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QuizMultiple Choice

Experiencing and Reliving Vietnam

Question 1 • Hopkins FA American Literature (2026-2027)

Which lines from the poem “Facing It” best reflect the narrator’s struggle between his desire to maintain control and the strong emotions that he feels?

Answer
A
I’m stone. I’m flesh. My clouded reflection eyes me
B
I turn that way—I’m insidethe Vietnam Veterans Memorial
C
I touch the name Andrew Johnson;I see the booby trap’s white flash.
D
Brushstrokes flash, a red bird’swings cutting across my stare.

Explanation

The line “I’m stone. I’m flesh” shows the narrator pulled between appearing hard and controlled (“stone”) and being vulnerable and deeply feeling (“flesh”). His clouded reflection looking back at him reinforces that inner conflict. The other lines describe movement, a painful memory, or an image in the scene, but they do not express the struggle as directly.

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