Characterized by pride and arrogance, the colonel gives the soldiers a speech in which he seems more interested in glorifying the war and showing off for the news people and cameras than in honoring their individual sacrifice. He exemplifies the army’s lack of sincere interest in soldiers’ well-being and daily lives.
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The Colonel Character Timeline in The Yellow Birds
The timeline below shows where the character The Colonel appears in The Yellow Birds. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4: September 2004 – Al Tafar, Nineveh Province, Iraq
The lieutenant then walks up to them and announces that the colonel is coming. The soldiers prepare their rifles to protect their building and, when the colonel...
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Bartle feels that the colonel is moved by pride and arrogance, as well as a lack of interest in the...
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...As the soldiers all reflect on the long walking they are about to do, the colonel explains that they will drop mortars in the orchard before the soldiers get there, and...
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As the colonel is leaving, Bartle hears him ask the reporter how the photos look. Murph then asks...
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