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The Thing They Carry By Tim O Brien Literary Analysis

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“The Thing They Carried” by Tim O’Brien In the war novel “The Thing They Carry”, by Tim O’Brien, O’Brien open up his mind going down memories and stories he experience in the horrifying Vietnam war in 1950s-1980s. He used the signpost memory moment of truths and lies to reveal the burden of the war. Truth is what the soldier in the war, memories remember about, does whose location are unknown and what happens to them. Lies is everything that the soldiers can’t reveal to the public not just about the war but how they feel, damage which took place. In addition the regret which the soldier may have about theirs decision in the battlefield or if they could change something in their life, would they. In truth we are suppose to see the positive …show more content…

O’Brien used lies to guard, protect and hide war given only people that don’t know the truth peace, love and those who know the truth of war the burden of keeping it to themselves. When O’Brien explained the stories of comrades Norman Bower and how he felt when he came home to his old town, how everything had changed to the point where only thing which actually remained the same to him is the old swamp lake. Even so everyone he knew are living a joyful life, he had to deal with a burden of what truly cause Kiowa death. Bower mention how Lieutenant Jimmy Cross told the squad to rest in a waste field full of human feces and how the storm turn the field to a landslide. As well mention how Kiowa was stuck in the waste mud, Bower tried to pulled him out try, try with all his might Kiowa was gone and if he doesn't leave he would had died, but still knowing the fact that he saved his life, it hurt him deep inside. Because no one would every know that Kiowa as soldier how he lead the team as a big brother and his death; a death that not honorable for a soldier that people would cry for when gone. In addition no one to tell how sorry he felt wishing he could do more even so everyone at home are in peace. A burden like this take many lives and Bower in the end became one those lives, he committed suicide by hanging on page 155 in year 1978. If Bower told

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