Henry Dobbins! Face of 'murica

O'Brien writes,

Henry Dobbins was a good man, and a superb soldier, but sophistication was not his strong suit. The ironies went beyond him. In many ways he was like America itself, big and strong, full of good intentions, a roll of fat jiggling at his belly, slow of foot but always plodding along, always there when you needed him, a believer in the virtues of simplicity and directness and hard labor. Like his country, too, Dobbins was drawn toward sentimentality. (111)

O'Brien reveals that Henry Dobbins represents two different halves of American. Henry Dobbins was big, strong, full of good intentions, always there for you when you needed him, worked hard, a believer in the virtues of simplicity and directness. Henry Dobbins other half was the negative side of America. Henry was fat and O'Brien argues that in a way Henry is dumb. Henry Dobbins represents the good and the bad side of America, showing that war is like life.