Lies

Chapter 12 starts off with a simple flashback to a moment when Tim O'Brien's daughter asks him if he has ever killed someone in the war. His answer, "Of course not" (pg 125). This, the reader knows, is a lie. I want to know though, why does O'Brien lie to his daughter? Is it because she is too young? Because he wants to protect her from the harsh realities of the world? Or is it to protect himself? To help him sleep at night. Rid him of his guilt. "Sometimes i frogive myself, other times I don't. In the ordinary hours of life I try not to dwell on it, but now and then, when I'm reading a newspaper or just sitting alone in a room, I'll look up and see the young man step out of the morning fog." Whether or not O'Brien lies to make himself feel better or not, i don't think it would make much of a difference. Like I mentioned in my previous blog, if I ever killed someone I'm sure their image would haunt me forever. Lying to myself might make it easy to forget during the day, but I'm sure, just like O'Brien says, there would be moments when that image appears in my mind.