Stockings
What does O'Brien say Henry Dobbins is like?
America itself.
What did the monks call Henry Dobbins?
Soldier Jesus or Good Soldier Jesus.
What did O'Brien kill the Vietnamese soldier with?
A hand grenade.
What was O'Brien's answer to his daughter asking if he had ever killed someone?
Of course not.
How old was the girl that was dancing?
14 years old.
What did Dobbins do with the stockings after his girlfriend dumped him?
He continued to wear them.
Why does Henry Dobbins not think he could not be a minister?
Dobbins believes that he is not smart enough to answer difficult questions like why people die.
What does O'Brien imagine the Vietnamese Soldier doing, had he not killed him?
Go to the university of Saigon and get married.
What did Kiowa say to O'Brien to make him feel better for killing the Vietnamese soldier?
Kiowa told O'Brien that it was war, to imagine if things were reversed, and that he would have died anyway.
Where does Dobbins want to drop Azar into?
Into the mouth of a well
What did Henry Dobbins survive while wearing the stockings?
1. A bouncing Betty, which failed to detonate.
2. A firefight out in the open.
Why does Dobbins believe that it is best to just "be nice to the monks?
Because the American soldiers are intruding on their land and he knows that they are peaceful people who are caught in the war.
What is Azar's reaction upon seeing the man O'Brien killed?
He jokes about it and compares him to oatmeal.
What was the Vietnamese soldier wearing before O'Brien killed him?
He was wearing black clothing, rubber sandals, and a gray ammunition belt.
Why was Dobbins mad at Azar?
Because he was mocking the girls dance?
What do you think the stockings were for Henry Dobbins?
A connection to home, giving him hope.
Where does this chapter take place? Be specific.
West of the Batangan peninsula, at an abandoned pagoda.
What was O'Brien's physical description of the man he killed?
His jaw was in his throat, his upper lip and teeth were gone, his one eye was shut, his other eye was a star shaped hole.
What was the physical scenery the morning that O'Brien killed the Vietnamese soldier?
Morning time, foggy, and in the dense forest.
What does the girl dancing mean to reader?
A sign of hope or a positive attitude in a time of grief/mourning.
What does O'Brien mean by the stockings turning the soldiers into a platoon of believers? Believers of what?
The stockings made the platoon believe that there is such a thing as good luck, and that by carrying some item they might be spared from death.
What is the symbolism behind Kiowa and Dobbins questioning they presence at the pagoda?
It symbolizes Americans questioning our efforts in Vietnam.
What is the significance of O'Brien going into such grotesque and descriptive detail about the Vietnamese Soldier's physical attributes?
The physical markings on the man scarred him, and made him think deeply about what the man's life would have been, had he not killed him.
Who was O'Brien telling the story of the ambush to.
His future daughter.
Compare and contrast the girls dancing and Dobbins wearing the pantyhose around his neck.
Both superstitious actions are a way of coping with the trauma that comes with war.