A Late Encounter with the Enemy - Past vs. Future?
O'Connor (Choose One of Three) -- Jerz: EL150 (Intro to Literary Study)
"The past and the future were the same thing to him, one forgotten and the other not remembered."
I think that the past is the 'enemy' in this story. Obviously, it is to General Sash, because he resents it. He has completely forgotten everything that has happened in his life, like his wife, his children, his parents, etc. He has moved on from the past, and now just lives in the moment. He doesn't even look ahead to the future. For Sally, the past is always there to back her. O'Connor even said that she wanted the General at her graduation because she wanted to show what she stood for, "what all was behind her." The past was the thing that was behind her, and she was proud of it. She is a nostalgic person, and like Chera said, she wishes she were 16 again. By the end, the past is the enemy. It catches up with the General, and because of it, Sally will never have the glory of having the General see her graduate.