The story of Mary Anne's journey in Vietnam is thoroughly haunting in the way that an area of land can fully envelop a person and turn them into another. The metamorphosis of a young girl, someone my age, into a warrior, a "killer", is so poignant. I particularly enjoyed the character of Mary Anne Bell because she "came over clean and she got dirty and afterward it's never the same again." Being clean all the time is something that I personally strive towards but really I wish that I could relax more about it and just get over and Mary Anne is an example of being clean all the time and finally getting over it and becoming one with the jungle and the war.
The breaks in Rat Kiley's story telling refer back to the statement that he "had a reputation for exaggeration and overstatement, they give pause enough for you, and the soldiers he's talking to, to question the reality. However, it is best to ignore analyses and continue with the fantasy it creates.
I feel that it's better not knowing what exactly happened to Mary Anne because it adds to the allure that a mere girl can connect so fully with the vicious cycle of war and its casualties.
And if there was closure, it wouldn't be a "true war story" according to O'Brien. So do you think this kind of transformation could happen to anyone?
ReplyDeleteDo get a little dirty sometime, leaving your comfort zone. A shower feels just amazing when you haven't taken one for a week!