Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong

   I have to admit, this is my favorite story. She is just so fascinatingly scary! First of all, the outlandishness of a soldier bringing his girlfriend into the war fits perfectly into O'Brien's earlier definition of a true war story, as does the ambiguous ending. The story itself is so tragic.
   In the beginning she is the epitome of the girl-next-door, idealized, American, high school sweetheart. The ridiculousness of her outfit truly contrasts her to Vietnam. There she is with cute little white plants in the middle of a muddy, unsanitary base, and a pretty, pink, feminine sweater.  Her original empathy and curiosity toward the native Vietnamese and the war in general is kind and well intentioned, and her life plans fit perfectly inline with the typical white picket fence American Dream. It doesn't appear to be a facade. She seems to honestly be a good, well-adjusted teenage girl.
  Her downhill spiral into a woman who is too crazed and bloodthirsty for the Green Berets is what strikes a core with me. She is a symbol of every girl. She could be my next door neighbor or even myself, and the war brings out a side of her that is evil and twisted, showing that anyone could become this. It shows that there can be malevolent place in even the nicest people.
   The destruction of innocence is also quite sad. While she may have always have this insane part inside of her, she could have lived her entire life back home without even unlocking it. I believe everyone probably has some part of themselves they would not want to know, but for her, this inner evil is revealed through war. It consumes her completely, and all of the good possibilities for her life go up in smoke. The old her becomes a casualty to the living, breathing monster of war.