I would like to explicate the first couple of paragraphs of the story “Missing” by Robert Olen Butler that are important to the theme of escape, escape from the war and killing and in a way, life. Here, this Veteran is describing a picture that was taken of him in a field and how he feels about it. He is mad because he thinks that if someone sees that picture, they will probably think that he is a lost soldier, or missing in action, or being held by the communists. He says “There are lots of them come these days, I’m told, the GIs, and it makes things hard for me, worrying about keeping out of their sight. I got nothing to do with them, and that’s why the photo pissed me off”. He doesn’t want to be found, he doesn’t want anybody to come for him and take him away from his new family and his new life. This is important because you can see how one single picture worries him, he is too far away in the picture to be recognized, but still he worries.
Later in the story he describes how his life back home wasn’t that good at all. How all he likes to remember is his porch and maple trees, no sound and no one around. He has escaped this life and this picture that appeared in the newspaper has brought him memories of his old life, the life that he no longer wants and doesn’t want to go back, or taken back to.
This whole scene is important to one of the many theme form the story, escaping reality.
Later in the story he describes how his life back home wasn’t that good at all. How all he likes to remember is his porch and maple trees, no sound and no one around. He has escaped this life and this picture that appeared in the newspaper has brought him memories of his old life, the life that he no longer wants and doesn’t want to go back, or taken back to.
This whole scene is important to one of the many theme form the story, escaping reality.
No comments:
Post a Comment