Structure

Title

The title of the short story “The Man I Killed” by Tim O’Brien is straightforward and self-explanatory. Readers probably expect a story about a tragic event. It becomes clear that the tragic event takes place during the Vietnam War. By focusing on the specific details of one young Vietnamese man’s death, and imagining the life he might have led, the story highlights the tragedy of each and every death that happens during a war. Moreover, this technique helps to show the negative impact of war both on those who are killed and on those who are forced to kill others. Note that the expression “the man I killed” is repeated three times (l. 22, l. 100, l. 139), almost obsessively, mirroring Tim’s self-torture at the thought that he has ended someone's life. 

The use of the word “man” becomes even more relevant when we compare Tim’s reaction to Azar’s comments: “ ‘You scrambled his sorry self, look at that, you did, you laid him out like Shredded fuckin’ Wheat.’ ” (ll. 33-34). While Azar dehumanizes the young man, probably as a way of coping with the realities of w...