Read these excerpts, paying special attention to the underlined text. What common theme is developed in both excerpts?

Question

Allison · Answer

Where are the excerpts?

alex5808 · Answer

Ambush
by Tim O'Brien (excerpt)

When she was nine, my daughter Kathleen asked if I had ever killed anyone. She knew about the war; she knew I'd been a soldier. "You keep writing war stories," she said, "so I guess you must've killed somebody." It was a difficult moment, but I did what seemed right, which was to say, "Of course not," and then to take her onto my lap and hold her for a while.

Symptoms
by John Steinbeck (excerpt)

They would discuss their experiences right up to the time of battle and then suddenly they wouldn't talk anymore. This was considered heroic in them. It was thought that they had seen or done was so horrible that they didn't want to bring it back to haunt them or their listeners. But many of these men had no such consideration in any other field.

Allison · Answer

Hmm.

@Elsa213 @Umm @YoursTruly halp a shorty out