He's attempting to reconcile his wrongs, to make himself feel better about what happened before. Like Norman, O'Brien wants to feel better about what he did in Vietnam, to relinquish his guilt
O'Brien is attempting to complete his mourning over the death of Kiowa. By returning to the death site and leaving the moccassins, he believes he is in a way ending his guilt for the death of Kiowa. It is similar to Norman Bowker in Norman attempted to do the same thing by entering the lake he drove around. He tried to get in the lake and wash away his previous sins with the hope that the guilt would wash away as well, though in Bokwer's case, it didn't work and he went on to commit suicide. They both used water to try and wash away their guilty feelings, O'Brien just took it a step further by returning to the death site.
Jake Rietow In this chapter, O'Brien is trying to get closer for Kiowa's death. He wants to get the event out of his mind, but cannot find a way. He returns to escape from the memory. "In a way, maybe, I'd gone under with Kiowa, and now after two decades I'd finally worked my way out." This instance is similar to Norman Bowker because he too was looking for a form of closure from the war, a way to get it out of his mind. But Bowker could not, and ended up committing suicide, showing the heaviness of the memories. O'Briend "finally worked [his] way out."
Tabbetha Lueth O'Brien is trying to forget about Vietnam and move on with his life. O'Brien says,"In a way, maybe, I'd gone under with Kiowa, and now afte two decades I'd finally worked my way out." He wants to come to peace with himself about Kiowa's death, Vietnam, and go back to how he used to be before the war.
Jared When O'Brien wades out into the water he is trying to wash away all of his memories that he has carried around with him for his whole life. He is trying to wash Kiowas death off of his hands because he could have saved him, but the smell was to bad and it prevented him from doing anything. But when he finally comes up out of the water after putting the mocicins in the water he is dirty and slimy, there is no possible way to compleatly rid yourself of the memories that you have over your lifetime.
Krisitne O'Brien is trying to express his feelings and experiences from the war. He is having similar difficulties as Norman was. He wants to tell someone, anyone but he cannot find the words. Wehn he does try to express anything to his daughter she doesnt understand because she is to young
Tim is trying to "look for signs of forgiveness or personal grace or whatever else the land might offer." He wants to get an inner peace that helps him forget about the way Kiowa had died and how frantic he was about blaming himself. This took him 20 years to finally come and try and get rid of this guiltiness. This resembles Norman Bowker who blamed himself for killing Kiowa too. Norman tried to have someone write about it instead of actually visiting the place where it happened to relieve the stress and nightmares.
In this chapter, O'Brian is trying to forgive his guilt about what happened to Kiowa in the field. He is trying to make things right with himself and Kiowa at the same time. He wades into the water because Kiowa had slid under the water as he died. This is similar to Bowker because both when O'Brian goes to the field, and Norman circling the lake are the ways in which they are trying to find closure. They are both trying to "forgive and forget" how neither of them could save Kiowa's life.
O'Brien is attempting to come to terms with everything that he did during the war. He thinks about how even twenty years later the coldness inside him has never really gone away. O'Brien is trying to resolve all his war experiences because to him they seem to revolve around that field. Norman Bowker tried to resolve his issues with Kiowa's death by writting about it. He tried to resolve everything but just ended up making himself feel worse. O'Brien however finally begins to make peace with his past and move on.
Alyssa While coming back to Vietnam, O'Brien wants to get the past out of his system and move on. Although he knows its going to stay with him, he doesn't want it to have the complete controlling of his life. Like Norman he wanted to tell everybody about what he went through but couldn't exactly bring himself to doing it himself. O'Brien expresses himself to his daugther as he takes her to Vietnam. Though unlike Norman, O'Brien is taking steps forward with coping with his past experiences in the war.
Ethan I agree with Kristine's comment. O'Brien trys to explain to his daughter about his experiences from the war, but she doesn't understand him. She is clueless. Norman Bowker feels the same way. He can't explain what happened over seas to anyone because they wouldn't understand him. He keeps everything to himself.
Kristine I think Matt looked at the section to broadly, you have to look deeper and see the both men wanted to tell their stories and experiences from Nam and they were both unsuccessful. Except O'Brien is writting these books
Kristine they both did tell their stories just in different ways Browker did it through his letters and what he wanted O'brien to put in his book and the whole part of the story where he is driving around the lake was his way of trying to get his feelings out in the open when nobody would talk to him or he didnt want to tell anybody about the story when Kiowa died.
I'm going to agree wit Joe on this and take it a little further. I also think that he is trying to justify his actions that night to himself. He is admitting to himself that he messed up and trying to justify his actions to himself. If he is honest with himself he the guilt will be easier to live with
In this chapter, Tim is trying to relieve himself of the memories that have been haunting him of the war since he returned. He goes back to the field where Kiowa died and returns the moccasins where he thinks Kiowa went under. As he does this he strips down and wades into the muddy water in order to replay that night in his head. He must believe that this will clear his head of all the pain and hurt he still feels.
I agree with Alyssa's comment. He couldn't bring himself to talk about his war experiences with anyone, but he was able to try and reenact the night as he remembers it and hope that this helps him clear his mind.
Anthony
ReplyDeleteHe's attempting to reconcile his wrongs, to make himself feel better about what happened before. Like Norman, O'Brien wants to feel better about what he did in Vietnam, to relinquish his guilt
Joe Rietow
ReplyDeleteO'Brien is attempting to complete his mourning over the death of Kiowa. By returning to the death site and leaving the moccassins, he believes he is in a way ending his guilt for the death of Kiowa. It is similar to Norman Bowker in Norman attempted to do the same thing by entering the lake he drove around. He tried to get in the lake and wash away his previous sins with the hope that the guilt would wash away as well, though in Bokwer's case, it didn't work and he went on to commit suicide. They both used water to try and wash away their guilty feelings, O'Brien just took it a step further by returning to the death site.
Jake Rietow
ReplyDeleteIn this chapter, O'Brien is trying to get closer for Kiowa's death. He wants to get the event out of his mind, but cannot find a way. He returns to escape from the memory. "In a way, maybe, I'd gone under with Kiowa, and now after two decades I'd finally worked my way out." This instance is similar to Norman Bowker because he too was looking for a form of closure from the war, a way to get it out of his mind. But Bowker could not, and ended up committing suicide, showing the heaviness of the memories. O'Briend "finally worked [his] way out."
Tabbetha Lueth
ReplyDeleteO'Brien is trying to forget about Vietnam and move on with his life. O'Brien says,"In a way, maybe, I'd gone under with Kiowa, and now afte two decades I'd finally worked my way out." He wants to come to peace with himself about Kiowa's death, Vietnam, and go back to how he used to be before the war.
Jared
ReplyDeleteWhen O'Brien wades out into the water he is trying to wash away all of his memories that he has carried around with him for his whole life. He is trying to wash Kiowas death off of his hands because he could have saved him, but the smell was to bad and it prevented him from doing anything. But when he finally comes up out of the water after putting the mocicins in the water he is dirty and slimy, there is no possible way to compleatly rid yourself of the memories that you have over your lifetime.
Krisitne
ReplyDeleteO'Brien is trying to express his feelings and experiences from the war. He is having similar difficulties as Norman was. He wants to tell someone, anyone but he cannot find the words. Wehn he does try to express anything to his daughter she doesnt understand because she is to young
Stef
ReplyDeleteTim is trying to "look for signs of forgiveness or personal grace or whatever else the land might offer." He wants to get an inner peace that helps him forget about the way Kiowa had died and how frantic he was about blaming himself. This took him 20 years to finally come and try and get rid of this guiltiness. This resembles Norman Bowker who blamed himself for killing Kiowa too. Norman tried to have someone write about it instead of actually visiting the place where it happened to relieve the stress and nightmares.
Amber Janson
ReplyDeleteIn this chapter, O'Brian is trying to forgive his guilt about what happened to Kiowa in the field. He is trying to make things right with himself and Kiowa at the same time. He wades into the water because Kiowa had slid under the water as he died. This is similar to Bowker because both when O'Brian goes to the field, and Norman circling the lake are the ways in which they are trying to find closure. They are both trying to "forgive and forget" how neither of them could save Kiowa's life.
Danielle Williams
ReplyDeleteO'Brien is attempting to come to terms with everything that he did during the war. He thinks about how even twenty years later the coldness inside him has never really gone away. O'Brien is trying to resolve all his war experiences because to him they seem to revolve around that field.
Norman Bowker tried to resolve his issues with Kiowa's death by writting about it. He tried to resolve everything but just ended up making himself feel worse. O'Brien however finally begins to make peace with his past and move on.
Alyssa
ReplyDeleteWhile coming back to Vietnam, O'Brien wants to get the past out of his system and move on. Although he knows its going to stay with him, he doesn't want it to have the complete controlling of his life. Like Norman he wanted to tell everybody about what he went through but couldn't exactly bring himself to doing it himself. O'Brien expresses himself to his daugther as he takes her to Vietnam. Though unlike Norman, O'Brien is taking steps forward with coping with his past experiences in the war.
Ethan
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kristine's comment. O'Brien trys to explain to his daughter about his experiences from the war, but she doesn't understand him. She is clueless. Norman Bowker feels the same way. He can't explain what happened over seas to anyone because they wouldn't understand him. He keeps everything to himself.
Kristine
ReplyDeleteI think Matt looked at the section to broadly, you have to look deeper and see the both men wanted to tell their stories and experiences from Nam and they were both unsuccessful. Except O'Brien is writting these books
Jared
ReplyDeleteKristine they both did tell their stories just in different ways Browker did it through his letters and what he wanted O'brien to put in his book and the whole part of the story where he is driving around the lake was his way of trying to get his feelings out in the open when nobody would talk to him or he didnt want to tell anybody about the story when Kiowa died.
Derek
ReplyDeleteI'm going to agree wit Joe on this and take it a little further. I also think that he is trying to justify his actions that night to himself. He is admitting to himself that he messed up and trying to justify his actions to himself. If he is honest with himself he the guilt will be easier to live with
Jimbo Krause
ReplyDeleteIn this chapter, Tim is trying to relieve himself of the memories that have been haunting him of the war since he returned. He goes back to the field where Kiowa died and returns the moccasins where he thinks Kiowa went under. As he does this he strips down and wades into the muddy water in order to replay that night in his head. He must believe that this will clear his head of all the pain and hurt he still feels.
Jimbo Krause
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alyssa's comment. He couldn't bring himself to talk about his war experiences with anyone, but he was able to try and reenact the night as he remembers it and hope that this helps him clear his mind.