"The Man I Killed" Name ______________________
pp. 124-130
1. Tim O’Brien has written, “In a war without aim, you tend not to aim.” What did O’Brien mean by this? How does it relate to this chapter?
2. How does Tim describe the man that he killed? (124, 127) Why do you suppose O’Brien creates an enemy such as this?
3. Tim imagines the life of the dead soldier as he stares at the body. What does Tim imagine that this man did before he became a soldier? Use your own words to write at least 3 sentences. (124-125)
4. What creature is described in the first sentence on the top of page 127? What are two reasons that O’Brien may have included this detail?
5. Read the narration on page 127. How does O’Brien know all of these details about the man’s life?
6. Who tries to comfort O’Brien after the incident? (129) What does he say to comfort O’Brien? Do you agree with Kiowa? Explain.
7. What do O’Brien and the dead soldier seem to have in common?
8. Why is Kiowa trying to get Tim to talk about this episode when it seems clear that Tim does not want to talk about it?
9. “He knew he would fall dead and wake up in the stories of his village and the people.” (p. 130)
What does O’Brien mean when he writes that the man will “wake up in the stories of his village”?