Friday, May 23, 2008

“Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong”

This story is highly fantastical. Does its lack of believability make it any less compelling? Do you believe it? Does it fit criteria for a true war story?
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5 comments:

Jennifer Lee said...

Although women did not fight in the Vietnam War, this overlook does not make "Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong" any less credible. According to O' Brien, "A true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior..." (68). The story of Mary Anne fits all of the criteria. After Rat Kiley finishes the story with Mary Anne as a lost cause, Sanders grows frustrated at the fact there's no ending. However, this cliffhanger provides an example of a true war story. The story does not have any moral about war but rather places an emphasis on the dehumanizing effects through Mary Anne's transformation into a one of the men. Despite the story's fictitious roots, the story is more compelling with a women as a the main character than a man because we develop a greater sympathy for her early in the story. Because we're so used to seeing a man change because of war, it isn't as surprising when we see an innocent female go crazy.
But the reason I believed this chapter was how Mary Anne's experience paralleled the soldiers' experiences. War stole her fun, loving spirit and replaced it with an almost hippie-like war trance.

May 26, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Alex Huang said...

The story is highly fantastical. It does meet the criteria of a war story as defined by O'Brien (and supplied by Jennifer), however it fails to make the reader's stomach believe. But, by the ridiculous quality of the story, the readers want to believe. Women did not serve in combat during the Vietnam War and the act of smuggling in your girlfriend seems highly improbable. However, people have been know to believe in much crazier things such as various monsters, spirits/ghosts, and magical powers (what do you think fuels H-Pizzle sales?). This completely unbelievable war story is made believable through the curiosity of the human mind. As for me believing that a girl fresh out of high school could do things better than an elite spec ops unit in such a short amount of time is nothing short of bologna. Do I want to believe it? Hell yes.

May 26, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Alex paul said...

I think that this tale was just that, a most ridiculous anecdote to further entice the reader to continue deeper in to the story. The story of how Mary Anne goes from being an innocent girl next door to a fierce green beret went from a possibly plausible war story to one of ludicrous proportions. As the story unfolded i found myself half feeling the pain of Mark Fossie as his future wife began down a path that he could not follow. I agree with Jenn when she says that this story parallels the soldiers war experiences and also with Alex that O'Brien puts this story in because he wants the reader to want to believe that it is possible/real.
The first casualty of war is innocence, miss Mary Anne Bell is perfect example.

May 26, 2008 at 6:40 PM
Gina Lee said...

"Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong" is a fantastical story created by O'Brien in order to show readers the difference between a true war story and what seems to be a true war story. However, although it is fantastical, it is a great example of questioning readers whether the story is true or false. O'Brien guides readers to what a true war story is supposed to be like. In the previous chapter, "How to Tell a True War Story," O'Brien states, "If a story seems moral, do not believe it" (68). O'Brien specifically says that war stories with morals are not true; there is no beginning or end - it's one part of a long, continuous story. In the same context, the story of Mary Anne is one of no morals. Immediately after it's told, the soldiers are frustrated with it because they never know what happens to Mary Anne. Her story is one that resembles a piece of a film strip; imagine your entire life laid out on a film strip and you cut out one piece of it. There's no ending or a beginning to the story; it goes on forever in both directions. In the same way, Mary Anne's story is that of no morals and because it's so highly fantastical, it makes it more compelling to believe it. I honestly wouldn't deem it false immediately; there is that air of possibility to be true. It fits all criteria for a true war story; it "is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggests models of proper human behavior ..." (68). It's a story of the sweetheart girlfriend who joins the Green Berets in the army; so what?

May 27, 2008 at 4:20 PM
Mrs. Gerber said...

Impressive contributions and consideration of the fantastical. You might want to check out O'Brien's interview/transcript, as he goes into the role of women as they connect to these two stories and "Sweetheart..."

You should also consider reading Joseph Condrad's Heart of Darkness, as he further explores the concept of being "swallowed" by the war, the country.

May 27, 2008 at 7:58 PM

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