming of age, finding one's place in the world, and survival of self-against society are the themes in Fallen
Angels. Richie arrives in Vietnam "ready to stop the North Vietnamese from taking over South Vietnam. I
didn't feel really gung ho or anything, but I was ready to do my part." As Richie faces the reality of war, he
questions whether the loss of lives and emotional wellbeing is ever worth the so-called benefit of winning.
Richie discovers that there are no winners in war—just survivors. Each individual must redefine the person he
thought he was and reconcile this unfamiliar persona with the man he will become should he live.
Richie is an observer. Through his straightforward narrative, readers meet the other characters and experience
total immersion in the war-time setting of Vietnam. Recounting his first combat mission, Richie describes the
men who, for different reasons, become an important part of his life in Vietnam:
I looked over at Johnson. The one expression he had in the world was on his face. Peewee
was busy looking out the door. Jenkins had his eyes closed and his knuckles were white from
holding onto the seat.
Jenkins, so scared that he can hardly function, steps on a mine and dies on this first mission. This is Richie's
first experience with death at close range. Richie is disturbed that he is the only one who seems to remember
that Jenkins ever existed. More deaths soon follow, and Richie learns that there is no time to mourn. When he
kills his first Viet Cong in a face-to-face confrontation, Richie crosses over the line from youth to adulthood.
The issue is survival: There is no room for patriotic ideals or sentimentality.
As Richie's understanding of the war and his role in it deepen, so do his insights into the men he lives and
fights with. Johnson, a large black man from Savannah, Georgia, joined the army because there was nothing
for him to do in the World. At first he appears to Richie to have one expression on his face—"his mouth sort of
hung open"— no matter what. As Johnson deals with the racist Sergeant Dongan, however, Richie realizes that
different forces have shaped Johnson. "There was a knowing about him, as if dying and fighting was
something he had been born to."
Peewee Gates, a high school dropout from Chicago provides much of the comic relief in the novel. His
reasons for joining the army suggest a background of profound poverty and the kind of life he left behind in
the World. "This is the first place I ever been in my life where I got what everybody else got," meaning the
very basic necessities of life—food, clothing, and shelter. Peewee approaches Vietnam like it is an extension of
the Chicago projects where he grew up. Full of bravado, he stares down bigger men, daring them to cross his
boundaries. He already knows why he and the other men fight and kill the enemy—"cause he [the Viet Cong]
was gonna kill your ass if you didn't kill his"—he explains to Richie. Yet, like Richie, he wants to survive.
When Captain Stewart chastises Peewee and asks him where his pride is, he responds that he left it in Chicago
and says, "Can I go get it?"
A revolving cast of characters enter and leave in accordance with both the army's and death's time-lines:
Simpson, the black sergeant who is close to getting out and tells the new arrivals that his main goal is to keep
them from killing him; Lieutenant Carroll, a sensitive white officer who puts his life on the line for one of his
"warrior angels," thus winning the men's respect and affection; Lieutenant Gearhart, Carroll's replacement,
who forms an uneasy alliance with the men after a failed first mission; and Captain Stewart, who panders to
the media and strives for promotion at the expense of his soldiers' safety and lives. These characters represent
familiar types and serve to facilitate the development of plot and action. They also represent the transitory
nature of human relationships during war.
Fallen Angels: Themes and Characters 3

Other characters are more fully developed and play larger roles in Richie's account: Lobel, who joins the army
to prove his manhood, only to find himself the target of other soldiers' homophobia and anti-Semitism; and
Monaco, who identifies most strongly with Richie, Johnson, Peewee, and Lobel, and also bears the brunt of
discrimination that men like Sergeant Dongan and Brunner, one of their own squad members, perpetuate.
Newcomers enter into the stream of activity and the war; however, Richie and his comrades have closed
ranks. Their individual goals are also the collective goal—to survive and put together some kind of worthwhile
life once they are home.
Fallen Angels: Literary Qualities
The first-person narrative brings an immediacy to the action and descriptions in the novel. Through Richie's
observations and commentary, readers see the interplay between the soldiers and officers on the squad. They
also learn about the army hierarchy, the routines, the weapons, and the chemical arsenal specific to the
Vietnam war.
The soldiers' talk, often raw and coarse, reveals the elemental function language plays in keeping fear at bay
and maintaining the toughness combat requires. This "linguistic setting," the language of the army and the
very basic language of survival, is convincing, realistic, and appropriate to the context and the direct tone of
the novel.
The emphasis on the dailiness of the men's lives and the effect communication from the World has on their
emotional well-being is realistic and sensitive to the characters' identities. Conversations about family,
girlfriends, and their lives back home, show how much or little these young men have to look forward to on
their return. As the novel progresses, the dialogue shows how the war experience changes their views of the
world and themselves.
Fallen Angels: Social Sensitivity
Myers's novel deals with social issues of current importance and concern in society: the morality of war,
racism, and classism. The most pertinent is war and whether it is ever justified. Richie tries to rationalize his
and the other men's presence in Vietnam. Ultimately, he concludes that as much as fighting for the good of the
South Vietnamese and the suppression of Communism, he is fighting for his own survival. To his dismay, he
is also put in the position of fighting for the greed and glory of certain commanding officers. Richie watches
Captain Stewart inflate the enemy body count and downplay American casualties in order to achieve a
promotion to major. Over time, this practice depletes the numbers of men in the squad and the company.
When the Tet Offensive is launched, only a few of Richie's original squad remain.
Subtle and pervasive elements of racism and classism are revealed through rank in the army hierarchy. A new
sergeant places the black soldiers on point—the most dangerous position— when they go out on patrol.
Johnson, who carries the bigger M-60 machine gun, is ordered to the vulnerable rear position. That the men
on the squad close ranks, rotate the point positions, and watch out for Johnson, is a testimony to the loyalty
and protectiveness they feel toward one another. With the exception of Brunner, the soldiers realize that in
battle there is no room for race and class distinctions. The survival of one individual heightens others' chances
for survival.
Still, there is acknowledgement and awareness of class differences as the men share letters and imagine the
lives they will return to. For Peewee and Johnson, uneducated and untrained for anything except war, the
choices are limited. Lobel sees the war as a movie, a perspective generated from growing up with an artistic
film-director father. This view distances him from the realization that rebelling against his father and enlisting
Fallen Angels: Literary Qualities 4

in the army has backfired. What he cannot picture, however, is the reality of a world that denounces his
involvement in the war and the actions he has taken to remain alive.
Captain Stewart continues to volunteer his company for combat missions. While Lieutenant Gearhart stands
up for his squad, his letters home advising his wife on what kinds of doors to purchase for the house and how
to handle a recalcitrant paper boy, highlight major distinctions between the officers and enlisted men and
show how different their worlds are.
Richie, aware of the cost of his decision to join the army rather than persist in his dream to attend college,
hopes that people back in the World will not expect him to be the same when he returns. He understands the
high cost of his and the other young men's passage to adulthood. Richie's description of Lobel during battle
illustrates just how high it is:
When I saw him I froze. His eyes were open but there was no expression in them.
"Lobel!" I called to him.
"Wha?"
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
"Shit, I thought you were dead."
He smiled. His face was caked with dirt, and the smile showed his teeth. The blank
expression in his eyes never changed.
This war experience has shown these young men death and trained them to kill. In order to survive, they have
killed a part of themselves. Richie does return to the World, but it will be a long time before that part of him
comes alive again.
Fallen Angels: Topics for Discussion
1. Richie has dreams of going to college and becoming a writer, yet, he forgoes these to join the army. Why
does he feel this is his only option?
2. Richie's medical profile gives him a valid reason for not engaging in combat. Once on the base at Chu Lai,
why does he not use it to obtain less dangerous duty?
3. The young men of Alpha Company look up to their platoon leader, Lieutenant Carroll. Why? How has he
earned their respect and trust?
4. Lieutenant Carroll no longer seems sure of his faith, yet, he continues to pray for his men who he calls
"warrior angels." Why?
5. The warrior angels are too young to vote. Is it fair to expect them to fight in the war?
6. Why are Richie, Peewee, Jenkins, Johnson, and Lobel in Vietnam? What reason does each of them give
when asked? What role does race, class, education, opportunity, and parental involvement play in the young
men's explanations?
7. What changes does Richie undergo during the course of his year in Vietnam. How will these changes affect
him once he is back in the World?
8. What kind of life awaits Peewee on his return to the World? Will it be the same or different from Richie's
life? Why?
Fallen Angels: Social Sensitivity 5

9. The letters that Richie, Lieutenant Carroll, and others write home rarely reflect the reality of Vietnam. Why
is it so difficult for Richie to write home? Why does his mother send her message of love through a letter to
Peewee? (Chapter 11)
10. Captain Stewart asks Richie to rewrite Lieutenant Gearhart's letter telling Turner's family of his death.
Why? (Chapter 14)
11. Captain Stewart routinely inflates the numbers of enemy killed. Why? How does this affect the men in the
squad? How does it affect the people following the war at home?
12. Why was Richie, rather than Peewee Gates, or Monaco, chosen to narrate this story? How would it be
different if told by Peewee or Monaco?
Fallen Angels: Ideas for Reports and Papers
1. Myers has created a world and populated it with characters from a variety of places and backgrounds. Even
though this world is different from yours, how does Myers make the story probable or possible?
2. Myers has created a seemingly realistic picture of the last years of the Vietnam War. Find an article, news
account, or essay about the war. Compare this account with an incident or description from the novel. Does
Myers's portrayal stand up to the comparison?
3. In her review of Fallen Angels, Ethel L. Heins states that "the dialogue . . . is steeped in natural vulgarity. . .
," and that this aspect of the novel contributes to the authenticity and credibility of the plot and the characters.
Do you agree? Why or why not?
4. In Chapter 15, Richie tries to write a letter to his little brother, Kenny. He wants to tell him about the war
and killing a Viet Cong, but finds that he cannot put the experience into words. How does he explain what the
war means and his reason for being there in a non-glorifying and honest way?
Fallen Angels: Related Titles / Adaptations
Myers's fiction focuses on the experiences of young African Americans in society. His characters live in large
cities where many of the choices they make concern basic family and economic survival. Some readers will
find their experiences accurately represented in his books. Others may see a world much different than their
own, and still relate to the common problems surrounding adolescence and young adulthood.
Myers's books, such as It Ain't All for Nothin' (1978) and Scorpions (1988) deal with the harsh realities of life
in the inner city. Myers also details strong and loving ties between the family members and friends that
populate his books. In turn, his characters "reflect pride in their individuality and in their decisions to be
themselves." The cost of making hard choices, facing up to reality, and doing the right thing given a particular
time and circumstance, are problems Richie faces in Fallen Angels. These same issues emerge in Scorpions.
In this Newbery Honor Book, young Jamal reluctantly becomes involved in gang activity. His fascination
with a gun—a symbol of power and identity in a world where he often feels weak and small—reveals a side of
himself he is not sure how to handle. He knows the gun only brings trouble, yet he cannot bring himself to
give it up. This inner conflict is played out in Jamal's attempts to make sense of the world and the choices it
presents him. Like Richie, Jamal discovers that growing up and finding his place in the world is a difficult and
ambiguous process.
Fallen Angels: Topics for Discussion 6

Readers can gain a deeper understanding of the African-American experience through Myers's nonfiction
work, Now is Your Time! The African-American Struggle for Freedom (1991). Myers wrote this history to
provide readers with a way to identify with historical figures as well as with his fictional characters. Written
from a black perspective, the text recounts the African-American fight for freedom and civil rights in the
United States. Myers researched archives, conducted interviews, and recorded oral histories of people whose
families he declares "are so vital a part of American history." In his introduction Myers writes that:
The African-American experience . . . is a living experience, ever changing, ever growing,
ever becoming richer. Events of the past cannot change, but they can change in our perception
of them, and in our understanding of what they mean to us today. What we understand of our
history is what we understand of ourselves.
These words best represent the contributions Myers has made to young adult literature. His substantial and
respected body of writing reflects a clear and informed understanding of both the past and present. Myers
indeed shows the value of young African-American lives. In the process, readers come to know and better
understand their own and others' experiences.
Fallen Angels: For Further Reference
"Celebrating Literacy: The Language of Freedom." Reading Today 9 (1992): 1. This article provides an
account of Myers's talk to the general assembly at the 1992 International Reading Association Conference.
Heins, Ethel L. Review. Horn Book 64 (July/August 1988): 503-504. Heins acknowledges the "dearth" of
literature about Vietnam for young adults, and notes that "Fortunately, [Myers] is a writer of skill, maturity,
and judgement." Heins compares this novel to Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage in its depiction of
"the chaos and carnage of war."
Norton, Donna E., ed. Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children's Literature. New York:
Merrill (Macmillan), 1991. This reference text provides descriptions of Myers's novels and picture books. The
works are discussed within both genre and elements of literature frameworks.
Review. English Journal 77 (December 1988): 70. This brief review ranks Fallen Angels with other quality
literature about Vietnam such as Tim O'Brien's Going after Cacciato. The advantage of Myers's text,
according to this reviewer, is "its accessibility to junior and senior-high school students."
Salvadore, Maria B. Review. School Library Journal 35 (June/July 1988): 118. Salvadore highlights the
attention to detail and authenticity that characterizes Myers's novel of war and recommends it for both young
adults and adults. She notes that "other difficult issues—such as race and the condition of the Vietnamese
people, are sensitively and realistically" portrayed.
Sutherland, Zena. Review. Bulletin from the Center of Children's Books 41 (April 1988): 163. This brief
review describes Myers's novel as "an indictment of all war . . . . A tough book, a vivid story."
Watkins, Mel. Review. New York Times Book Review (January 22, 1989): 29. Watkins's review emphasizes
the strong and original characters that Myers has created in this novel. He gives this novel high marks for
being "a candid young adult novel that engages the Vietnam experience squarely . . . . It is a tale that is as
thought-provoking as it is entertaining, touching, and, on occasion, humorous."
Fallen Angels: Related Titles / Adaptations 7