Question

Which text from the short story “Ambush” by Tim O’Brien exemplifies the theme of soldiers’ reticence, or inability, to discuss their experiences at war? Later, I would remember, Kiowa tried to tell me that the man would've died anyway. He told me it was a good kill that I was a soldier and this was a war, that I should shape up and stop staring and ask myself what the dead man would've done if things were reversed. When she was nine, my daughter Kathleen asked if I had ever killed anyone. She knew about the war; she knew I'd been a soldier. "You keep writing war stories," she said, "so I guess you must've killed somebody." It was a difficult moment, but I did what seemed right, which was to say, "Of course not," and then to take her onto my lap and hold her for a while. I had come to a crouch. It was entirely automatic. I did not hate the young man; I did not see him as the enemy; I did not ponder issues of morality or politics or military duty. But here I want to pretend that she's a grown-up. I want to tell her exactly what happened, or what I remember happening, and then I want to say to her that as a little girl she was absolutely right.

Answer 1

Answer:

"When she was nine, my daughter Kathleen asked if I had ever killed anyone. She knew about the war; she knew I'd been a soldier. "You keep writing war stories," she said, "so I guess you must've killed somebody." It was a difficult moment, but I did what seemed right, which was to say, "Of course not," and then to take her onto my lap and hold her for a while."

Explanation:

In this story, O'Brien tells an incident related to war. The storyteller's nine-year-old little girl, realizing that her dad composes war stories, inquires as to whether he has ever murdered anybody.

The storyteller says no however sets out to disclose to her reality when she is developed. He at that point reviews how he executed a young fellow in Vietnam.

Answer 2

When he said “of course not” then took the girl on to his lap and hugged her.  It was his way of avoiding the discussion to which he still feels uncomfortable about.  This is because he is still haunted by his experience in war and there are many questions that are still in his mind.