comment on theme

John sees himself as a political figure climbing the ladder and takes that self-image very seriously from a young age. When John is involved in a massacre in Vietnam, he is horrified by his own actions and by those of his fellow soldiers. When a fellow soldier suggests that they should tell a military officer of the atrocities that occurred, he refuses, realizing what his association with those events would do for his political career. John then takes this another step and when he finds himself at a desk job he begins falsifying records in order to further remove himself from the events. He goes so far as to promote and bestow medals upon himself, fluffing up his military career in order to benefit his political ambitions. Another extreme situation occurs when Kathy becomes pregnant. It is never suggested that the pregnancy is anything other than an accident but she greatly desires children of her own. Despite the fact that she wants this child, John makes the arrangements and Kathy has an abortion. On the night after the abortion, they realize the enormity of what they have done simply because the pregnancy occurred at an inopportune time in John's political career. Although John insists that his ambitions are a shared goal, Kathy hates the political arena and is relieved with the loss that ends it all.