Characters
Who is the solider who dies in the sewage field?
Kiowa
What does the field represent?
Filth and trauma of war
What theme is central to "Field Trip"?
Healing through memory
Reconciliation with the past
Burden of emotions
Where does the major death of "In the Field" occur?
A flooded sewage field in Vietnam
Who blames himself for ordering the men into the field?
Jimmy Cross
What do the moccasins symbolize when left in the field?
Peace, memory, and offering closure
How is guilt shown in "In the Field"?
1. Cross blames himself for the decision to camp there
2. The young solider feels guilt for showing Kiowas the photo before explosion
What does the unnamed solider desperately try to find?
A photo of his girlfriend
DQ- If you could connect this to another moment or character in the book, what would you connect it to?
Who is the solider who tries to retrieve a photo of his girlfriend?
The unnamed young solider
What does the lost photo symbolize for the young solider?
Personal loss, distraction, guilt
What emotional struggle is explored in "Good Form"?
1. Conflict between truth and fiction
2. O'Brien's guilt over killing (or imagining) killing a man
3.Coping with trauma by reshaping memories
DQ- How blurry do you think the line really is between truth and fiction?
What does O'Brien do during his return to the field?
Bathe in water and leave Kiowa's moccasins
Who joins O'Brien on his return to Vietnam?
Kathleen, his daughter
DQ- Why do you think O'brien wanted to take Kathleen to Vietnam after hesitating to tell her the truth about his time there?
Why does O'Brien leave moccasins at the field?
To honor Kiowa and find personal closure.
What does Kathleen feel toward her trip with her father to Vietnam?
1. She finds the fields boring/smelly
2. She can't understand the emotional meaning behind her fathers visit
3. She sees the trip as a vacation
What mistake does Cross believe led to Kiowa's death?
Ignoring the signs that the field was dangerous
What does Jimmy Cross consider writing to Kiowa's father?
A letter of apology taking full responsibility for his death.
DQ- Why do you think Jimmy Cross felt the need to write the letter taking the blame?
What does O'Brien bathing in the field represent?
A symbolic act of purification and reconnection
How do the three chapters show memory and healing?
1. "In the Field" shows trauma and broken memory
2. "Good Form" shows the role of storytelling in processing memory
3. "Field Trip" shows healing through symbolic acts (bathing, moccasins)
What question rises in "Good Form"?
What is the story of O'Brien killing a man on a trail?
DQ-