Analysis Of Ambush By John Hansey

The Double-Sided Trauma of War

Over 1,000,000 United States veterans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (Reisman). Harsh psychological effects of war cause it, resulting in intense anxiety, flashbacks, insomnia, depression, and much more. This acts as just one example of the many long-lasting effects of war. John Hersey in his book Hiroshima and Tim O’Brien in the chapter “Ambush” of his novel The Things They Carried capture tremendously different perspectives in war but they similarly show the harmful, long-lasting effects on the individuals participating. When developing an understanding of wartime media, considering the background of the piece and the creators proves vastly important. American journalist John Hersey’s education

He uses fiction, contrasting Hersey’s nonfiction piece. He also writes it in novel form, using a similar style to Hersey but without his journalistic elements. Telling a first-person story about a personal event creates an intimate tone in “Ambush” similar to Hiroshima but crafted completely differently. Both stories portray uneasy and foreboding tones with characters knowing something bad is imminent, shown by the main character stating “I was afraid of him- afraid of something” (1082) and “I tried to swallow whatever was rising from my stomach… something fruity and sour. I was terrified” (1082). The stories differ in that the narrator of “Ambush” readies to commit a bad action while the victims in Hiroshima prepare for a bad event happening to them. Despite having similar tones, the stories portray completely different themes. O’Brien uses his novel to show everyone carries burdens. His intent was to connect veterans’ war experiences and average peoples’ daily experiences. This intent contrasts Hersey’s: educating average people on the horrors of war. One author intended to spread awareness, and the other, bring peace. O’Brien creates this peace by showing struggling people that other people suffer. Readers see the suffering due to O’Brien’s developed imagery. He creates a scene in the readers’ minds by describing a detailed encounter with the enemy. O’Brien uses techniques including narration and

O’Brien creates an idea of the future exquisitely in “Ambush,” opening with “When she was nine, my daughter Kathleen asked if I had ever killed anyone” (1082). This scene of the future, followed by the intense story of him killing a man, already forces the reader to think about the future effects of the event. The narrator shares at the end of the chapter, “Even now I haven’t finished sorting it out” (1083), showing just how intensely the memory sticks in his brain. The beginning and the end of the chapter both relay images of the future, forcing the reader to think about how war affects individuals long-term. Tim O’Brien’s use of imagery of the future and his stress on current effects of the trauma show how much war negatively affects