Question

In “Ambush,” why does the author begin the passage in the present rather than during the war?
to emphasize that he survived the event
to create a feeling of tremendous loss
to build tension within the story itself
to illustrate the importance of the past

Answer 1

to illustrate the importance of the past

Beginning in the present frames the killing as something that still haunts the narrator — the past continues to affect his life and relationships. The present-tense opening emphasizes memory, guilt, and the act of telling, showing that the event's significance endures beyond the war.