A beautiful flower with delicate petals stands in a lush green jungle. When a violent storm with violent winds looms on the horizon, the flower succumbs to each gust. Unable to withstand torrential downpours and strong winds, it loses its petals and breaks from the intense pressure. This same thing happens to Mary Anne as "The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" unfolds. Even though people have the capacity to endure great tragedy, suffering, and violence, the sheer brutality of war permanently robs Mary Anne of innocence, and the devastation takes root in her soul. Vietnamese culture and graphic scenes enliven and empower Mary Anne as she "enters the wild, uncivilized jungle and becomes irrevocably fascinated by the hostile world so different from her own." Just like a drug addict, she is hooked and it changes the course of her life forever. Innocence is such a precious gift. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines innocence as “freedom from guilt or sin resulting from not knowing evil.” Innocence is most easily associated with youth, as there is little guilt or worry to worry about. Mary Anne arrives in Vietnam with a bubbly personality and a happy smile. His character represents youth and innocence as Tim O'Brien describes it. It's not perfect, it's still rough, as a child always is. Like most teenagers with an overactive mind, they are eager to learn. They desire to be mature and have experience in the ways of the world. Mary Anne was true to form. She wasn't shy and immediately started asking questions. Within a few weeks he learned Vietnamese, asked about traveling rockets and got his hands bloody helping with the arriving wounded. The more invoked Mary becomes... middle of paper... she can never be recovered. Mary Anne was once this lively, bubbly young girl. It was the beautiful flower that accidentally fell in the jungle of Vietnam. He tried with every ounce of his spirit to sail through the waters and winds of the storm, but he wasn't strong enough. It lost its petals, its luster, and eventually its stem cracked and broke. Another thing lost, another victim of the toil and struggles of a pointless war. A young man's innocence was swept away forever as a victim of war. Works Cited "Innocence". Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2011.Web. Oct 20, 2011.Stan Tian. "The Emotional Effects of War on Soldiers." http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/11261/1/The-Emotional-Effects-of-War-on-Soldiers.html. 19 Oct 2011"A thousand meter view." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 29 September 2011. Web. 23 October. 2011.