Rhetorical Analysis
The effect of anaphora.
Shows the humanization of the man and the overwhelming thoughts of O’Brien.
Trail Junction
An area where multiple trails intersect or cross paths
The narrator of The Man I Killed
Tim O'Brien - 1st person narrator
Writer
Tim O'Brien
The effect of imagery.
Used to allow the reader to connect deeper with what O’Brien saw with his eyes. Allows the reader to form their own image.
Rucksack
A military backpack that aided soldiers in carrying bulky weaponry and medical supplies
The overwhelming feeling of the story
Guilt
Audience
Adults, teenagers, war veterans
The effect of a simple sentence.
This creates urgency, and reiterates the fast pace thinking of O’Brien.
R&R
Military slang for “rest and recuperation”
The part of the story that was made up
The background of the young Vietnamese man
Context
O’Brien had a surprise combat against a Vietnamese soldier
The effect of juxtaposition.
The butterfly on the chin of a dead soldier contrasts the dark sides of war with the peacefulness that can be found in war.
Piasters
A monetary unit of several Middle Eastern countries, formerly the monetary unit of Southern Vietnam
The person who provided support for O'Brien
Kiowa
Purpose
Show the grief soldiers can feel in war, the humanity of soldiers
The effect of interjections.
The interjections tell the reader that the background story of the young man is just made up by O’Brien. His guilt leads him to think of the life he just took.
Cadres
A small group of people specially trained for a particular purpose or profession
The words not exchanged in the story
O'Brien never speaks out loud, the audience heres a narration of his thoughts
Message
Grief and coping, mental battles compared to physical battles