Blog 9 DRS

The story "The Madagascar Plum" details a traumatic memory of a former officer of the south Vietnamese army. The officer in question is the narrator, and as readers, we experience the story through his eyes. This leads us to question whether or not we can take what the narrator has to say at face value. So, is this narrator reliable? The short answer is: no.

Before we begin the story, we see that the story is of a former officer "[recounting] the cause of his post-traumatic stress." Right here we learn that the narrator is dealing with PTSD, suggesting at least some instability in his mental health. The first couple paragraphs tell us that a Madagascar plum is what triggers the memory, as its color resembles that of the child he was responsible for wrongfully killing. The sight of the plum is unsettling, which exemplifies the condition of PTSD.

The narrator is also a drunkard. He tells his story while drinking in a cafe, and the event itself occurred while he was drunk. In the beginning he states "Pour me another drink, and when I've finished it, I'll tell you the story," which proves to the reader that prior to the narration the narrator is under the influence, which can alter true accounts, thoughts, and emotions. He also states that at the time of the event he had been drinking, which is detailed when he says, "If I hadn't been under the devilish influence of alcohol, it wouldn't have turned out the way it did." This suggests that at the time of the incident in question, we can't possibly know what his true thoughts and emotions could've been at the time, nor how the event transpired, as even he couldn't have known (being drunk).

Drunken stories have a tendency to not be the full story, riddled with fuzzy details and occurrences. The effect of alcohol in conjunction with the effect of PTSD affects the story in such a way that we cannot be sure of what story we're getting in the end. Additionally, we know from our friend Tim O'Brien that we need to view every 'true' war story with some scrutiny. With these ideas in mind, its hard to take the story at face value.