Reader Response #3
This week while reading, Fallen Angels, this passage caught my attention. “He came at me and swung the butt of the rifle toward my head. I blocked it with my arm and backed away. He swung again and hit my shoulder, the rifle glancing up from my shoulder into the side of my face. I pulled the trigger of my rifle without lifting it. He went down on one knee. Then it was as if I were suddenly awake. I lifted the M-16 and started firing it in his face. I emptied the clip. I snatched another one from my belt, slammed it in, and fired that point-blank.”
This passage reminds me of the time in, All Quiet on the Western Front, when Paul killed the French Soldier. Paul killed the soldier, and had remorse afterwards for doing so. Perry killed the Vietnamese soldier from point blank. Both soldiers faced their first close quarters kill, but handled it differently afterwards. Paul started wondering what would have happened if it’d been a different time, or if they’d met outside the war. Perry seemed to be in a rather trance like state after the killing. I can’t imagine seeing someone up close, and ending their life that easily. I can only guess what was going through both Perry, and Paul’s head after they killed the soldiers.
04/01/2010 at 1:02 PM
I completely agree. When i read this scene, i immediately had a flaskback to when I read the scene in All Quiet on the Western Front when Paul killed the Freench soldier, and I mentally referenced the two scene’s similarities.
04/01/2010 at 1:03 PM
Interesting connection you made there. Now that you mention it I do see the similarities. Paul never wondered if they met outside the war though. He wondered what it would be like if he did meet outside the war. Overall though you make a very interesting connection to All Quiet on the Western Front.
04/18/2010 at 1:08 PM
I agree- I feel that it was a point of realization for both of them. When they finally had to get their own hands dirty and see that they were killing men for what felt like no apparent reason.