What does O'Brien's desire to hurt Jorgenson reveal about his development as a character? Use specific quotes from the text to support your response.
10 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Katelyn Peters:
O'Brien's rash actions show a lot about how war is affecting him. It's understanding how he is upset at Jorgenson but the hatred he harbors and acts upon reveals the impact of the atmosphere around him.
O'Brien notices the change in himself stating that, "[He'd] turn mean inside. Even a little cruel at times...It's a hard thing to admit, even to [him]self, but [he] was capable of evil" (200). His former educated and reasonable thoughts have been washed away and replaced with anger and a need for revenge. He loses himself and is pulled into the evils of his surroundings; the ghosts lingering in the night, the inevitable enemy lurking in the shadows, and all the horrors of war.
Kaitlyn Betz O'Brien's craving for revenge on Jorgenson reveals how drastically the war has altered O'Briens' personality, "I'd come to this war a quiet, thoughtful sort of person... but after seven months in the bush I realized that those high, civilized trappings had somehow been crushed... I'd turned mean inside. Even a little cruel at times. For all my education, all my fine liberal values, I now felt a deep coldness inside me, something dark and beyond reason" (200).
The war has distorted O'Briens rationality, and turned him into a sad, lonely man who partners up with Azar (although he dislikes him) in order to seek revenge on some poor guy who was just frightened. O'Briens' kindness has cracked under pressure.
O'Brien's fragile emotional state is being tested during this chapter. So far throughout the book, O'Brien is describing details about other characters getting wounded and killed, but now there it's his experience first hand and through his ideas of "truth". O'Brien's stability shifts after his second wound, when he is overcome with the urge to hurt/kill Jergonson. For me personally, I commended O'Brien for his ability to lead a somewhat normal life after reading about the death of Norman Bowker. However, during this chapter it's clear that war has it's affects on everyone, including O'Brien. During the beginning of his injury, he is mad and full of vengence, "I'd lie there all fidgety and tight, then after a while I'd feel a swell of anger come on. I'd squirm around, cussing, half nuts with pain, and pretty soon I'd start remembering how Bobby Jorgenson had almost killed me" (192) and "I'd head down to the wire and stare out at the darkness, out where the war was, and think up ways to make Bobby Jergonson feel exactly what I felt. I wanted to hurt him" (193). Later, O'Brien is even more emotionally unstable after Jergonson realizes it's him that's causing all the smoke and fire, "I was trembling. I kept hugging myself, rocking, but I couldn't make it go away" (216). O'Brien is suddenly vulnerable, and almost childlike in his break down. It's amazing to watch him go from one extreme to the next.
LaTausha Cotner: O'brien is growing from the war but not always in a positive mannar. He holds a grudge but doesn't even know why, other than he almost died. Dying is major, but did he ever freeze up, sure he did. He was holding Jorgenson responsible, yet, Jorgenson was not the man that shot him. He is angry but can not imagine how he could be angry for so long. He blamed Jorgenson for him almost dying and also for taking his men from him, "People change. Situations change. I hate to say this, man, but you're out of touch. Jorgenson-he's with us now."..."and I'm not", this was the last straw. O'brien's anger hit the max, but he still didn't understand how he could be so angry(197). Tim's experience in the war has caused him to harbor anger because that's how soldiers survive. The anger for the enemy, the desire for life after losing someone, it's all a coping mechanism.For Tim, the enemy was Jorgenson, the man who caused him to almost die.
He is growing. He has no choice but to change. He grows maturity, yet the war can have a downward grow as well. It can cause bitterness and turmoil for the men involved against each other or the enemy. For Tim it's another soldier, Jorgenson.
Elisabeth to Katelyn Peters: I think Katelyn did a really good job in explaining why O'Brien acts out in the way he does against Jorgenson. She is completely right when saying that the war is what is leading O'Brien to do irrational and sometimes evil actions. This war has completely removed the old Tim O'Brien and has made him into a completely different person and Katelyn did a good job with her quotes explaining this point.
I love Katelyn Peters' post. Although I was absent on Monday, I did my journal on this subject. I didn't quite figure out why he was so malicious towards Jorgenson. Her specific quotes and to-the-point explanation really opened my eyes. Too bad it's too late to rewrite my journal. ;-)
10 comments:
Katelyn Peters:
O'Brien's rash actions show a lot about how war is affecting him. It's understanding how he is upset at Jorgenson but the hatred he harbors and acts upon reveals the impact of the atmosphere around him.
O'Brien notices the change in himself stating that, "[He'd] turn mean inside. Even a little cruel at times...It's a hard thing to admit, even to [him]self, but [he] was capable of evil" (200). His former educated and reasonable thoughts have been washed away and replaced with anger and a need for revenge. He loses himself and is pulled into the evils of his surroundings; the ghosts lingering in the night, the inevitable enemy lurking in the shadows, and all the horrors of war.
Excellent Katelyn- quotes provide specific,supporting evidence
Kaitlyn Betz
O'Brien's craving for revenge on Jorgenson reveals how drastically the war has altered O'Briens' personality, "I'd come to this war a quiet, thoughtful sort of person... but after seven months in the bush I realized that those high, civilized trappings had somehow been crushed... I'd turned mean inside. Even a little cruel at times. For all my education, all my fine liberal values, I now felt a deep coldness inside me, something dark and beyond reason" (200).
The war has distorted O'Briens rationality, and turned him into a sad, lonely man who partners up with Azar (although he dislikes him) in order to seek revenge on some poor guy who was just frightened. O'Briens' kindness has cracked under pressure.
O'Brien's fragile emotional state is being tested during this chapter. So far throughout the book, O'Brien is describing details about other characters getting wounded and killed, but now there it's his experience first hand and through his ideas of "truth". O'Brien's stability shifts after his second wound, when he is overcome with the urge to hurt/kill Jergonson. For me personally, I commended O'Brien for his ability to lead a somewhat normal life after reading about the death of Norman Bowker. However, during this chapter it's clear that war has it's affects on everyone, including O'Brien. During the beginning of his injury, he is mad and full of vengence, "I'd lie there all fidgety and tight, then after a while I'd feel a swell of anger come on. I'd squirm around, cussing, half nuts with pain, and pretty soon I'd start remembering how Bobby Jorgenson had almost killed me" (192) and "I'd head down to the wire and stare out at the darkness, out where the war was, and think up ways to make Bobby Jergonson feel exactly what I felt. I wanted to hurt him" (193). Later, O'Brien is even more emotionally unstable after Jergonson realizes it's him that's causing all the smoke and fire, "I was trembling. I kept hugging myself, rocking, but I couldn't make it go away" (216). O'Brien is suddenly vulnerable, and almost childlike in his break down. It's amazing to watch him go from one extreme to the next.
^ Amy
LaTausha Cotner:
O'brien is growing from the war but not always in a positive mannar. He holds a grudge but doesn't even know why, other than he almost died. Dying is major, but did he ever freeze up, sure he did. He was holding Jorgenson responsible, yet, Jorgenson was not the man that shot him. He is angry but can not imagine how he could be angry for so long. He blamed Jorgenson for him almost dying and also for taking his men from him, "People change. Situations change. I hate to say this, man, but you're out of touch. Jorgenson-he's with us now."..."and I'm not", this was the last straw. O'brien's anger hit the max, but he still didn't understand how he could be so angry(197). Tim's experience in the war has caused him to harbor anger because that's how soldiers survive. The anger for the enemy, the desire for life after losing someone, it's all a coping mechanism.For Tim, the enemy was Jorgenson, the man who caused him to almost die.
interesting..."growing from the war"
LaTausha---> Mrs. Matysak.
He is growing. He has no choice but to change. He grows maturity, yet the war can have a downward grow as well. It can cause bitterness and turmoil for the men involved against each other or the enemy. For Tim it's another soldier, Jorgenson.
Elisabeth to Katelyn Peters:
I think Katelyn did a really good job in explaining why O'Brien acts out in the way he does against Jorgenson. She is completely right when saying that the war is what is leading O'Brien to do irrational and sometimes evil actions. This war has completely removed the old Tim O'Brien and has made him into a completely different person and Katelyn did a good job with her quotes explaining this point.
Darienne Griffith
@ Katelynn Peters
I love Katelyn Peters' post. Although I was absent on Monday, I did my journal on this subject. I didn't quite figure out why he was so malicious towards Jorgenson. Her specific quotes and to-the-point explanation really opened my eyes. Too bad it's too late to rewrite my journal. ;-)
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