One story in particular, "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong," captures this idea. Even though it had all the trappings of a typical war story on the surface, the depth of the stories Tim O’Brien writes is intense. In other words, in order for anyone to truly understand a soldier’s burden and be able to believe every story they tell, they must be fighting with them and experiencing war.Level 3. 5. A relatively safe area. The war had forced her to adapt to her surroundings, changing her from an innocent and pure young woman to a predatory killer. As the jaded, rebellious 'flaming youth' of the new era went on, it brought life to Fitzgerald's story which became and instant hit. It illustrated several of the many meaningful themes O’Brien tried to convey including the imprint of war on people, the need for actual women and those in spirit to soothe men, and the destruction of innocence. 1.The thing that transforms Mary Anne into a killer is the influence of a completely new culture and the atrocities and gore that constantly surrounds her in Vietnam. The Vietnam War was too imposing and too overwhelming a time in any person's life for him to remain unaffected by it. This story tells of the impressionable nature of human beings and their ability to adapt in threatening situations. The barber comes back and hears from a woman, Mrs. Lovett, that his wife is dead. Rat Kiley himself is affected by the war, as illustrated in "Night Life" when he couldn't take the tensions of the war so he scratched himself raw from the bites of huge imaginary bugs and shot his own toe off to get sent to Japan and out of the action. This is t… Tim O’Brien also makes use of symbols to represent innocence. It did not matter that she was a woman, like Rat says, all of the guys out there are changed. "The Swetheart of the Song Tra Bong"-Pages 85-110. However, it’s lack of believability does not make it any less compelling, and probably makes it even more compelling, because the reader does not know how it will end and therefore is drawn in to read more.3) This short story shows that no one is immune to the effects of war. He was a believer in severe discipline and was a colonel of a group of raiders of the Civil War. WriteWork.com, 01 November, 2008. explain them. Summary “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” Page 1 Page 2 Fossie tries to understand Mary Anne by transfering the values and power structure of their native Cleveland Heights to Vietnam, but the foreign culture renders his method of interpreting her behavior meaningless. At the same time as the theme of war changing people, it reiterates the themes of the need of women as an escape from reality and the loss of innocence due to the war. Tim O'Brien examines and depicts the "other" side of war that was deeper and more meaningful through the repetition of themes in his stories. Mark Fossie, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, and the young unnamed soldier all hung onto any scrap of the life back home through their connections with women to get away from the conflict, away from Vietnam, and away from the war. Vietnam, during the Vietnam War, was this monster that would taint every and anyone that stepping in its plains. Essay by And Symbolism In Sweetheart Of The Song Tra Bong, By OBrien 1362 Words6 Pages Imagery, detail, and symbolism play a crucial role in this work. The chapter “Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong” examines the transformation that occurs when this innocent girl is lifted out of the Cleveland suburbs and plunked down in the mountains of Vietnam. As Tim O’Brien said, “It wasn’t a war story. Mary Anne’s humanity was compromised not too long after becoming intrigued by Vietnam and she lost the innocence she once had to the war. Mary Anne walked through the village like a comfortable tourist. Definitely not the old Rat Kiley. Humans are highly volatile and are susceptible to suggestion and curiosity, but unless they are cautious, they can become a version of themselves that is less than ideal. Find three symbols in this chapter and In "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" Maryanne is transformed by war. The story still reflects the capabilities of war and the extremely detrimental effects it can have on human beings. A story told by Rat Kiley. It did not matter their age, their race, their gender. In Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong, setting is paramount. It was a love story.”O'Brien, Tim. Chapters 8 and 9 (“The Dentist” and “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong”) This 14-page unit contains one multiple-day lesson plan, one reading quiz and key, student handouts, graphic organizers, teacher notes, and rubrics. There was no emotion in her stare, no sense of the person behind it” (110). The story that Rat tells may be highly fantastical but that doesn’t make it any less compelling. Vietnam was a terrible war that affected many. The company had found a baby buffalo and brought it to camp with them. I don’t really know if I believe it, but it still makes the story a whole. The fact that she is a woman, based on the stereotypes of women being fragile or pure, makes this turn of events even more shocking, further drilling O’Brien’s true meaning into the minds of the audience. Mark Fossie, a medic in the Vietnam War, brought his sweetheart, Mary Anne Bell out to Vietnam. Mary Anne is a curious and very friendly seventeen-year- old girl who just graduated from high school. And during America 's decade of prosperity, excess, and abandon, he became noted as the ... ... of the contravercy it introduced. Five strategies to maximize your sales kickoff; Jan. 26, 2021 An orphan puppy was adopted by Ted Lavender who lovingly cared for it “until the day Azar strapped it to a Claymore antipersonnel mine and squeezed the firing device” (36). recalls Fitzgerald. 1. Rat Kiley was caring towards it at first, offering food and petting it, but turned on it to rid himself of his pain. Though Rat swears the story is true, O'Brien doubts its accuracy. Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong Rat Kiley often tells stories, and it's hard to know whether they actually happened or not; he believes in story-truth, not happening-truth. 05 Feb. 2021. Blog. Imagery has the function of painting a picture of the situation in the reader’s mind so that he or she is able to develop a version of the story individually. This is the case with Tim OBriens, Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong. In "The Things They Carried," Lieutenant Jimmy Cross had his unrequited love for Martha to distract him from his duties as lieutenant, and he carried letters that “were not love letters, but Lieutenant Cross was hoping” and would “spend the last hour of light pretending” (1). Another example of this theme is in the story, “In the Field,” a young unnamed soldier clung to his attachment to a girl back in the US and risked his life to retrieve the only connection he had with her. drug use? Her sense of curiosity becomes her fatal flaw as her fascination with warfare brings her into an ambush lifestyle. Start studying Sweetheart of the song tra bong. As I was reading, as it is so fantastical, I found it hard not to believe; the story is so vivid that you believe there’s no way anyone could make it up, but of course it was all fiction. She’s not even my girl anymore, she won’t...” (172). View Full Essay. The Sweetheart Of The Song Tra Bong By Tim Obrien... creature of the dark. In general. 0 votes. Mary Anne saw this first hand when she went to visit her boyfriend. Web. "The Things They Carried." It is also about the deductive analysis of Mary Anne Belle and is a collection of the progression of her character’s changes as her days in Vietnam passes by. Rat is stationed at a First Aid Station in Chu Lai near the Song Tra Bong (a river). Her narrative is filtered through a man’s (Rat Kiley’s) retelling. "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong," what transforms Mary Anne into a Does she go crazy? Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. does the story tell us about the nature of the Vietnam War? Make a list of all of Summary and Analysis Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong Summary. apbs, High School, 10th grade, A+, But the story that Rat is about to tell, he claims, is absolutely and completely true—something that he saw with his own eyes. What does the story tell us about the nature of the Vietnam War? ( ? ) This short story tells the reader that even the most innocent of people can be changed and transformed into something unimaginable. Mary Anne came to Vietnam as a very pure and innocent person who was simply visiting her boyfriend, but the more she became in tune and attached to Vietnam the more she lost that innocence. My life, I mean. The girl who showed up in the beginning would not have volunteered for that first night ambush, and it took a lot of changes to make her the girl who leaves her fiance to go on a three week mission. “He liked putting his nose into the nylon and breathing in the scent of his girlfriend’s body; he liked the memories this inspired” (117) and “[t]hey kept him safe” (118). Even though it isn’t true there are certain aspects about it that make you really think about it and become more interested in it. How so? I think this story would be the exact same if Mary Anne was a man instead of a woman, but it would not be as compelling. There was no smooth transition between war and peace for him. The Vietnam War, as shown by this story, was a monster that could gobble anyone up. She witnessed the same things another other male soldier did, so why would it be any different?2. In part it was her eyes; utterly flat and indifferent. Does it fit O'Brien's criteria for a true war story? 2. It does not necessarily matter that Mary Anne is a woman, she is just used to exemplify the nature of the Vietnam War. She wanted a taste of the war, and she began to go on missions with the men and go on patrols. WriteWork contributors. The way it's told and it's gruesome exaggerations make it compelling and the imagery sticks in your brain.Level 3. Also, explain Mary The embellishments that rat Kiley employs makes the story of Mary Anne that much more poignant and meaningful. 6. In "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong," what transforms Mary Anne into a predatory killer? hallucination? “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” was not about the war, it was about a person changed by the land and the war, and thus it is a true war story. But because of what she saw, she was hardened and lost her emotion and sense of the girl she was before, which is a thing men returning from war go through as well. What does this short story tell the reader about the nature of humanity? About war?The short story tells the reader that humanity is fragile, especially in impressionable situations like war. As Mary Anne said, “‘You can’t feel like [this] anywhere else.’ “(121) The story takes place in two places. It does not instruct… If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted… then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie” (O’Brien). On a post near the back of the bunk is the head of a leopard—its skin dangles from the rafters. See more ideas about vietnam war, vietnam war photos, vietnam. “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” was not about the war, it was about a person changed by the land and the war, and thus it is a true war story.Level 3. However, despite this story being a story, it takes itself as such and still follows these guidelines on how to tell a war story.Level 3: The story tells of how humans, even the purest ones, can be tainted in the wrong place and time. The story tells us that the Vietnam War was a surreal experience and the horrible things that were seen during the war could completely corrupt a person.2.The lack of believability does not make it any less compelling, actually quite the contrary. Tweed is an appropriate fabric for Martha, who was always very proper. Rat telling the story of Mary Anne to fellow soldiers makes it that much more believable. The Story. Not sure what I'd do without @Kibin - Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University. She was also a small escape for the other medics stationed with Mark Fossie, because "in the evenings she liked to dance to music from Rat's portable tape deck…she was good for morale" (95). WORDS 764. Or does she simply change? After letting O'Brien know his thoughts, the disquieted Norman Bowker committed suicide. The buffalo was only a baby, the picture of naïveté, but it was killed because of soldiers, because of war, despite the kindness we should show for the young. ?p=a+soldiers+sweetheart&fr=yhs-pty-pty_extension&fr2=piv-web&hspart=pty&hsimp=yhs-pty_extension#id=1&vid=0f062ddcbb987838ff9f93ab90bd8759&action=view, english.emory.edu/Bahri/MagicalRealism.html, Dennis Lehane interview--Until Gwen/Coronado, How to Tell a True War Story/More about Metafiction. This story emphasizes the vast difference between the world of Vietnam and the world back home where it was safe. Coming from a completely safe home life in Cleveland Heights, the climate of Vietnam astounds her and gives her a new perspective on what life is like. The story tells how the war was able to change “innocent” Mary Anne into a fighter and take away that part of her. When first reading “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong,” by Tim O’Brien, one might believe it is a love story turned sour, but on closer inspection, it is apparent that this story is … Mary Ann Bell appears in only one story, ''The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong.'' (2008, November 01). A Literary Analysis of Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong by Tim O'Brien PAGES 1. Does it matter that Mary Anne is a woman? Vietnam, “The Garden of Evil” is what transforms Mary Anne. Mary Anne, the baby buffalo, and the puppy’s stories were Tim O’Brien’s representations of the sadness war creates in the loss of the innocent. As detailed in the chapter How to Tell a True War Story, “A true war story is never moral. I do believe that his story is possible, and it fits Tim O’Brien’s criteria as it is part truth, part speculation, beautiful and sickening, and does not end happily, but has a moral.3. After that everything went downhill from there. “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” refutes the idea of women as one-dimensional beings who serve only to offer comfort to men. In "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong," Tim O'Brien expresses this loss when Rat says à  You come over clean and you get dirty and then afterward ità  s never the sameà  (114). On their way back, she stripped to her underwear to swim in the Song Tra Bong. Their first mistake that they made with Mary Anne was teaching her how to shoot a gun. Even after his girlfriend dumped him, he cherished the pantyhose and “tied them around his neck as a comforter” (118). There is not a one experience that a soldier has, but many different ones based on an individual’s mind and body. The horrors of Vietnam transform Mary Anne into a predatory killer. Anne’s transformation. She never went back. The lesson to be drawn from Mary Anne’s story is that the war affects women exactly the same way it does men. 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