Style

Every writer has their preferences. Some like to write fantasy, dreaming up things they could never experience. Others, like O'Brien, write from a place of experience.

"This one wakes me up (pg 82)".

Throughout the novel, the author interrupts the story to add in opinions and personal touches. He uses this specific sentence to prepare the reader for a story he feels is especially unsettling. The story proves to be just that, but one could argue that the reader would feel equally unsettled without the author's verbal interlude. While this could be argued, one must look at the piece as a whole and understand that the entire novel is the author's way of letting the world into his own personal microcosm. The author writes as much for himself as he does for his audience. In many ways, I believe this enriches the stories and the piece would not be the same without it.