The Things They Carried
In the chapter “Field Trip” why did O'Brien not only go back to the field that Kiowa died at, but why did he bring his daughter?
In earlier chapters O'Brien says that he doesn't want to talk about the war with his daughter and doesn't want to tell her he killed someone. Yet he takes her to a spot that has heavy significance to him from the vietnam war. I believe O’Brian was hoping he could get closer from seeing the same place that his comrade kiowa died at in a different light and different time. People with traumatic experiences often go back to the place that they experienced trauma years later to find closure. He brought his daughter because he wanted her to know about the was and that he is still in pain. She was to young to understand at the time what was going on (since it was her tenth birthday) and paid more attention to the tour guide doing tricks rather than the sites they were visiting. O’Brien desperate for closure jumps into the murky water field and scares his daughter.
What do you think he is trying to do by jumping in the water? I think he gets caught up in all the emotion and maybe feels that he is back in the war. That he could maybe still save people.
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