Kathleen symbolizes the unknowing people that were left back home while O'Brien and the soldiers were fighting. She represents the people who had no idea what was going on
Jake Rietow I think Kathleen symbolizes O'Brien when he entered the war. Just as Kathleen doesn't know why they are on the trip, O'Brien didn't know why they were fighting the war. War to her was like "cavemen and dinosaurs." She didn't understand the point of the war just as he didn't while he was fighting it.
Kathleen may symbolize those American citizens who didn't go to Vietnam. She doesn't understand why the war was fought, why her father had to go fight it, and it was all foreign to her. Those citizens who weren't involved directly in the war will never be able to completely understand what the soldiers experienced. And Kathleen is the same. "At the same time, however, she'd seemed a bit puzzled. The war was as remote to her as cavemen and dinosaurs."
Alyssa I think that Kathleen symbolizes all the people that are in American that don't have a full view on what really happened in Vietnam. She represents the people that may have heard stories about it, but doesn't truly understand what happened there.
Kathleen symbolizes his transformation away from war. It shows that he actually tried to make something out of himself, and shows that he tried to move on after the war. She also represents to us the nieveness of people especially when they dont compleatly understand somthing. "Whats going on? A quick swim. Where? right here." She does not compleatly understand what is going on, and is very curious about what her father is doing. Just like the people in the states had no clue what was going on but they were still curious about that was going on.
Matt Maranto Kathleen is a symbol of all the people back home who are unknowing of what really happened at the war. She tries to understand all of this but being so young and no involved with the war it is difficult for her to understand. She asks "well i don't get it. I mean, how come you were even here in the first place?" O'Brien says "because I had to be" She doesn't understand this but either do the soliders who were there fighting. So in a way she represents both the People of the U.S. and the people fighting.
Kassy Saylor -Kathleen symbolizes the people who did not go to war and only heard about certain parts of it. She does not know the reason behind the war and asked O'Brein "Well, I don't get it. I mean, how come you were even here in the first place?" She is naive, just like the people were back home, along with people these days.
Kathleen symbolizes the innocence of the American people while the young men of the country are oversees fighting for the cause. She, like many of the American people, don't understand the reason for the war and cannot completely grasp why they were over there fighting. She signifies the uninformed, ignorant part of the country which reamained in America.
Chris Newbauer Kathleen symbolizes every other American who never felt or understood the effects of the war. She sees someone who is effected by it and sees it as "weird" but in all reality she has never had to endure the grueling effects of war.
Pattie Olson Kathleen symbolizes the young 'pre-war' O'Brien. She does not understand the war, asking "why was everybody so mad at everybody else?" a thing O'Brien didn't understand either. He states on page 40 that he was "politically naive" and the war seemed "wrong" to him, followed by many questions of the war. Both of them do not understand the purpose of the war. Kathleen doesn't get the emotion of the veteran O'Brien, just like pre-war O'Brien didn't understand the "philosophy" of the war, and his emotions to war-like things were also ignorant like Kathleen's.
Shauna Kathleen symbolizes a lot of people. Mostly those that have no idea what war is about or why we fight them. She symbolizes O'Brien as well because he did not understand it at first.It is very strange to her just as it was to O'Brien.
I agree with Jake. These young men had no idea what they were getting themselves into. They did not understand what or who they were fighting for, they just went out and did what they were told, no strings attached. It was all a mystery to every soldier and citizen alike.
The way that Kathleen calls her dad weird because of what he does shows the connection between her and the people that stayed home while O'Brien and the others went to war. When the soldiers returned, the were misunderstood. It's the same in this case, Kathleen doesn't understand what her dad went through and even if he explained it to her in detail, she still wouldn't. It's something that you would have to be there to understand
I think that Kathleen symbolizes the American people. The people that weren't fighting in the war and didn't have any close relations to the war probably didn't get the whole story. The people probably only heard the better stories, the ones about the people that were saved, and who was coming home on leave. The people never heard of the "ghosts of Vietnam" or the actual horrors that soldiers went through. The American people didn't understand why the war was happening or why the U.S. was involved. The concepts and reasons of the war were entirely foreign to them, just like they are to Kathleen.
Kassy Saylor -I agree with Pattie. O'Brien is so young going over to Vietnam that he had no idea what to think, along with all of the other young men. Kathleen asks questions to try and answer what she wanted to know, but O'Brien does not answer any of these fully because I do not think that he wanted her to feel like he did.
I also agree with Jake. I never looked at it this way before. Most the men that were entering the war had no clue what they were getting into. Most were living the regular high school life or working a regular job and then they get thrown into a war without much notice. They had no clue how war life was and had to make a quick transition from"boy" to "man".
Ethan I agree with Joe Joe. Kathleen symbolizes the American people that did not go to war. The people, like Kathleen, never thought about how truly bad the war was and why they even went to war with Vietnam in the first place.
Tabbetha Nice point, Jake! I have to agree. Kathleen symbolizes everything O'Brien was before the war. He was young and clueless about Vietnam. He was upset about what was going on in his own life, and only cared about getting there and back as fast as he could. Now that O'Brien is older he is realizing how much Vietnam affected his life. I think later in life Kathleen will do the same and understand what Vietnam meant in regard to her freedoms.
I agree with Jake's theory on what Kathleen symbolizes. She doesn't know why they're visiting this particular place just as O'Brien didn't know why he was fighting in a war he didn't necessarilly believe in. She also represents, in my opinion, the majority of the people who didn't go to the war and had no idea of what the soldiers went through.
I like Pattie's idea and quotes. Kathleen represents what O'Brien was like before the war had changed him. Kathleen represents all those young soldiers who come into the war naive and lost, not knowing what it is about. She asks the question that they all first asked each other, before they stopped caring and just tried to stay alive. The soldiers were like children before entering the war, like Kathleen is, and once they left they grew up, because at first they asked questions like children, yet by the end they just went along with it doing their best to make it out alive.
I agree that Kathleen symbolizes the American people that had no idea what the war was like, but she also represents the innocence of the young soldiers before they witnessed the deaths of Vietnam. I agree with Jake that she doesn't understand the war just like O'Brien hadn't.
Anthony
ReplyDeleteKathleen symbolizes the unknowing people that were left back home while O'Brien and the soldiers were fighting. She represents the people who had no idea what was going on
Jake Rietow
ReplyDeleteI think Kathleen symbolizes O'Brien when he entered the war. Just as Kathleen doesn't know why they are on the trip, O'Brien didn't know why they were fighting the war. War to her was like "cavemen and dinosaurs." She didn't understand the point of the war just as he didn't while he was fighting it.
Interesting parallel Jake that I had not considered.
ReplyDeleteDanielle Williams
ReplyDeleteKathleen may symbolize those American citizens who didn't go to Vietnam. She doesn't understand why the war was fought, why her father had to go fight it, and it was all foreign to her. Those citizens who weren't involved directly in the war will never be able to completely understand what the soldiers experienced. And Kathleen is the same. "At the same time, however, she'd seemed a bit puzzled. The war was as remote to her as cavemen and dinosaurs."
Alyssa
ReplyDeleteI think that Kathleen symbolizes all the people that are in American that don't have a full view on what really happened in Vietnam. She represents the people that may have heard stories about it, but doesn't truly understand what happened there.
Jared
ReplyDeleteKathleen symbolizes his transformation away from war. It shows that he actually tried to make something out of himself, and shows that he tried to move on after the war. She also represents to us the nieveness of people especially when they dont compleatly understand somthing. "Whats going on? A quick swim. Where? right here." She does not compleatly understand what is going on, and is very curious about what her father is doing. Just like the people in the states had no clue what was going on but they were still curious about that was going on.
Matt Maranto
ReplyDeleteKathleen is a symbol of all the people back home who are unknowing of what really happened at the war. She tries to understand all of this but being so young and no involved with the war it is difficult for her to understand. She asks "well i don't get it. I mean, how come you were even here in the first place?" O'Brien says "because I had to be" She doesn't understand this but either do the soliders who were there fighting. So in a way she represents both the People of the U.S. and the people fighting.
Kassy Saylor
ReplyDelete-Kathleen symbolizes the people who did not go to war and only heard about certain parts of it. She does not know the reason behind the war and asked O'Brein "Well, I don't get it. I mean, how come you were even here in the first place?" She is naive, just like the people were back home, along with people these days.
Ms. D.
ReplyDeleteJake, good observation....
Joe Rietow
ReplyDeleteKathleen symbolizes the innocence of the American people while the young men of the country are oversees fighting for the cause. She, like many of the American people, don't understand the reason for the war and cannot completely grasp why they were over there fighting. She signifies the uninformed, ignorant part of the country which reamained in America.
Chris Newbauer
ReplyDeleteKathleen symbolizes every other American who never felt or understood the effects of the war. She sees someone who is effected by it and sees it as "weird" but in all reality she has never had to endure the grueling effects of war.
Pattie Olson
ReplyDeleteKathleen symbolizes the young 'pre-war' O'Brien. She does not understand the war, asking "why was everybody so mad at everybody else?" a thing O'Brien didn't understand either. He states on page 40 that he was "politically naive" and the war seemed "wrong" to him, followed by many questions of the war. Both of them do not understand the purpose of the war. Kathleen doesn't get the emotion of the veteran O'Brien, just like pre-war O'Brien didn't understand the "philosophy" of the war, and his emotions to war-like things were also ignorant like Kathleen's.
Shauna
ReplyDeleteKathleen symbolizes a lot of people. Mostly those that have no idea what war is about or why we fight them. She symbolizes O'Brien as well because he did not understand it at first.It is very strange to her just as it was to O'Brien.
Stef
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jake. These young men had no idea what they were getting themselves into. They did not understand what or who they were fighting for, they just went out and did what they were told, no strings attached. It was all a mystery to every soldier and citizen alike.
excellent Pattie - you used the perfect quote in support
ReplyDeleteAnthony
ReplyDeleteThe way that Kathleen calls her dad weird because of what he does shows the connection between her and the people that stayed home while O'Brien and the others went to war. When the soldiers returned, the were misunderstood. It's the same in this case, Kathleen doesn't understand what her dad went through and even if he explained it to her in detail, she still wouldn't. It's something that you would have to be there to understand
Amber Janson
ReplyDeleteI think that Kathleen symbolizes the American people. The people that weren't fighting in the war and didn't have any close relations to the war probably didn't get the whole story. The people probably only heard the better stories, the ones about the people that were saved, and who was coming home on leave. The people never heard of the "ghosts of Vietnam" or the actual horrors that soldiers went through. The American people didn't understand why the war was happening or why the U.S. was involved. The concepts and reasons of the war were entirely foreign to them, just like they are to Kathleen.
Kassy Saylor
ReplyDelete-I agree with Pattie. O'Brien is so young going over to Vietnam that he had no idea what to think, along with all of the other young men. Kathleen asks questions to try and answer what she wanted to know, but O'Brien does not answer any of these fully because I do not think that he wanted her to feel like he did.
Chris Newbauer
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Jake. I never looked at it this way before. Most the men that were entering the war had no clue what they were getting into. Most were living the regular high school life or working a regular job and then they get thrown into a war without much notice. They had no clue how war life was and had to make a quick transition from"boy" to "man".
I kept skipping over this question because I didnt understand reading Patties blog made me understand what I was missing.
ReplyDeleteEthan
ReplyDeleteI agree with Joe Joe. Kathleen symbolizes the American people that did not go to war. The people, like Kathleen, never thought about how truly bad the war was and why they even went to war with Vietnam in the first place.
Tabbetha
ReplyDeleteNice point, Jake! I have to agree. Kathleen symbolizes everything O'Brien was before the war. He was young and clueless about Vietnam. He was upset about what was going on in his own life, and only cared about getting there and back as fast as he could. Now that O'Brien is older he is realizing how much Vietnam affected his life. I think later in life Kathleen will do the same and understand what Vietnam meant in regard to her freedoms.
Jimbo Krause
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jake's theory on what Kathleen symbolizes. She doesn't know why they're visiting this particular place just as O'Brien didn't know why he was fighting in a war he didn't necessarilly believe in. She also represents, in my opinion, the majority of the people who didn't go to the war and had no idea of what the soldiers went through.
Nolan Surma.
ReplyDeleteI like Pattie's idea and quotes. Kathleen represents what O'Brien was like before the war had changed him. Kathleen represents all those young soldiers who come into the war naive and lost, not knowing what it is about. She asks the question that they all first asked each other, before they stopped caring and just tried to stay alive. The soldiers were like children before entering the war, like Kathleen is, and once they left they grew up, because at first they asked questions like children, yet by the end they just went along with it doing their best to make it out alive.
Sam Snyder
ReplyDeleteI agree that Kathleen symbolizes the American people that had no idea what the war was like, but she also represents the innocence of the young soldiers before they witnessed the deaths of Vietnam. I agree with Jake that she doesn't understand the war just like O'Brien hadn't.