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   scarletpimpernel Teacher
   High School - 12th Grade

   eNotes Editor

   At first glance, it might seem that the story of a little girl dying of cancer seems out of place in a book about soldiers experiencing combat in the Vietnam War.  However, Linda's tale is part of the author's story "The Lives of the Dead" from this anthology because it addresses how humans cope with the grief of losing someone.  After O'Brien opens the story by discussing a scene in Vietnam and the death of Ted Lavender, he flashes back to his relationship as a young school boy with Linda, a little girl he once loved.  As their young romance progresses, Linda becomes physically sicker and ultimately dies from cancer.  O'Brien includes a scene of the narrator going to her funeral and denying that Linda is dead or that the corpse in the casket is even his girlfriend.

   His purpose is to demonstrate that the lives of the dead remain with their loved ones.  They return at unpredictable moments to comfort, remind, or even warn the living. Ironically, lost loved ones have the ability to help the living deal with life. This is why O'Brien states that stories have the power to save us.

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   Posted by scarletpimpernel on Wednesday October 21, 2009 at 7:21 AM