Often the setting in a text will carry symbolic significance, supporting as well the writer's key themes. Discuss these concepts in the light of The Sorrow of War.

A place of being can haunt those who visit even if the buildings are gone. Because of the third dimension of belief in the country of Vietnam, even if there is no physical presence of being trauma cannot be erased as it lives on in memories and the presence an area has. " set the village alight to cleanse it. but after the fire the soldiers were still terrified". This concept shows that no matter how hard you try to get rid of the past the place will forever hold a significance as memories last forever. War permeates this as trauma is trigger when we go to the place it occurred.
If a person who did not know the history of what happened in that area so they have a different mind set no memories to be triggered only the memories being created. The past is something that can forever haunt us and in war you have no distractions war becomes your life.