The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien deals with the common themes of storytelling, truth, and death. O’Brien reveals later in the book that although the book has appeared to be non-fiction, it is mostly purely fictional. He explains that storytelling truth is different than what actually happens, and his reason for embellishing “the happening truth” is to allow the reader to feel what he felt as a soldier in Vietnam. Storytelling is O’Brien’s way of coping with the things he has seen, heard, and felt. He explains that truth in his war stories is “truer sometimes than happening-truth” (203), and his reason for doing this is to make it real for the reader. The truth he continues to express is that war is not glorious, and the reality of it can only be shown through the use of stories.
The novel begins with a story about what each soldier in Alpha Company carries with him. Each man carries many of the same supplies, but he also carries personal effects that are unique to him, symbolizing the life that each of them left behind upon going to war. O’Brien focuses a lot on the weight of the items they carry, some heavy, some light, but this literal weight represents the emotional baggage that each must also bear. The feeling of imminent death, loss of their previous lives at home, and fighting a war that they do not understand are all constantly on the mind of each young man.
O’Brien makes it very known that a real hero is much different than a non-soldier may think. He says each soldier is a hero for fighting in a war that he does not believe in or want to be a part of. A hero is faces the fear of dying. O’Brien says that he is not a hero because he tried to escape the draft, and his own guilt and cowardice were what landed him in Vietnam. In the story of Henry Dobbins after the war, his father thinks of his son as a brave hero for his many medals and honors. Dobbins however feels as though he is not a hero because he never showed bravery, he just did what he was told to do. He does not feel glorious about his medals as his father thinks he should, which is another way O’Brien shows that storytelling is the only way for a non-combatant to see and feel the war for what it truly was.
The last story tells of O’Brien’s childhood sweetheart who died at an early age due to a brain tumor. He does this to show that through the use of stories, he can make the dead appear alive again. It does not just apply to the soldiers and friends he lost in the war; it applies to all the dead. The soldiers would sometimes pretend the dead were alive still, shaking their hands and making them speak. O’Brien reveals that it is one of the only ways to cope. O’Brien’s stories, true or untrue, are a testament to the everyday life of a war veteran, both in the past and in the present.
The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien deals with the common themes of storytelling, truth, and death. O’Brien reveals later in the book that although the book has appeared to be non-fiction, it is mostly purely fictional. He explains that storytelling truth is different than what actually happens, and his reason for embellishing “the happening truth” is to allow the reader to feel what he felt as a soldier in Vietnam. Storytelling is O’Brien’s way of coping with the things he has seen, heard, and felt. He explains that truth in his war stories is “truer sometimes than happening-truth” (203), and his reason for doing this is to make it real for the reader. The truth he continues to express is that war is not glorious, and the reality of it can only be shown through the use of stories.
ReplyDeleteThe novel begins with a story about what each soldier in Alpha Company carries with him. Each man carries many of the same supplies, but he also carries personal effects that are unique to him, symbolizing the life that each of them left behind upon going to war. O’Brien focuses a lot on the weight of the items they carry, some heavy, some light, but this literal weight represents the emotional baggage that each must also bear. The feeling of imminent death, loss of their previous lives at home, and fighting a war that they do not understand are all constantly on the mind of each young man.
O’Brien makes it very known that a real hero is much different than a non-soldier may think. O’Brien says that he is not a hero because he tried to escape the draft, and his own guilt and cowardice were what landed him in Vietnam. The true hero for Tim the character is Elroy Berdahl, who allows Tim to make his own path in life. Elroy gives Tim the necessary tools to make the right decision but does not influence him in any way. In the story of Henry Dobbins after the war, his father thinks of his son as a brave hero for his many medals and honors. Dobbins however feels as though he is not a hero because he never showed bravery, he just did what he was told to do. He does not feel glorious about his medals as his father thinks he should, which is another way O’Brien shows that storytelling is the only way for a non-combatant to see and feel the war for what it truly was.
The last story tells of O’Brien’s childhood sweetheart who died at an early age due to a brain tumor. He does this to show that through the use of stories, he can make the dead appear alive again. It does not just apply to the soldiers and friends he lost in the war; it applies to all the dead. The soldiers would sometimes pretend the dead were alive still, shaking their hands and making them speak. In this way, this novel is a love story rather than a war story; O’Brien can save lives with his stories, which in turn saves his own life. He chooses to end the book this way to illustrate this point, rather than leaving the reader with the idea that it was a war story all along.