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Blog Assignment #7

1) On page 86 Kien talks about seeing one of his old war comrades, do you think that this was a effect of post traumatic stress syndrome?

2) Why do you think Kien was suddenly having flashbacks of the Screaming Jungle?

3) What do you think writing did for Kien, far as helping with the after effects of the war?

4) Why do you think Kien was sadly wandering the streets on page 86?

5) What do you think Kien was talking about when he said writing lead him into a labyrinth?

6) Why do you think Kien said that the dead sometimes had more meaning than the living?

7) What does the quote "dying and surviving were separated by a thin line" mean to you?

8) On pages 95-96 Quang tells Kien to shoot him and put him out of his misery, but Kien decides not to do it. Why do you think Kien choose not to shoot and what would you do if you were placed in the same predicament?

9) On page 93 Kien expresses his remorse for not coming in time to save the injured solider in the crater, do you think even if Kien came back in time he would've managed to save him?

10) What does the quote," the sorrow of war inside a soldier's heart was in a strange way similar to the sorrow of love", mean to you?

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 17, 2016 at 11:29 AM

    2. I believe that Kien was still having flashbacks of the Screaming Jungle because the memories were so traumatizing that they started to haunt him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownNovember 17, 2016 at 6:55 PM

      I agree, I also believe that something that traumatic would take an toll on an individual.

      Delete
  2. UnknownNovember 17, 2016 at 6:17 PM

    #8: I believe that Kien didn't shoot because although that's what Quang wanted, Kien would have to live with that choice forever. I would've done the same in Kien's position, for the same reason.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownNovember 17, 2016 at 6:56 PM

      I agree, because I don't think Kien would want to live with his death on his conscious.

      Delete
  3. UnknownNovember 17, 2016 at 6:17 PM

    #8: I believe that Kien didn't shoot because although that's what Quang wanted, Kien would have to live with that choice forever. I would've done the same in Kien's position, for the same reason.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Katore JamesNovember 17, 2016 at 7:00 PM

    What does the quote "dying and surviving were separated by a thin line" mean to you?

    To me this quote means being alive and being dead are very close to each other. During the war at one moment you could be alive and the next moment you could be dead. In the beginning of the story Vinh was alive before he decided to desert camp. Not long after he left Vinh was found dead the the MIA gatherings team. Also diseases plagued many people of Vietnam. Additionally, with little help in aid many people went untreated and then passed. Even when the Saigonese soldier fell in the trench and got stabbed he was still very much alive. After the downpour he was no where to be found. In conclusion the quote " dying and surviving is separated by a very thin line" is very true relating to the course this story.

    ReplyDelete

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