Haley White O'Brien tells readers how they "called the enemy ghosts. Bad night, we'd say, the ghosts are out. To get spooked, in hte lingo, meant not only to get scared but to get killed."(202) This idea, that the enemy are ghosts, likely inspired his plan for revenge upon Jorgenson, given the use of the otherworldly looking sand bags.
The title is not to be taken literally. These are men who seem ghostly with their actions like Charlie Cong, who O'Brien calls the main ghost. "The way he came out at night. How you never... He was scary"(229). I have heard before of these "ghosts" when my grandpa talked about the Korean War. These were the kind of men who you rarely saw because they used the night as a hideout. I am not afraid of the dark. I am afraid of what is in the dark and these soldiers used fears like these to get the upper hand in a situation.
I absolutely loved this chapter! Ghost Soldiers is important because it was O'Brien's way of getting back at Bobby Jorgenson for being slow, stupid, and ignorant of his shock. Tim and Azar set up rigs that are easily triggered and scare the pants off of Jorgenson while he is on watchman duty.
O'Brien explains that, "Late at night, on guard, it seemed that all of Vietnam was alive and shimmering--odd shapes swaying in the paddies, boogiemen in sandals, spirits dancing on old pagodas. It was ghost country..." Instantly when I read this quote, I knew Tim was gonna somehow scare Bobby to get his revenge.
Using the sandbag was a fantastic idea. Instead of dressing up as ghosts themselves, it was better to use something different so the medic wouldn't shoot them. Oh how ironic it would have been to have been shot by the medic.
Mrs. Matysak, Yes I believe Bobby deserved what he got because he knew that he had screwed up when treating Tim. By the end of the chapter there was no hard feelings about it anyway because I think, by the end of the prank, he knew he had it coming especially when he says, "We're even now?" and Tim replies with "pretty much."
I loved this chapter because it was the classic scare prank. Its just a little bit of harmless fun and I enjoyed reading it. Today, everyone takes a harmless prank way too personally and it was nice to read about a day when a prank was played and there weren't any hard feelings about it at the end, "We shook hands...Jorgenson pointed out at the shot-up sandbag. That was a nice touch, It almost had me--. I told him I was sorry; he told me the same thing. Afterward, I said, Lets kill Azar. Jorgenson smiled. Scare him to death, right? Right, I said. What a movie! I shrugged. Sure, or just kill him."
Well I think O'Brien could be a ghost soldier too. I mean he is "out of touch". O'Brien could be a ghost soldier to the rest of the men, he was a soldier but he isn't anymore and he isn't "with them" anymore, he is a civilian. I think the title not only covers the creepy ghosts like Charlie Cong but also the fact that O'Brien is now just a ghost to his old platoon. They know he is in Vietnam but they can't see him in the field.
Brittany, I totally felt the same way! This was one of my favorite chapters because of the same reasons. This chapter made me laugh a few times. But what was going on with the "I was part of the night... I was Nam- the horror, the war" (209). I thought that O'Brien was going to crack mentally and take the prank too far where it would hurt Jorgenson, mentally, and I'm just glad he kept it together!
Jasmine Duplechin On page 202 O'Brien basically tells us the significance of the title, he tells us, "We called the enemy ghosts." He talks about the terms they used to symbolize certain things like, "to get spooked, in the lingo, meant not only to get scared but to get killed (202)." I believe this goes along with O'Brien's plan to spook Jorgenson. After O'Brien explained that they called their enemies ghosts he talks about how Azar kept making jokes about it throughout the afternoon. He says, "Azar was wound up tight. All afternoon, while we made preparations, he kept chanting, Halloween, Halloween (203)." When we think of Halloween we usually think about spooky things. So I believe that the significance of this title is tied into the events with Jergenson and the prank O'Brien and Azar set up to scare him. Its set up like O'Brien is back in war and he's crawling and getting ready to attack his enemy, in the dark.
Mrs. Matysak, At the end, O'Brien realizes that he went a little too far but still neither him nor Bobby have any hard feelings about it. It would be different if Bobby was like, I can't believe you did that you jerk, that was totally not funny. In the beginning when the prank was being planned it was not supposed to seriously harm or hurt someone, it was just a way to get a little revenge.
Very good. I didn't even think of Lemon and O'brien being alike and O'Brien's action of scaring Jorgensen to being like Curt Lemon and getting his tooth pulled to save his dignity.
They do both do it out of embarrisment and dignity.
I'd have to agree with Katie. You can't take the title literally. The Ghost Soldiers are the things that we fear when the night is out. When we know their out there, watching us, but are unable to see them ourselves. While never hearing of the ghosts myself, the fear of what unknown creature is lurking in the dark could be one of the worst things things to feel.
15 comments:
Haley White
O'Brien tells readers how they "called the enemy ghosts. Bad night, we'd say, the ghosts are out. To get spooked, in hte lingo, meant not only to get scared but to get killed."(202) This idea, that the enemy are ghosts, likely inspired his plan for revenge upon Jorgenson, given the use of the otherworldly looking sand bags.
period after the ( ).
The title is not to be taken literally. These are men who seem ghostly with their actions like Charlie Cong, who O'Brien calls the main ghost. "The way he came out at night. How you never... He was scary"(229). I have heard before of these "ghosts" when my grandpa talked about the Korean War. These were the kind of men who you rarely saw because they used the night as a hideout. I am not afraid of the dark. I am afraid of what is in the dark and these soldiers used fears like these to get the upper hand in a situation.
Brittany
I absolutely loved this chapter! Ghost Soldiers is important because it was O'Brien's way of getting back at Bobby Jorgenson for being slow, stupid, and ignorant of his shock. Tim and Azar set up rigs that are easily triggered and scare the pants off of Jorgenson while he is on watchman duty.
O'Brien explains that, "Late at night, on guard, it seemed that all of Vietnam was alive and shimmering--odd shapes swaying in the paddies, boogiemen in sandals, spirits dancing on old pagodas. It was ghost country..." Instantly when I read this quote, I knew Tim was gonna somehow scare Bobby to get his revenge.
Using the sandbag was a fantastic idea. Instead of dressing up as ghosts themselves, it was better to use something different so the medic wouldn't shoot them. Oh how ironic it would have been to have been shot by the medic.
Brittany...you thought he deserved what he got? Why did you love this chapter?
Brittany
Mrs. Matysak,
Yes I believe Bobby deserved what he got because he knew that he had screwed up when treating Tim. By the end of the chapter there was no hard feelings about it anyway because I think, by the end of the prank, he knew he had it coming especially when he says, "We're even now?" and Tim replies with "pretty much."
I loved this chapter because it was the classic scare prank. Its just a little bit of harmless fun and I enjoyed reading it. Today, everyone takes a harmless prank way too personally and it was nice to read about a day when a prank was played and there weren't any hard feelings about it at the end, "We shook hands...Jorgenson pointed out at the shot-up sandbag. That was a nice touch, It almost had me--. I told him I was sorry; he told me the same thing. Afterward, I said, Lets kill Azar. Jorgenson smiled. Scare him to death, right? Right, I said. What a movie! I shrugged. Sure, or just kill him."
Brittany...I think Tim does take it too seriously but is able to recognize this..unlike Azar...and pull back.
Kierstynn
Well I think O'Brien could be a ghost soldier too. I mean he is "out of touch". O'Brien could be a ghost soldier to the rest of the men, he was a soldier but he isn't anymore and he isn't "with them" anymore, he is a civilian. I think the title not only covers the creepy ghosts like Charlie Cong but also the fact that O'Brien is now just a ghost to his old platoon. They know he is in Vietnam but they can't see him in the field.
Brittany,
I totally felt the same way! This was one of my favorite chapters because of the same reasons. This chapter made me laugh a few times. But what was going on with the "I was part of the night... I was Nam- the horror, the war" (209). I thought that O'Brien was going to crack mentally and take the prank too far where it would hurt Jorgenson, mentally, and I'm just glad he kept it together!
Jasmine Duplechin
On page 202 O'Brien basically tells us the significance of the title, he tells us, "We called the enemy ghosts." He talks about the terms they used to symbolize certain things like, "to get spooked, in the lingo, meant not only to get scared but to get killed (202)." I believe this goes along with O'Brien's plan to spook Jorgenson. After O'Brien explained that they called their enemies ghosts he talks about how Azar kept making jokes about it throughout the afternoon. He says, "Azar was wound up tight. All afternoon, while we made preparations, he kept chanting, Halloween, Halloween (203)." When we think of Halloween we usually think about spooky things. So I believe that the significance of this title is tied into the events with Jergenson and the prank O'Brien and Azar set up to scare him. Its set up like O'Brien is back in war and he's crawling and getting ready to attack his enemy, in the dark.
Kierstynn-- absolutely correct about O'Brien as a ghost soldier!! Nice!
Brittany
Mrs. Matysak,
At the end, O'Brien realizes that he went a little too far but still neither him nor Bobby have any hard feelings about it. It would be different if Bobby was like, I can't believe you did that you jerk, that was totally not funny. In the beginning when the prank was being planned it was not supposed to seriously harm or hurt someone, it was just a way to get a little revenge.
To Heather Rogers,
Very good. I didn't even think of Lemon and O'brien being alike and O'Brien's action of scaring Jorgensen to being like Curt Lemon and getting his tooth pulled to save his dignity.
They do both do it out of embarrisment and dignity.
I'd have to agree with Katie. You can't take the title literally. The Ghost Soldiers are the things that we fear when the night is out. When we know their out there, watching us, but are unable to see them ourselves. While never hearing of the ghosts myself, the fear of what unknown creature is lurking in the dark could be one of the worst things things to feel.
^Jennifer Dolezal. Sorry about that.
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