Sweetheart Of Song Tra Bong Analysis

“Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong” begins with a statement about stories that the ones remembered are the ones that mix fact and fiction. The narrator is reminded of a story of Rat Kiley but remarks that Kiley is known to exaggerate and the other members of the platoon know to take Kiley’s words with a grain of salt. Already readers learn to critically examine the story for any snippet of truth. Mitchell Sanders doubted that a man would bring his girlfriend over to Vietnam, the main point that Kiley’s story rests on. This does seem unlikely considering the tendency to protect women from war yet Kiley insists that he saw it for himself, even describing what she wore, white culottes and a pink sweater. Sanders appears to be amused, like he does not believe what Kiley is saying but listens.

Sanders believed in letting the story speak for itself. He also criticizes Kiley for failure to stick to a consistent tone of the story. Mary Anne is no longer sweet and naïve and her eyes lack emotion. On the outside she is the same but something has happened to her to bring her from a state of innocence into understanding. At this point Kiley’s firsthand experience with the story ends and what he calls speculation begins. Sanders has become involved with the story and becomes upset when Kiley tells him that he was transferred to Alpha Company. Then Kiley tells about his meeting with Eddie Diamond over in Bangkok. Eddie says that he loved Mary Anne as did the others. She made them think about the girls back home who cannot understand the events that occur during the war because she was the only girl who could understand. Mary Anne took dangerous risks during night patrols and acted completely focused with the war. She disappeared into the mountains one morning and was never seen again. However since no body or trace of her was found some believe that Mary Anne still