In Search of Response

In reading Tim O’Brien’s “How to Tell a True War Story”, one of the scenes which most powerfully resonated with me was the one which depicted the interaction between Rat Kiley, a friend of the writer, and the baby water buffalo found by the group outside an abandoned village.

Kiley, still mourning the very recent death of his friend, Curt Lemon, is initially almost nurturing in his treatment of the animal – he aids the other soldiers in chasing it down, approaches it to stroke its nose, and even attempts to give it some of their rations to eat. When the baby buffalo doesn’t accept the offering, however, Kiley’s kindness swiftly vanishes, and he begins to shoot the creature repeatedly, effectively torturing it, before leaving it alive – though just barely – to retreat from the scene and be alone with his grief. The other soldiers do not put the animal out of its mercy, though it does presumably die when tossed down the village well.

One of the most important things to consider when reflecting on the above scene is that it is, of course, a true story. As such, it is nearly impossible to reflect upon the symbolism of what is described, as O’Brien has no use for themes or metaphors; he is merely recounting the memory of something that happened. It is clear from the writing, however, that Rat Kiley had initially intended to be charitable towards the young buffalo – and that the ineffectiveness of his attempt at altruism triggered a frustration which led him to instead turn to violence, treating it as something of a punching bag. It is significant, I think, that the buffalo reacts to its injuries much in the same way it did to the food it was offered – this is to say, not at all. One could propose the theory that this was the true source of Kiley’s increased rage and cruelty: perhaps he felt ineffective, having been unable to make a difference to the death of Lemon, and now unable to make a difference to the disposition of this buffalo calf. This inability to provoke a response is something that would also later become true of his letter to Lemon’s sister, and of every soldier’s role in the war as a whole: all-consuming and uncaring, it renders every personal grievance and struggle microscopic and, thus, ineffectual.