What is the significance of the dead young Vietnamese soldier How does he impact O Brien?
The Dead Young Vietnamese Soldier Although O’Brien is unclear about whether or not he actually threw a grenade and killed a man outside My Khe, his memory of the man’s corpse is strong and recurring, symbolizing humanity’s guilt over war’s horrible acts.
What did Tim have to do three times a day no matter what?
What did Tim have to do “three times a day no matter what”? He had to smear anti bacterial ointment on his butt.
What were the soldiers doing when Lavender was killed?
What were the soldiers doing when Lavender was killed? They were on a mission to tunnel complexes and Lee Strunk had just came back. What is the “good luck charm” that Norman Bowker carries? The thumb that Mitchell Sanders gave him.
What does Tim O’Brien imagine at end of ambush?
He imagines the young man walking up the trail, passing him, smiling at a secret thought and continuing on his way.
Why does O’Brien lie to his daughter?
In “Ambush” from The Things They Carried, it appears that Tim O’Brien lies to his daughter to protect her from the realities of war. Later in the book, however, it seems that he does so because the truth about what happened in Vietnam is impossible to communicate.
What is O Brien’s reason for killing the man?
The parallels he draws to the man he killed and himself before the war show the guilt O’Brien feels for this man’s death, because he sees himself in the young, dead man. The man was raised to believe he should be courageous and fight, just as O’Brien felt he was obligated to do.
What does Bowker realize when he returns from the war?
What does Bowker realize when he returns from the war? He’s emotionally scarred. He has nowhere to go. He disgraced his family.
What does Kiowa’s death symbolize?
Kiowa’s death is symbolic of the senseless tragedy of war. He dies in a gruesome way, drowning under the muck of a sewage field about which his lieutenant, Jimmy Cross, has a bad feeling.
How are O’Brien and the man he killed similar?
O’Brien both consoles and tortures himself by indulging in a fantasy that he shares several characteristics with the man he killed. Ironically, the similarity that he imagines is a consolation for him, despite the implication that he has killed a replica of himself.
How does the Vietnamese man react to the grenade?
How does the Vietnamese man react to the grenade? He freezes in place and stares at it. He goes to run but stops to cover his head. He attempts to shoot at O’Brien.
What does the butterfly symbolize in the man I killed?
The butterfly on the chin of the Vietnamese soldier’s corpse represents transformation or reincarnation. In ancient culture, a butterfly symbolizes new life from an old one. The star-shaped hole wound that Tim inflicted on the Vietnamese soldier represents how he killed the dreams and aspirations of the soldier.
What does Kiowa say to make Tim feel better?
He is trying to make sense of what happened. O’Brien gives a hypothetical, detailed description of the dead man’s life. What does Kiowa say to make Tim feel better and to stop staring at the body? Kiowa says to talk to him.
What did Kiowa carry emotionally?
Kiowa is the emotional compass of Alpha Company, the one who gets everyone else to talk. Kiowa tries to comfort “O’Brien” after he kills the North Vietnamese soldier, and it is to Kiowa that Dobbins opens up about his respect for the clergy. Kiowa helps “O’Brien” by easing his transitions.
What did Kathleen Ask the narrator?
What did Kathleen ask the narrator? If he killed anyone in the war.
What is more important to O’Brien emotional truth vs factual truth?
But what O’Brien states – and what is really more important than factual truth – is that the emotional truth of what happened is really what counts. Postmodern theory, and one of its forms, ‘creative nonfiction,’ which some have dubbed O’Brien’s story and novel, posits that ‘factual’ truth is very difficult to prove.
What is the point of putting Kiowa’s moccasins in the ground?
What is the point of putting Kiowa’s moccasins in the ground (burying them)? He is letting the memory and burden of Kiowa’s death. After 20 years he is ready to let go of the guilt and the trauma. You just studied 3 terms!
How is Rat Kiley wounded in Vietnam?
He says that he is haunted by images of body parts, especially at night. He sees his own body and he imagines bugs chewing through him. The next morning, he shoots himself in the toe—an injury large enough to earn his release from duty.
Why does Tim O’Brien hate Bobby Jorgenson?
13) Why does O’Brien become angry at Bobby Jorgenson and eventually want to get revenge on him? O’Brien was angry at Bobby Jorgenson, the new medic who replaced Rat Kiley, for being too scared to get to O’Brien promptly after O’Brien was shot in the bottom. He “wanted to hurt Bobby Jorgenson the way he’d hurt [him].”
What happened to Morty Phillips?
O’Brien sat around with his former comrades while they caught him up on what happened since he left. One soldier, Morty Phillips, had since died of a strange tropical disease he contracted swimming in a river. Jorgenson sought out O’Brien to apologize for freezing up the time O’Brien got shot.
Why does Azar say O’Brien was pitiful?
Azar said it probably brought back memories for O’Brien for when he was a real soldier, except now he’s a “has-been” who just plays soldier. He calls O’Brien “pitiful,” and says he would rather die in battle than be him. O’Brien feels guilty now about what they are doing, but he doesn’t leave Azar alone with it.
What does Jimmy ask Tim to do when he writes his story?
What does Jimmy ask Tim to do when he writes his story? He urges O’Brien to paint him as a brave and good leader.
What do we find out LT Cross has never forgiven himself for?
Summary. Years after the end of the war, Jimmy Cross goes to visit Tim O’Brien at his home in Massachusetts. They drink coffee and smoke cigarettes, looking at photographs and reminiscing. When they come across a picture of Ted Lavender, Cross confesses that he has never forgiven himself for Lavender’s death.
Why does O’Brien consider himself a coward?
The narrator of The Things They Carried considers himself a coward because he went to Vietnam. He fought in the war.
How has Jimmy changed by the end of the story how will he be a different person from this point on?
How has Jimmy changed by the end of the story? how will he be a different person from this point on? What has he learned about himself/ what has he lost or gained? Jimmy has changed because he realized that his men and keeping his men safe were more important than Martha.
Why does O’Brien write about the soldiers being actors What roles were they acting out?
O’Brien writes of the soldiers, “they were afraid of dying but they were even more afraid to show it.” The soldiers are afraid to appear weak or vulnerable in the face of gunfire and potential death. After they come under fire, they crack obscene jokes, and they also carry themselves in ways that do not show fear.
Does Martha love Jimmy?
The love interest of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. They went on a single date in college. She sent him letters in the war and a pebble for good luck. She never marries and spends her time during and after the war abroad, working as a nurse.
Who does Jimmy think is responsible for Lavender’s death?
Cross feels guilty about his death because as the platoon leader he is responsible for the lives of his men. He feels that in his obsession about Martha he neglected to see to Lavender’s safety. As O’Brien writes about Cross: He felt shame.