In the chapter “Night Life,” the Alpha Company receives intelligence about an NVA buildup in the area they were in so as a precaution, the platoon started moving at night. It was a hard adjustment for everyone but Rat Kiley however, couldn’t handle it at all. He started talking nonstop about bugs and scratching himself causing nasty, ugly sores on his body. He eventually broke down to Mitchell Sanders about how scared he was and the next morning he shot himself in the leg. Tim O’Brien uses literary techniques to convey how war can cause soldiers to harm their own selves.
One of the literary techniques O’Brien uses is imagery. In the book when Mitchell Sanders is describing Rat Kiley’s scratching issue he says, “Constantly scratching himself.
One of the literary techniques O’Brien uses is imagery. In the book when Mitchell Sanders is describing Rat Kiley’s scratching issue he says, “Constantly scratching himself.