Question

By the time the United States withdrew troops from Vietnam in 1975, public opinion had turned against the Vietnam War. O’Brien and Komunyakaa wrote these texts about ten years after the war ended.

How do O’Brien and Komunyakaa reflect on the people around them who did not experience the war firsthand? Keep in mind the time at which they were writing. Check all the boxes that apply.


Both authors believe that the people around them understand the war.

O’Brien is concerned about how his daughter will view his actions in the war.

Komunyakaa is concerned about how people will view his actions in the war.

O’Brien observes that his daughter does not share his strong emotions about the war.

Komunyakaa observes that some people do not share his strong emotions about the war.

Answer 1

Selected:
- O’Brien is concerned about how his daughter will view his actions in the war. — Yes. In The Things They Carried O’Brien’s narrator worries that his daughter (Kathleen) will not understand or will judge his wartime choices.
- O’Brien observes that his daughter does not share his strong emotions about the war. — Yes. Kathleen’s casual responses show she cannot feel the same weight of memory and guilt he carries.
- Komunyakaa observes that some people do not share his strong emotions about the war. — Yes. In poems like "Facing It," the speaker notices visitors to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial who react in different, often detached ways, underscoring others’ inability to share his intense feelings.

Not selected:
- Both authors believe that the people around them understand the war. — No. Both writers emphasize distance between veterans’ experiences and the public’s understanding.
- Komunyakaa is concerned about how people will view his actions in the war. — No. Komunyakaa’s speaker is focused on memory and emotional response, not on how others judge his personal actions.