In the novel The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, the author shares with the reader his use of stories and the power they have over the listener. O’Brien shows the reader how stories give emotion where the truth might not give the emotion to the reader that the storyteller is looking to instill. For instance, They Things They Carried was written by O’Brien to show the reader the emotional toll of war. He tells the reader multiple times that these stories aren’t all true in the actual truth sense. Emotionally the stories within the novel give truth for the reader. O’Brien uses the protagonist, Tim, to deliver the stories, showing the reader how it would feel to be a part of the war. O’Brien shows the reader that when telling a story, the
In the short story, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, it introduces the theme of weight that the soldiers must carry during the Vietnam War. The soldiers carried things that were either of physical weight (tangible) or emotional weight (intangible). The tangible weight included photos, comics, condoms, etc, but each tangible gives the readers an insight on the internal conflicts that weigh them down. Also, the intangibles discussed, show even more of the burdens they must carry. This being said the intangibles are shown to be the real weight that must be carried by each of the soldiers.
O’Brien not only is the writer but also puts himself in the story by being an actual character. O’Brien says that his novel is a combination of short stories, essays, and journalisms. Several times throughout the story, O’Brien mentions how he feels like he is completely reliving the past and sometimes its sad, sometimes its happy. One of the most important stories throughout the book is "How To Tell A True War Story," and the title does not refer to how to simply tell a true war story but how to tell if a war story is true or not. An important theme in the novel that centers on the difference between how war is perceived by people who have not experienced it first hand as opposed to what war really is
The Things They Carried In the historical fiction The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien presents himself, the narrator, being faced with a war draft to a war he didn't agree with, in order to convey a message about going to war instead of fleeing the draft ultimately illustrating that message of being a coward for going against what he believed in. Tim O’Brien conveys a message of himself being a coward for going against what he believed in. In the text Tim had recently graduated from college when he got drafted to the war, O’Brien stated “In June of 1968, a month after graduating from Macalester College, I was drafted to fight a war I hated.” O’Brien makes it extremely clear that his views did not align with the war.
What is surrealism? How do you know what’s real or unreal? Sometimes when authors write we can’t tell if it's real or more of an exaggeration. We can't really understand the truth. In the novel ‘’The Things They Carried’’ by Tim O’Brien is about the Vietnam War and his experiences with it.
Characters featured throughout various pieces of American Literature are often positively or negatively affected by their past. These past events can affect the character’s present feelings, ideals, or actions. In Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, one character is affected significantly by the past events of his life. As both the narrator and protagonist, Tim O’Brien is affected by the former occurrences and memories of when he was a soldier fighting in the Vietnam War. He carries with him the traumatic recollections of the time at war, which has led him to share his experiences with others through storytelling, attempting to effectively communicate the nearly impossible depiction to others: what it was truly like as a soldier in Vietnam.
He tells stories interacting with people who die to bring closure to their deaths. If done respectfully it is a powerful coping mechanism to cope with not just loss of people in war, but any loss. He also indicates that without expressing thoughts through stories thoughts build up pressure and circle in the mind causing distress or harm. Coping with death is difficult not only because of the loss of loved ones, but also because of the reminder that lives are temporary. Reflecting after the war, O'brien expresses that “stories are for joining the past to the future….stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story”(36).
The Power of the Narrator Truth is not what was seen or heard or happened, but what was felt. It can neither be generalized nor objectified because it is unique to the person who experiences it. The author’s best option to make the story feel true for the reader is to make it relatable to them by using the narrator. For the reader to relate to the story most, the narration of the story should alter depending on the content of the story. Tim O’Brien focuses on the relationship between narration, truth and feeling in his compilation of stories called The Things They Carried.
Your perspective is reality, true or not it is. However, when something happens and you your perspective is lost is it true that you lose your sense of reality? Or perhaps you don 't lose reality but rather gain perspective, which can be confusing in a whole other light. Author Tim O’Brien, through his narrative, The Things They Carried, emphasises the idea the perhaps there is no way to lose perspective; instead you are constantly gaining it causes more confusion while you 're still writing your story. But perhaps when you take a step back after you’ve made it through the mess the pieces (the memorable moments good and bad) seem to fall into place creating a glance “across the surface of my [your] history” (233).
Readers, especially those reading historical fiction, always crave to find believable stories and realistic characters. Tim O’Brien gives them this in “The Things They Carried.” Like war, people and their stories are often complex. This novel is a collection stories that include these complex characters and their in depth stories, both of which are essential when telling stories of the Vietnam War. Using techniques common to postmodern writers, literary techniques, and a collection of emotional truths, O’Brien helps readers understand a wide perspective from the war, which ultimately makes the fictional stories he tells more believable.
A lot happens in Tim O 'Brien short story "The Things They Carried", at first, the reader speculates what the short story is about and why it is called "The Things They Carried". The narrator Tim O 'Brien tells and describes all the things that the men have to carry while "in-country" during the Vietnam War in the1960 's. The text 's artistic value comes from its plot, characters, conflict, and style. In the plot of the story the protagonist, Tim O 'Brien starts by describing circumstances that happened while he was in Vietnam. In the beginning of "The Things They Carried" we are introduced to each character by the things they carry.
In The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, the truth is distorted. O’Brien’s writing style cause the readers to question whether the novel is based on the truth or not. The author distorts the point of view, voice, and time for the readers to discerns the truth. Tim O’Brien uses both first and third-person narrative in the novel. Throughout the novel, O’Brien’s perspective is not constant and shifts between first and third-person.
He fought a war in Vietnam that he knew nothing about, all he knew was that, “Certain blood was being shed for uncertain reasons” (38). He realized that he put his life on the line for a war that is surrounded in controversy and questions. Through reading The Things They Carried, it was easy to feel connected to the characters; to feel their sorrow, confusion, and pain. O’Briens ability to make his readers feel as though they are actually there in the war zones with him is a unique ability that not every author possess.
Although the soldier he killed was an enemy soldier, instead of vilifying him he was able to humanize the man. O’Brien was able to describe the physical appearance of the soldier and imagine her life before war. The author was able to portray an emotional connection and made the line between friend and enemy almost vanish. This was able to reveal the natural beauty of shared humanity even in the context of war’s horror. O’Brien is able to find the beauty in the midst of this tragic and horrible event.
The concept of carrying is central to O'Brien's work, and it is manifested in various forms throughout the book. At its most basic level, carrying refers to the physical burden that the soldiers carry with them during the Vietnam War. They are laden with weapons, ammunition, rations, and other supplies that are necessary for their survival. These objects serve as a reminder of the constant danger and uncertainty of their situation, as well as the weight of their responsibility as soldiers.
This forewarns the reader that they could be reading something that is real or something that is completely made up. O’Brien is a masterful writer who has created an unique story about the experience of war through his style of writing.