"A few months after completing "In the Field," I returned with my daughter to Vietnam, where we visited the site of Kiowa's death, and where i looked for signs of forgiveness or personal grace or whatever else the land might offer." This is a quote fro the story "Field Trip" this story affected the most i think because it made me think how odd of a feeling it must have been to visit the very place where one of your best friends died so many years ago. it must have been not only sad but at the same time just weird to look around and remember such awful times that took place right where you are standing. He could probably hear, see, taste, and smell some of the very things he did twenty years ago when all of those awful things took place in that field. Not only was it hard to revisit this place but I couldn't imagine how it must have felt to be with people who could not possibly appreciate the significance of that muddy field. That had to be awful, nobody to talk to who understood the true symbolism of that area.
The character that I would say I most relate to is Azar. Not because i'm rough, mean, cold, or brutal, but because if i were in war I feel that I would make myself become that mean, hard, and cold person. I would have to. If I dwelled in self pity for being there or for killing people I would only hurt my chances of survival. war is hell on earth and if you want to be able to deal and cope with hell you have to be able to be friends with the devil as long as it means your chances for surviving and seeing your loved ones again get better.
Norman Bowker reminds me a lot of Brian Lyons in the documentary Rebirth. the reason they are so similar to me is because they both suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, and it affected them greatly. Both people had trouble dealing with life after going through the traumatic events that led to their disorders. Bryan Lyons was able to find help and reach out and he eventually made it through however Norman Bowker was not as lucky and eventually, unfortunately took his own life.these two characters are very similar in ways and are different in some cases but one thing is clear both situations that led to their post traumatic stress disorder were extraordinarily unfortunate.
I agree that norman and bowker and are both similar characters in the fact that they suffered from post traumatic stress but brian was able to get through it unlike norman who killed himself.
ReplyDelete