The Ghost Soldiers

O'Brien got shot. It's Vietnam. Big whoop. I don't get why he gets so mad at Jorgenson the second time, though. It's not Jorgenson's fault that he flipped out. And the revenge thing is incredibly annoying. O'Brien says he "devoted a lot of time to figuring ways to get back at him" (181) which is pointless since it didn't help him heal at all. There is so much pointless blame/anger in this book. It's really getting on my nerves. I must admit, though, that this book is a million time better than The Sun Also Rises.

The Blame Game

On page 169, the last paragraph discusses blame. That paragraph really struck me because blame seems so sinmple, but It has some serious effects. Jimmy Cross' thoughts tell us that "When a man died, there had to be blame." That explains Norman Bowker's suicide. each person places the blame in a different place according to his or her own feelings. Norman blamed himself. Although he didn't deserve it, he blamed himself. Jimmy Cross contemplates the "blame game" because it's something that was on the mind of every soldier. Whose fault was it that they were fighting a war? Nobody knew, but this is another insight into the mind of a soldier.