Anthroporphism

"Talking about bugs, for instance: how the worst thing in Nam was the goddamn bugs. Big giant killer bugs, he'd say, mutant bugs...Whispering his name, he said-his actual name-all night long-it was driving him crazy." Page 209 and 210

Anthropomorphism, or personification, is a great literary term. However, when people start legitimately treating animals or objects as if they have human traits, their sanity should be examined. As I mentioned before, Rat was one of my favorite characters. But first he tortured a poof buffalo. Then he basically goes insane. But he makes an interesting point. In the face of war, sometimes everything can be the enemy. Bugs and insects can bite and make you uncomfortable during battle. They are a handicap. Those bugs may have not been after Rat, but they weren't helping the soldiers' situation. This use of personification was quite effective in showing the difficulties faced by soldiers.