Question

Read the excerpts, paying special attention to the underlined sections. How does the theme differ in the two excerpts?
A.
While "Ambush" deals with a soldier struggling to come to terms with his experiences, "Symptoms" deals with soldiers who have become so apathetic that they no longer try to understand their experiences.
B.
"Ambush" talks of a soldier who can’t share his feelings with his daughter but hopes to someday, while "Symptoms" deals with soldiers who have lost all memories of the worst experiences of war.
C.
"Ambush" deals with a soldier who is afraid of forgetting the war and who deals with his fear by writing down the stories, while "Symptoms" deals with soldiers who deliberately suppress all their painful memories of the war experience.
D.
In "Ambush," the narrator works out his negative emotions about the war by confiding in his loved ones; in "Symptoms," the soldiers are unable to work out their negative emotions because they have completely forgotten their experiences.

Answer 1

The theme in the two excerpts differ in the way they deal with soldiers' experiences. "Ambush" deals with a soldier who is struggling to come to terms with his experiences and is afraid of forgetting them, while "Symptoms" deals with soldiers who deliberately suppress all their painful memories of the war experience and have become apathetic towards understanding their experiences.