Analysis Of Sweetheart Of The Song Tra Bong In Things They...

Things They Carried Essay Anything can change a person if they are not ready for that change. The short story Sweetheart of The Song Tra Bong, in Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien represents this by showing change in Mary Anne, who is a character the reader probably would not expect to see in a book about the Vietnam War. There are many parts show the change in her from the average high school girl she used to be into a predatory killer, but there is only one reason for her change, and that is the war itself. The changes Mary Anne goes through in this story stand out very clear. In the beginning, the quote that introduces Mary Anne is, â€Å"...she was seventeen years old, fresh out of Cleveland Heights Senior High. She had long white legs†¦show more content†¦You cant feel like that anywhere else’†(O’Brien 111). Mary Anne is inevitably drawn to the other side—the other side in this case being the Vietnam War itself. She is not completely part of it yet but she sure is fascinated by it, and will be part of it soon. She displays the danger of throwing away all separation between herself and the war. She is at the point where she wants to become one with the war. However towards the end of the story, Mary Ann becomes a completely different person. This can be shown perfectly in the quote, â€Å"She had crossed to the other side. She was part of the land. She was wearing her culottes, her pink sweater, and a necklace of human tongues. She was dangerous. She was ready for the kill†(O’Brien 116). Going back to the Vietnam War and its effect on Mary Anne. At this point, it can be seen that Mary Anne has completely crossed over. She has a necklace of human tongues, which is crazy weird. However, Mary Anne is still wearing her culottes and her pink sweater, the very pieces of clothing that made her appear so American at the beginning of the story. The reason for Mary Anne’s change is not because of the Vietnamese or even Vietnam, even though it appeared to be at the beginning. Its the war itself. The war is half-Vietnamese and half-American. A example that shows Mary Anne going through her change is in the quote, Mary Anne made you think about those girls back home, how clean and innocent they all are, how theyll neverShow MoreRelatedForeignness in Vietnam: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien 566 Words   |  3 PagesForeignness in Vietnam When you think of what is foreign to the common soldier in the vietnam war you usually think of the vietnamese people or the terrain. In the book The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien twists the idea of what is foreign to the common soldier in Vietnam. The opposite happens too, what was so familiar not too long ago back home seems almost completely unknown to them now. O’Brien even shows similarities between the American soldiers and the Viet-Cong. In the Vignette the â€Å"ManRead MoreTim OBrians How to Tell a True War Story of the Things They Carried889 Words   |  4 Pages The Tim O’Brian’s short story, â€Å"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong†, Mary Anne Bell is a rare illustration of the innocence that is lost. In her attractive sweater, unblemished pants and free spirited attitude, no one could seem more faultless. She was the definition of a true young American teenager or at least that’s what they all assumed at first. In the beginning of the story, she is something noticeable to both the soldiers and the reader: she was expected to be a normal American girl who wantedRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien2499 Words   |  10 Pagesalong a length of copper wire, one tongue overlapping the next, the tips curled upward as if caught in a final shrill syllable,† (O’Brien 105-106). This is an extreme example taken from Tim O’Brien’s book, The Things They Carried, specifically from a story titled â€Å"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong.† A story of a once-naive civilian woman who, in the process of becoming a soldier in the traditional role of a man in combat, evolves into more than a mere soldier. Throughout history, many women were known