Over 9 million military personnel served in the Vietnam War, one of, if not the most, controversial wars in American history. Studies conducted in 1968, before and after the presidential election, showed that the majority of people believed that entering the war was a mistake. As well as this, the studies also showed that nearly 60 percent of people believed that America should pull its troops out of Vietnam, either by an active effort to end the war or by pulling out entirely (Lau 474). Despite the fact that it was perhaps the most controversial military operation in history, 75 percent of the total forces in Vietnam were volunteers (Hall 25). This begs the question, what led these soldiers to serve in a war that nearly half the country …show more content…
“On the Rainy River,” further explores the theme of shame that, “The Things They Carried,” introduced by giving background information about Tim O’Brien. The short story is about the conflicted choice that O’Brien has to deal with, either ignoring the draft, risking the judgment of his family and friends, or accepting the call and renouncing his morals (On the Rainy River 162). O’Brien’s unique use of storytelling, for example, the structure in “The Things They Carried,” highlights how cowardice and courage are interchangeable given a different perspective. For example, from the perspective of the audience it is generally presumed that when O’Brien finally decided to fight in the war, that he never believed in, it was because he was courageous. However, the audience learns that O’Brien believed that by joining the war, he betrayed his morals, and he harshly claims that he was a coward for doing so (On the Rainy River 163). Motivation to join the war was not the only thing that O’Brien highlighted, as he also highlighted soldiers being considered cowards by their fellow men in …show more content…
At the beginning of the story, the soldiers in the unit believe that dying in this war would be honorable and even courageous. It becomes apparent as the story progresses that this is nowhere near the case as one of the least respected soldiers, Ted Lavender dies. Lavender, considered a coward by the rest of the unit, is shot in the head by a sniper as he is walking back to the group (O’Brien 570). His death was the first in the unit and began to open the eyes of the other soldiers. Because his death showcased the opposite of what the other soldiers thought, that dying in war would make you courageous, the importance of perspective begins to unravel. As the soldiers realize this they begin to feel shame, Jimmy Cross blames himself for the death of Lavender, and Kiowa feels a sort of shame in that he cannot relate to this when he feels like he should (O’Brien
Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was determined to find Kiowa’s body the morning after his death. Cross believed Kiowa was a fine soldier and human being and there was no way he would allow such a good man to be lost under the sewage . Jimmy Cross believed he had made a mistake setting up camp where he did, and felt sick about it (O’Brien, 2010, p.157). If Lieutenant Cross had not set up camp where he did he believed Kiowa could still be fighting with them and now held the responsibility to write a letter to
In Tim O’brien’s short story, “The Things They Carried,” O’brien explains more than just what people face at war. O’Brien gives detail of each burden, struggle, and memory each soldier carries into the war. He describes of a battle more destructive than a war filled with guns, bombs, and knives. He describes of a mind battle, one in which is the hardest any man can face. A mind battle controls your every decision.
Hunter Berman Ms.Silver AP English P-4 6/7/2018 The things They Carried Historical Report The Things They Carried is a novel written by Tim O'Brien about U.S. soldiers stationed in Vietnam and their personal stories of what they literally and emotionally carry. He focus on what the soldiers have on their person and how each of those items have an effect on them for reason specific to them.
Lavender was now dead… this was something he would have to carry like a stone for the rest of the war.” As more soldiers die it becomes more “stones” that the soldiers must carry. ) Tim O’brien incorporates a theme of death, which is something that a lot of soldiers must carry with them. Whether its is the the fear of them dying or carrying the death of a fellow solider on their shoulders, the thought of death is something that is real and that Tim O’Brien wants to incorporate within his
He feels guilty because he believes that his love for a girl named Martha and his tendency to follow orders from other people despite his better judgment caused the deaths of Ted Lavender and Kiowa, two members of Alpha Company. Mitchell Sanders- A kind soldier that has a strong sense of justice. He told stories for the men. He appears like a fatherly figure.
In fact, O’Brien debunks the assumption that men go to fight in wars to become heroes, for he did not go to the war to be recognized as a hero. Instead, Tim O’Brien, like so many others, initially wanted to avoid the draft, but succumbed to the pressures of society, that still continues on to this day. The men, especially the draftees, never quite know what they’re getting into, and wars bring out every emotion in a person through different experiences. In his book, O’Brien states, “Getting shot should be an experience from which you can draw some small pride…” (182). This quote emphasizes the moments of the war in which men muster up what little they would have ever opened up to when they speak of their experiences.
Upon the death of Lavender and Lt. Cross putting the blame upon himself, he had decided to burn his distraction (which was told to be the reason for Lavender’s death-it could have been prevented) alongside disregarding his good luck pebble from Martha, a symbol O’Brien had used to depict classification for Cross. Thus, in this sequence, as Cross had “renewed” himself from distraction, it can be relatable to O’Brien as he represents Lt. Cross not with a pebble nor Martha, but rather a man who rehabilitated himself in response to the death of one of his men. Furthermore, throughout the story, O’Brien begins to categorize his fellow soldiers through the listing, indicating a weak relationship between everyone. However, as the story progresses after the death of Lavender, a conversing style of writing emerged (about Lavender’s death and how the soldiers were grateful to be alive), indicating emotional connection between O’Brien and the company amplified, such as when Kiowa noticed the Lieutenant being “…in some deep hurt [indicating]… The man cares.” Additionally, O’Brien, from there forth, begins to characterize the Alpha Company through their personal traits with phrases identical to, “For the most part they carried themselves with poise, a kind of dignity” or the general reactions and responses the soldiers produced before, during, and after a firefight including embarrassment and apprehensive sentiment to die and the jokingly conversing subsequent to the battle.
To go into it, I’ve always thought, would only cause embarrassment for all of us,” (O’Brien 37). O’Brien succeeds at telling this war story because in the short story, On the Rainy River, he contemplates escaping the draft by fleeing to Canada or being a man and going to war. He knows that if he flees to Canada, he will be painted as a coward in
Lavender's death didn’t result in only pain and suffering, it was also inspiring: “He was now determined to perform his duties firmly and without negligence… He would be careful to end flank security…. He would accept the blame for what happened to Ted Lavender” (O’Brien 24). As painful as Lavender's death
Not a word” (O’Brien 16). Lavender’s death is described as being like a substance of massive mass, extremely heavy, like cement. Lavender’s death is repeated several times throughout the story. It is obvious that this repetition is a symbol of the fear in the remaining soldiers. This symbolism alone shows a classical example of what we call posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
The fear also impacted the relationships the American soldiers had with one another. Most soldiers were concerned about obtaining social acceptance during the war. Social acceptance may seem to be unimportant but played a factor especially since the idea of coming close to death united them daily. Shame was often tied to the soldiers being engaged to dangerous and ridiculous actions. Soldiers were often blinded by the idea of shame and attempted to fight not only in the war but also fought for their loved ones
The sight of blood made me queasy, and I couldn't tolerate authority, and I didn't know a rifle from a slingshot” (O’Brien 26). O’Brien had just gotten the draft letter and is feeling mixed emotions because he believes that he is too smart for war and it must be a mistake that he got the letter. He says that he hates pretty much every aspect of war, and he knows absolutely nothing about firearms. Later on in the story, when O’Brien has experienced some of the war, he said, “War is hell, but that's not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun.
In the short story, “The Man I Killed,” O’Brien focuses on this to show that everyone fighting in a war has a story. He spends the story describing the man he killed and searching for justification of his actions. He carries around guilt with him because of it, and his fellow soldiers try to help him justify and come to terms with his action by saying things like, “You want to trade places with him? Turn it all upside down= you want that? I mean, be honest,” (126) and “Tim, it’s a war.
Through the use of repetition in the chapter “The Man I Killed,” O’Brien conveys a motif of guilt. This is first seen when O’Brien kept saying how the man he had killed might have done something with his life and did not want to be in the war: “He wanted someday to be a teacher of mathematics. At night, lying on his mat, he could not picture himself doing the brave things his father
People get so caught up in what others think and expect of them that they let it completely control the decisions they make. The soldiers in “The Things They Carried” have a fear of looking weak and cowardice. They let this fear and their pride control them even if it is not what they want. Tim O’Brien, Norman Bowker, and Curt Lemon are examples of soldiers who let fear control them. The soldiers fear that the people close to them and around them will discover their weaknesses.