£3.99
Fall of '68
Title
The Fall of '68
Setting
The story is set on a moderate-sized private college campus in Ohio.
Main Character
The protagonist is a Vietnam War veteran who returns to college after serving in the army. He was a freshman starting in fall 1965 and experienced an unhappy romance in spring 1966. Drafted in summer 1966, he comes back to the same campus in fall 1968 with a different perspective shaped by his combat experience.
Plot Highlights
He encounters the nationwide turmoil of 1968 but views it through the lens of a veteran. He meets a new love interest but remains cautious. His best friend is a brilliant physics student he roomed with as a freshman and now shares an off-campus apartment with again. His second best friend, also a veteran, struggles to adjust and is expelled. The main character faces disciplinary issues and, unusually, begins re-enlisting to return to Vietnam. However, his new love interest intervenes to prevent this, leaving open the possibility of a happy ending.
Major Themes
Explored themes include combat fatigue (post-traumatic stress), politics (LBJ resigns, MLK and RFK are assassinated, protests occur worldwide, Nixon is elected), social rebellion exemplified by hippies and drug culture, and love.
