The Things They Carried
Ambush
Why does Tim "beat himself up" over the young man's death?
Why does Tim "beat himself up" over the young man's death?
O’Brien briefly relives the night in My Khe. He had been on watch after midnight. He saw the young man emerging from the mist, carrying a gun. He grabbed a grenade and threw it without really thinking. Right after he threw the grenade, he felt guilty. But it was too late. The grenade dealt a fatal blow. And, twenty years later, O’Brien is still living with the guilt.