"Ambush"

The Analysis   

  In this chapter Tim begins to explain the events and rapid thoughts prior to killing an enemy solider. When applying some of the key elements of, How to Read Literature Like a Professor an analysis of "Ambush" begins to form. The chapter "It's Going to Hurt Me More Than It's Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence" is correct in relation to Tim's feelings after killing the man. Immediately after hearing footsteps in the jungle he feels uncomfortable and jumps to what he's been taught to do, kill. Though, he did not really want to kill the enemy solider. This act of violence was symbolic, the enemy solider represented his fear. Before throwing a grenade Tim states that there were, "no thoughts about killing. The grenade was to make him go away- just evaporate... It never occurred to me then that he was about to die." (O' Brian 133)  After the young solider's death he begins to feel remorse as he gazes upon the body and imagines a whole life that was possibly his. Kiowa insists the man's death was inevitable.

     Another chapter from How to Read Literature Like a Professor that could relate to most of chapters within Tim's book is "Geography Matters". Considering Tim's actions before going to war, the reader can infer he was afraid of being in Vietnam. While he is on guard in the dense terrain the fog, jungle, and mosquitoes hover around him. They are all aspects of Vietnam, which Tim explains are constantly pestering him. The character is trapped in a foreign wilderness that causes confusion and anxiety. It's not what he knows to be home, he lacks security.

     In Stephan King's novel "On Writing" he explains that the good stories come from life experiences. Tim O'Brien did fight as a solider in Vietnam and (as uncomfortable as it may seem) could have come into a situation similar to "Ambush". Although some truths may be exaggerated, his descriptions of the moment leading up to the death were authentic and true feelings. O’Brian also utilized simple sentences that did not require excessive adjectives to convey the desired meaning.

Questions

1.      Norman Bowker urged O’Brian to write Ambush. True/False

2.      Why did O’Brian hope his daughter would ask if he had killed a man again?
A. So he could reassure her he hadn’t.
B. So he could explain the story once she’s of age.
C. So he could reiterate the gruesome event.
D. So he could inspire her to join the military.

3.      Why did O’Brian continue writing war stories?
A. Because he enjoyed telling his stories.
B. Because he wanted people to think of him as a hero.
C. Because they dead lived on through stories.
D. Because the stories made him wealthy.

4.      How old was the man O’Brian killed?
A. 20
B. 17
C. 19
D. 23

5.      What was the significance of O’Brian’s fearful setting before the man appeared?
A. He was unable to see what he was doing.
B. He took out too many grenades.
C. It represented his lack of security.
D. It represented confidence in his abilities.

6.      O’Brian requested mosquito repellent from Kiowa before the man appeared. True/False

7.      When seeing the Vietnamese soldier on the trail he appeared
A. Menacing
B. Paranoid
C. At ease
D. Determined

8.      O’Brian acted without thought during his encounter with the Vietcong. True/False

9.      What was the significance of O’Brian’s thoughtful attitude toward the man he killed?
A. It showed he genuinely felt guilty for what he had done.
B. It introduced another character.
C. It conveyed disrespectful feelings for the dead soldier.
D. It gave an example of the usual life for a young Vietnamese man.

10.  The grenade created an uproar that alerted nearby enemy soldiers. True/False

11.  Kiowa explains that the young man’s death was inevitable. True/False

12.  When did O’Brian forgive himself?
A. Never did, and never will.
B. Sometimes he did, other times he did not.
C. Immediately afterwards.
D. After telling his daughter the story.