O'Brien's Poetic Tactics and Storytelling Ability
O'Brien employs poetic tactics to resolve his role in Vietnam's atrocities. Most notably, his storytelling ability reflects his exceptional creative abilities. In an apparent effort to overcome post-war depression, O'Brien employs his imagination to use narration as a means of reintegration into society.
The Power of Narrative
O'Brien emphasizes the power of narrative in the final passage. This is shown in his narration, in which his father takes him to see the body and tells him stories that later cause Linda to appear in his dreams, and they participate in several sports together, such as ice skating. In yet another instance, Vietnamese kept the dead alive through stories such as that of Ted and Rat Kiley.
O'Brien's Traumatic Experiences
From the passage, O'Brien experiences trauma in a number of instances that greatly affect him. This is noted in the instances where he is told about the death of Linda by Nick. O'Brien, who believed they were in love, leaves school and goes home where he cries over the death of Linda. Linda later appears to him and asks why he was crying, and he replies it was because she was dead. In yet another instance, O'Brien experiences trauma when in the company of Linda, he went to watch a World War II movie where they found a dead service man who had planted misleading files. This was a traumatizing experience for O'Brien.
The Power of Imagination
Imagination is another style brought out by O'Brien. This can be seen when he receives the news about the death of Linda and goes home. Upon arrival, he closed his eyes and through his imagination, he sees Linda healthy as opposed to the reality seen in class when Nick teasingly removed Linda's cap. It is seen that most of Linda's hair is gone and she had a large bandage covering a stitch at the back of her head. The passage epitomizes the power of imagination and storytelling in expressing human experiences.
