Mr.

Boyatt

AP Literature

February 14, 2019

Marvin Gaye Essay

Every single person has their own individual opinions and ideas, and while the individual

nature of people is often idolized in modern times, conflicting ideas can also start wars. In

Marvin Gaye’s song “What’s Going On”, Gaye is able to criticize the Vietnam War occuring at

that time, arguing love should take priority over hate by utilizing emotional diction regarding the

role of each family member, protesting imagery, and a confused and oppressed tone.

The song begins with the speaker addressing his family members with “mother”(1) and

“brother”(3) showing the speaker’s love and attachment to his family. This is further supported

as the speaker notes each family member “dying”(4) or “crying”(2), demonstrating the overall

suffering the war imparts on everyone. When the speaker addresses his father, he pleads for

their conversation not to “escalate”(8), suggesting tension that has resulted from the speaker’s

contrasting views to his father’s, and the inescapable burden the speaker’s beliefs have, even in

his home. This shows the further destruction the the war can cause to an individual’s family life.

Lastly the speaker begs for others not to “punish”(14) him for his opinions, suggesting even

more conflict and oppression on the group of people who criticize the war. Gaye does this in

order to argue against war as it causes suffering in family life and separates humanity because

of their opinions.

Gaye further criticizes the Vietnam War in utilizing protestor imagery, which repeatedly

depicts protestors of the war in a constant state of oppression and grief. The loss that affects

many in the war is heard in the “crying”(2) of the wives whose husbands have been lost to the
war, This auditory imagery evokes an uncomfortable feeling in those who hear the lyrics as it

criticizes the war for causing more damage than good in the world as family members are lost

on a daily basis. In order to combat this continuous loss, many will protest with their “picket

lines and picket signs”(13), only to be met with “brutality’(14) and oppression. As a result the

reader feels a sense of sorrow and pity for these protestors as they sympathize with them for

not only their loss overseas, but the cruelty they experience in their own homes on a daily basis.

Lastly, Gaye utilizes a confused and oppressed tone to demonstrate the tragedy of the

war. The first two stanzas depict the corrupt relationships the speaker has with their family, and

presents a sorrowful tone as the speaker either experiences loss, grief, or mistreatment for his

beliefs all caused by the war. This shows the negative impact the war has on the speaker’s

entire family, as everyone experiences some degree of misery. This dismal tone then

transforms as the speaker begins to question his situation as he asks “what’s going on”,

suggesting the war has caused so much confusion amongst everyone. Gaye presents this

confusion to show how absurd the war is, as it destroys more than it heals the world’s problems.

This oppressed and confused tone is utilized by Gaye to show how outrageous the war is,

further supporting his ideals in terminating the war for good.

In conclusion Gaye is able to show the corrupt nature of the war in utilizing emotional

diction, protestor imagery, and a confused and oppressed tone.