Analysis

An analysis of the short story “Ambush” by Tim O’Brien shows that it follows a traditional plot structure, centered around a flashback. While the title seems to hint at an external conflict, the internal conflict has greater importance.

The main character is the unnamed narrator who recounts an event from the war when he killed a young man with a grenade. The narrator experiences an internal conflict about his past actions, wondering if they were justified. 

The physical setting is a foggy night in an ambush site during the Vietnam War. The social setting explores the long-term effects of trauma on the survivors, the difficulty of explaining war, as well as the survivors’ need to share their stories.

The story is told from the point of view of the first-person narrator. He recounts a traumatic event from his past in explicit detail, focusing on the event itself and the effects it had on him. 

The language is informal, and the event at the center of the narrative is described in a lot of detail. Metaphors and similes are used to paint a clearer picture and to draw the readers’ awareness to the harsh realities of war.

Further help

For more advice about analyzing short stories, you can read our general guide to short story analysis.