In "In The Field," O'Brien writes, "When a man died, there had to be blame." What does this idea do to the men of O'Brien's company? Are they justified in thinking themselves at fault? How do they cope with their own feelings of guilt?
19 comments:
Anonymous
said...
The men were blamming cross for what happened to Kiawa because he should not have posted the troops there. But obrein new better because knew it wasnt becsause he realy did not want to be a comander. but in war it seemed that some one had to be blamed even thow no one is to be at falt. It also makes it easyer to feel better so they know it will not happen to them.
I think, "When a man died, there had to be blame" may actually put a guilt trip on some of his comrades. O'Brien kept clueing us in that Kiowa died because of Bowker and his unwillingness to help. Lavender also died because another soldier's love for Martha was distracting. The blame is definately to be had with a couple examples given. The soldiers may cope with their own feelings of guilt by lieing around and sulking all day. Or they may even relate back to acts of stupidity or heroism based on a previous post.
When someone in the company dies it takes a huge toll on all the others. Even when no one could have done anything they tend to blame things on themselfs, saying they could have done something to prevent what had happened. I don't think they are totally justified in thinking it is their fault. Just because something happeneds, it can't always be prevented and if it could, it might have been someone else that should have prevented it. Everyone deals with things differently. Some of them just block it out, some write like O'Brien does and some just keep it bottled up and don't know what to do. Sometimes guilt gets to them so much it could really end up hurting them in the end.
This idea of having to blame someone or something effects O'Brien's company in different ways. LT Cross and O'Brien resort to writing in order to relieve some of the blame that was put on them. LT Cross mentally writes a letter to Kiowa's father explaining that the death of Kiowa was his own fault. O'Brien writes stories and books to release some of the pressure. Bowker on the other hand cannot handle the pressure of the guilt from Kiowa's death. Add the fact that he has no one to connect to and it equals his suicide that he committed. I think all of them are justified in thinking themselves at fault.
They just blame everything. The war, the gukes, the people who had sent them over their and stuff like that. There is no real way of coping with this because they will always remember what happened and will think about it for the rest of their lives.
The idea that "when a man died there had to be blame" makes O'Briens men alienate each other. They start blameing each other which causes anger and resentment and because they are all to hard headed to blame themselves. I think they are justified in blaming themselves because maybe blaming themselves is just a way to cope when they lose someone. Amanda
The reason for the guilt trip if u think about it there has to be a man to cover your back. It is your job in war to help, protect and help if in need. The men do have guilt on the shoulders and the should becasue is someone dies then there has to be blame. Becasue someone didnt do their job.
In this chapter o brien writes the quote " when a man dies, there had to be blame. There are a lot of people that had to be blammed throughout this book for peoples death. Such as Brokers blame for killing Kiowa. In the end after coming home from the war Browker ended up hanging himself with a jump rope in my opinion because he possibly felt the guilt of the death of kiowa. chelsea pinkerman
When a man dies, they are so close to each other that everyone tries to find someone to blame. Anyone can be blamed. The kid for not holding on tight enough or Cross for having them in the situation the first place. Could they blame people...yeah, but it doesn't help anything. It causes people to go crazy like Cross killing himself in the end.
The men can't help who dies and who doesn't die in a war. When someone dies it is just the wrong place at the wrong time for that person. The men can't blame themselves for someone else killing their friend. They blame Lt. Cross for where they set up for the night. Tyler
When a man dies someone has to be blamed is a quote showing that it's always someones fault when a life is taken. Whether it's the own persons or someone who was involved a blame has to placed, but mostly so that everyone elses guilt can be put aside. Until someone takes responsibility for an action as big as death everyone will feel at least a little guilt. It's for the sake of everyone's sanity.
He means that when someone dies everone always wants to put the blame on someone else never themselves. They never stop to think what roll they had played in the person dying. All the men had blamed Jimmy Cross because for Kiowas death but never stopped to think what roll they played in his death.
I think they are justified for thinking themselves at fault. When a person in real life knows somebody that died they always think they had some fault in that persons death. They cope with their guilt by placing it on cross. Jessica
The general attitude of the men in O'Brien's company was that they all felt guilt for deaths, probably because they were all so close. They allways think that they are at fault because they all see their own viewpoint, and all of they think that their actions caused the death. Then, they don't do anything to solve the guilt, they just hold it inside
When anyone dies it's always someone's fault, therefore, when a man died in the vietnam war, the soldiers usually stressed for weeks, especially if it was someone that they knew hlike "Kiowa" However, the soldiers would cope with this situation or different situation by drug abuse, or trying to blame someone else. Chris Booth
O'brien is saying that when someone dies in war there is always going to be blame on someone else. whether it is simply the war or another soldier blame is always going to be placed. Death is scary and even to these soldiers who are facing it everyday, it still gets to them ya know? The fear that death brings on them may lessen a bit if there is someone to blame instead of something that happens all the time in war. -Malori
Everyone in the company thinks that it is all of Cross' falt for the death of one of there comrads. I don't belive that they should blame themselves for what happened because in the end it couldn't be avoided. All the do to cope is they do stupid things that could lead to more deaths and the cycle starts again or they sit around and do much of nothing for a while until it's time to mourn for another person. -chris autin
No one in the company takes blame for what happened i think that no one wants to and that no one should have to take blame for something like that but they all seem to push blame to cross not saying that it just happened a letting it go. Steven W POllard
This keeps the men angry, instead of admitting that it was nobodys fault. When someone dies it's natural to find fault somewhere, and that fault may be anywhere, even in themselves. Azar makes jokes and most of the rest of them blame themselves or are looking for blame.
19 comments:
The men were blamming cross for what happened to Kiawa because he should not have posted the troops there. But obrein new better because knew it wasnt becsause he realy did not want to be a comander. but in war it seemed that some one had to be blamed even thow no one is to be at falt. It also makes it easyer to feel better so they know it will not happen to them.
Mandy
I think, "When a man died, there had to be blame" may actually put a guilt trip on some of his comrades. O'Brien kept clueing us in that Kiowa died because of Bowker and his unwillingness to help. Lavender also died because another soldier's love for Martha was distracting. The blame is definately to be had with a couple examples given.
The soldiers may cope with their own feelings of guilt by lieing around and sulking all day. Or they may even relate back to acts of stupidity or heroism based on a previous post.
Brad C.
When someone in the company dies it takes a huge toll on all the others. Even when no one could have done anything they tend to blame things on themselfs, saying they could have done something to prevent what had happened. I don't think they are totally justified in thinking it is their fault. Just because something happeneds, it can't always be prevented and if it could, it might have been someone else that should have prevented it. Everyone deals with things differently. Some of them just block it out, some write like O'Brien does and some just keep it bottled up and don't know what to do. Sometimes guilt gets to them so much it could really end up hurting them in the end.
This idea of having to blame someone or something effects O'Brien's company in different ways. LT Cross and O'Brien resort to writing in order to relieve some of the blame that was put on them. LT Cross mentally writes a letter to Kiowa's father explaining that the death of Kiowa was his own fault. O'Brien writes stories and books to release some of the pressure. Bowker on the other hand cannot handle the pressure of the guilt from Kiowa's death. Add the fact that he has no one to connect to and it equals his suicide that he committed. I think all of them are justified in thinking themselves at fault.
They just blame everything. The war, the gukes, the people who had sent them over their and stuff like that. There is no real way of coping with this because they will always remember what happened and will think about it for the rest of their lives.
Cory C.
The idea that "when a man died there had to be blame" makes O'Briens men alienate each other. They start blameing each other which causes anger and resentment and because they are all to hard headed to blame themselves. I think they are justified in blaming themselves because maybe blaming themselves is just a way to cope when they lose someone.
Amanda
The reason for the guilt trip if u think about it there has to be a man to cover your back. It is your job in war to help, protect and help if in need. The men do have guilt on the shoulders and the should becasue is someone dies then there has to be blame. Becasue someone didnt do their job.
--Tim
In this chapter o brien writes the quote " when a man dies, there had to be blame. There are a lot of people that had to be blammed throughout this book for peoples death. Such as Brokers blame for killing Kiowa. In the end after coming home from the war Browker ended up hanging himself with a jump rope in my opinion because he possibly felt the guilt of the death of kiowa.
chelsea pinkerman
When a man dies, they are so close to each other that everyone tries to find someone to blame. Anyone can be blamed. The kid for not holding on tight enough or Cross for having them in the situation the first place. Could they blame people...yeah, but it doesn't help anything. It causes people to go crazy like Cross killing himself in the end.
love joshua lee
The men can't help who dies and who doesn't die in a war. When someone dies it is just the wrong place at the wrong time for that person. The men can't blame themselves for someone else killing their friend. They blame Lt. Cross for where they set up for the night.
Tyler
When a man dies someone has to be blamed is a quote showing that it's always someones fault when a life is taken. Whether it's the own persons or someone who was involved a blame has to placed, but mostly so that everyone elses guilt can be put aside. Until someone takes responsibility for an action as big as death everyone will feel at least a little guilt. It's for the sake of everyone's sanity.
-Ariel :)
He means that when someone dies everone always wants to put the blame on someone else never themselves. They never stop to think what roll they had played in the person dying. All the men had blamed Jimmy Cross because for Kiowas death but never stopped to think what roll they played in his death.
Jared B.
I think they are justified for thinking themselves at fault. When a person in real life knows somebody that died they always think they had some fault in that persons death. They cope with their guilt by placing it on cross.
Jessica
The general attitude of the men in O'Brien's company was that they all felt guilt for deaths, probably because they were all so close.
They allways think that they are at fault because they all see their own viewpoint, and all of they think that their actions caused the death. Then, they don't do anything to solve the guilt, they just hold it inside
When anyone dies it's always someone's fault, therefore, when a man died in the vietnam war, the soldiers usually stressed for weeks, especially if it was someone that they knew hlike "Kiowa" However, the soldiers would cope with this situation or different situation by drug abuse, or trying to blame someone else.
Chris Booth
O'brien is saying that when someone dies in war there is always going to be blame on someone else. whether it is simply the war or another soldier blame is always going to be placed. Death is scary and even to these soldiers who are facing it everyday, it still gets to them ya know? The fear that death brings on them may lessen a bit if there is someone to blame instead of something that happens all the time in war.
-Malori
Everyone in the company thinks that it is all of Cross' falt for the death of one of there comrads. I don't belive that they should blame themselves for what happened because in the end it couldn't be avoided. All the do to cope is they do stupid things that could lead to more deaths and the cycle starts again or they sit around and do much of nothing for a while until it's time to mourn for another person.
-chris autin
No one in the company takes blame for what happened i think that no one wants to and that no one should have to take blame for something like that but they all seem to push blame to cross not saying that it just happened a letting it go.
Steven W POllard
This keeps the men angry, instead of admitting that it was nobodys fault. When someone dies it's natural to find fault somewhere, and that fault may be anywhere, even in themselves. Azar makes jokes and most of the rest of them blame themselves or are looking for blame.
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