Absolution

While volunteering at the military hospital, Tricia and Charlene meet a retired American military doctor who seemingly emerges from the nearby jungle. The doctor causes a shockwave in their small group, and the mysterious nature of his character allows him to act as a symbol for several of the novel’s key themes.

The American doctor is described as handsome, but notably disheveled and dirty. Though he speaks and acts crassly, making the group uncomfortable, Tricia feels an inexplicable attraction toward him. Drawing on her Catholic faith, she wonders uneasily if he is the devil. This interpretation is enhanced by the fact that he seems to morph into what each of the women finds most appealing. Seen through this lens, the doctor is a force of evil attempting to lure the women away from their faith in humanity and commitment to the Greater Good.

The doctor also represents the basic reality of the war. He operates from a brutish physicality, eating voraciously, sleeping late, and defecating in the nearby bushes. He relates his experiences with the war in unflinching and brutal detail, leading Tricia to speculate that his crassness is “the true measure of what it took not to look away” (193).