Characters

The main character in the short story “Ambush” by Tim O’Brien is the unnamed narrator.

The narrator's most significant trait is his guilt over killing the young man during the war. The guilt is also tied to his need to confess his actions which, the narrator admits, is the reason why he writes about the war. The other characters are the narrator’s daughter, who asks him about the war, prompting the flashback, the young man who is killed by the grenade, and Kiowa, a fellow soldier.

Although "Ambush" is a war story, and readers would expect an external conflict, the conflict described is largely internal. The narrator struggles with his thoughts and feelings following a traumatic event.

You can read a more detailed characterization of the narrator in what follows.