Ambush

by Tim O'Brien (excerpt)

When she was nine, my daughter Kathleen asked if I had ever killed anyone. She knew about the war; she knew I'd been a soldier. "You keep writing war stories," she said, "so I guess you must've killed somebody." It was a difficult moment, but I did what seemed right, which was to say, "Of course not," and then to take her onto my lap and hold her for a while.

Symptoms

by John Steinbeck (excerpt)

They would discuss their experiences right up to the time of battle and then suddenly they wouldn't talk anymore. This was considered heroic in them. It was thought that they had seen or done was so horrible that they didn't want to bring it back to haunt them or their listeners. But many of these men had no such consideration in any other field.

Read these excerpts, paying special attention to the underlined text. What common theme is developed in both excerpts?

1.Soldiers are unable to verbally communicate their true thoughts about the traumas of war.
2.The psychological impact of warfare causes soldiers to lose interest in socializing with others.
3.Combat warfare desensitizes soldiers, causing difficulties for them when they reenter society.
4.Soldiers try to make sense of their traumatic memories by telling stories about their wartime experiences.