Chapter 4, Nights Summary and Analysis

O'Brien continues with the narrative of Alpha Company. Nighttime follows a routine much like the endless days of marching; however, the nights are filled with more potential danger. On a typical night, the shouts of a lieutenant warning Alpha Company of incoming explosive ordinance propels the soldiers into the nearest foxhole. Sometimes, the attack is nothing more than the antics of bored soldiers tossing their own grenades about and suffering minor injuries by their own shrapnel. This is exactly what takes place in this chapter. That this potentially fatal incident is merely laughed off by all is an indicator of how war-weary the men are. They are no longer bothered by minor shrapnel injuries, even if they are self-induced, and even if it could have cost a man a limb or life. O'Brien hints that the soldiers may be...