“Ambush” and “Style”

1. “Ambush” and “Style” By Joe Schmoe Holden Caufield Huck Finn

2. SUMMARY “Ambush” 1) Kathleen 2) O’Brien - Retells “Man I Killed” 3) Creates “Fantasy ending” Ambush: n. surprise attack v. the attach from ambush(131) “Style” 1) Why? 2) Family and village destroyed 3) Dobbins’s act of courage Hamlet: n. small village (135)

3. Use of Imagery and Similes • Imagery: “the fog” (132). • “the grenade made a popping noise—not soft but not loud either—not what I’d expected—and there was a puff of dust” (133). • “The girl went up on her toes and made a slow turn and danced through the smoke” (136). • Similes: • “which tasted like lemonade, something fruity and sour” (133). • Taste of fear=acidic • Grenade freezes above him “as if a camera had clicked” (133). Throwing grenade=taking picture. In control, but not WHY IMPORTANT: Both explain O’Brien’s guilt and why he chose to lie to his daughter—how can you explain the horror to a 9 yr-old?

4. Discussion Questions • 1) “Ambush”- How does the title of this chapter have double meaning? (turn to page 131). Style=composition 2) Why does Dobbins say “then, dance right?” (136) and how do his remarks relate to the chapter title?

5. Connections • O’Brien’s guilt over man he killed, inability to tell the “truth” to his daughter, and obsessions with stories = • Willy’s guilt over affair, inability to tell Biff the truth and his obsession with planting seeds.

6. Is it a “True” War Story? • -You can tell a true war story by the way it never seems to end… (76) – “Ambush” • O’Brien keeps telling the story of “the man I killed.” Revises ending: “he’ll pass within a few yards of me and suddenly smile at some secret thought and then continue up the trail to where it bends back into the fog” (134). -You can tell a true war story by the questions you ask… (83) Azar keeps asking “Why?” “Style”