Setting

Physical setting

The physical setting of the short story “The Man I Killed” by Tim O’Brien is outside the village of My Khe, in the province of Quang Ngai, Vietnam (l. 20). The events take place sometime during the Vietnam War, although no specific date is given. The Vietnam War lasted from 1955 to 1975 and was fought between North Vietnam (supported by socialist countries such as the Soviet Union) and South Vietnam (supported, among others, by the United States). Tim fights for South Vietnam, while the young man he has killed fought for North Vietnam. When thinking about the Vietnamese man, Tim imagines that “he was not a Communist” (l. 19).

The duration of the story is hinted at by the shadow which passes over the dead body, suggesting that Tim stays there for a long time, and the sun is moving across the sky. There are also other references to the passing of time, for example: “Then later he said…” (l. 60), “Then, after a long empty time he said…” (l. 63), or “There was some silence before he said…” (l. 95). These references suggest that Tim does not fully register the passing of time, as he is only able to focus on the body of the man he killed.

Social setting

The social setting focuses on the Vietnam War, how trauma can affect soldiers, and o...