Question

In the story “Ambush,” what effect does the frame story with O’Brien’s daughter have on the overall structure and meaning of the story? How does the title relate to the multiple narratives in this story?

Answer 1

The frame story depicts the author’s daughter, Kathleen, asking whether her father had ever killed someone in war. The fact that the author struggles to answer this question, and even lies to his daughter, shows that this issue still weighs heavily on him. Thus, this frame story adds depth and weight to the central story about the battle in My Khe and the killing of a young Vietnamese soldier. The frame story illustrates that incidents from the war have resonated throughout the author’s life