Ambush Tim O Brien Analysis

In the “Ambush,” Tim O’Brien portrays a sense of regret and uncertainty caused by him killing a young man during his time in the war. (MS7) O’Brien recounts his daughter asking him a question about if he had killed anyone while enlisted as a soldier. During his time in the war, he did have to kill a young soldier during a foggy morning while taking his turn to watch; however, he did not tell his daughter at the time (MS4). During the encounter with the young man, O’Brien had mixed feelings about the actions he took, even later on in his life he does not know what to think about the matter. O’Brien uses writing techniques of imagery, juxtaposition, and irony, which effectively portray his sense of regret and uncertainty. (MS2)
In the narrative, O’Brien employs the writing technique of imagery to portray his sense of regret and uncertainty. On that morning, O’Brien had a moment that he doubted himself and his actions. While he throws the grenade, he experiences severe reactions from his body because of what he is doing, “I tried to swallow whatever was rising from my stomach, which tasted like lemonade, something fruity and sour.” O’Brien’s body undergoes a physical reaction because of the amount …show more content…
O’Brien uses iron when describing the moment he throws the grenade at the young man, “It occurred to me then that he was about to die. I wanted to warn him.” O’Brien’s concern for the man is ironic. He throws the grenade knowing that it will kill the man, but he does not want him to dies, just go away. Another instance of O’Brien using irony is the title. In the story, he waits on duty to ambush the enemy, but the in his memory of the young man ambushes him later on in his life, “now and then, when I’m reading a newspaper or just sitting alone in a room, I’ll look up and see the young man coming out of the morning fog.” O’Brien describes his memory ambushing him on a day-to-day