Essay Draft One

Essay Draft One
The Character of Rico in “Village”
Lorry Luo

Most people who have experiences in this brutal war which took place in the Vietnam must have a great many scenes and episodes to recall if they want to. Rico in the story “Village” by Estela Portillo Trambley is one of them, and is one of the typical soldiers during the Vietnam era. Rico’s kind of soldier is featured sensitive thoughts with humanity, is definitely not the sort of a machine only executes commands. Estela wrote the story in 1989 during the post-Vietnam era and 'Vietnam Syndrome' is still alive and thriving.

It is human nature to treasure life. And that is exactly what Rico did that night. Obviously, in the anti-war film,”Platoon”, Sergeant Elias and Sergeant Barnes really are the driving force behind. They both have nominally the same enemy, but it doesn't take long to realize that Elias is good, and Barnes is evil. It has the same situation in”Village”. Finally, it could be realized that Rico is the one who played good as a human when he has to choose to execute or resist the order of destroying the village. Sergeant Keever in the opposite is the evil one. Estela sets up an issue of good vs. evil in her story, to let people know her attitude towards the war and the soldiers, that Rico is the man who should be honored as real man with humanity.

Rico is no soldier through this story, from the very beginning to the very ending, whatever in his own conscious or in his companies’ on his platoon. In the story, after Rico and Harry’s scout, Rico has already admitted himself that he is no soldier at all. And Estela carefully used “transformed into a soldier” here, implied that Rico was just a soldier from the outside. Hours later, this nature was confirmed by Rico’s companies. While scolding Rico, Harry said this again and again, showing how disgusting Rico’s deeds were. However, Rico didn’t care about weather he is a soldier or not, and the rescue of the village is just out of his humanity, totally opposite of that as a soldier.

Rico is a very sensitive people, as he thought much about the surroundings, and he though frequently about his hometown, comparing the village here to his own. “The village of Mai Cao was no different than Valverde, the barrio where he had grown up”, with “the same scent”, “the same warmth”,”the same mother” and so on, all of this were so apparent to this young private who is so sentimental to the whole. The similarity and the sensitivity combined, which surely make Rico’s humanity inside his heart overwhelming.

Rico has a sort of universal affection for the good of every human being. In his point of view, that all the villages here and his own back in the US, they’re just has the same nature, that all the people in the village is just what he could encounter back home. “Every human life in the village mattered.” Further more, this affection was followed by his heart, an instinct, and it was out of his nature with humanity. Rico’s determination and courage to stop Keever giving the signal count on his belief in his heart. “…this is not only with the mind but with the heart.” It is the power of faith which relied on humanity.

Rico takes nothing of himself into consideration but the rest of them. People would say that Rico finally gets relief after all and he feels free in mind while he leaves all of his business to his companies, making them suffer from the so-called Vietnam Syndromes. However, before his shooting at the signal arm, Rico has suggested Keever to evacuate the villagers three times. Unfortunately, no one responded. As a result, many people would’ve pass away without Rico’s block. And consequently, the one who shoot would get the Vietnam Syndromes after the war’s ending. It’s also his humanity in nature pushing him doing these.

Rico has no resistance, no regret, no sophistication after his capture. He just holds his belief sitting there, only supported by his nature of humanity. He have tears nevertheless nobody there can figure out the tears are out of relief, not the pain, not the fearfulness, not even his possible being locked up. That Rico’s deed was right or wrong has two side which could never reach an agreement in the eyes of soldiers and in the eyes of anybody who has a conscious of humanity.

Rico should be honored as a great warrior with the most powerful weapon ever, the humanity. What is waiting for him no doubt should be a trial in the military court. According to Rico’s feedbacks towards the people around him, it is convincible that Rico would not submit his heart to laws. And he knows it quite clear that, if the Judgment Day came he would stand at the first line to be judge for he has a strong heart with humanity. This must be the most precious prize he could gain as an honored saint human.