Monday, May 14, 2012
Jason's Journal Entry
Ghosts play an integral part in Kien's life and he is constantly haunted by ghosts of his past. It seems to me that Kien feels some sort of strange peace and reconciliation as he is visited by the ghosts of his fallen comrades. Also, it is strange and unsettling how Kien lives in his past and how he almost exclusively communicates with his ghosts. The ghosts seem to represent Kien's life and lively hood as he appears to be more lively, his descriptions become more lucid, and he seems to stop wandering as he sees and experiences his ghosts. Additionally, Kien's ghosts appear to be representative of life and a driving force as they compel Kien to write his war stories. There is even evidence that they may actually be taking over Kien and his pen because he is described as writing his memoirs in a "mechanical" fashion.
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Jason, I feel that the ghosts do form an integral part of Kien's life, because they are all he has left. His, mother and father are gone, as well as sweetheart Phuong; he is left with no one but his spirits. In the story, Bao states that, "Kien has to finish his novel, and life cannot be ended until the writing is done" (193). Kien writes in remembrance to the spirits of his friends and family who have passed away. In a way, writing keeps Kien close to those he loved.
ReplyDeleteRuben S.
The ghosts in the jungle are like Kien's memories. They represent sorrow and the inability to move on. I think that the part that the supernatural plays in the novel is extremely important to understanding Kien's personality. I agree when you say that the ghosts are a driving force in getting Kien to write. Especially if they are a direct connection to Kien's own memories.
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