The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien is a fictional account of the Vietnam war that seeks to reveal a truth about storytelling. He shows this through several examples, most notably in "Speaking of Courage", where he describes a veteran who can't fit in and drives around the lake, "The man I killed", where the narrator, Tim kills a Vietcong soldier, and "In the Field", which is the opposite of that as it is more direct and isn't as fictionalized. He shows the audience what really happens with "Notes", and "Good Form". Using this book, Tim O'Brien seeks to reveal the truth on how using fiction in narratives can show a deeper truth than just the happening truth.
In Speaking of Courage, it focuses on Norman Bowker, a Vietnam war veteran who feels alienated and isolated from his hometown after the war. In the quote "'How'd you like to hear about the war?' he might have asked, but the place could only blink and shrug."(143) It shows how Norman can not fit in with the people in his hometown anymore, as his interests are vastly different from the civilians in the town. This means there aren't any good topics that he shares in common with anymore else as the only people who understand him are his fellow soldiers from Vietnam.
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He tells us that Norman Bowker hanged himself and gives more details about Norman and the story Speaking of Courage. A notable quote here is "By telling stories, you objectify your own experience." Tim says that by writing stories, he was able to go through his memories which allows you to separate yourself from it. The stories don't also have to be completely truthful as this book is fiction, and he shows this by outright stating "He did not freeze up or loes the Silver Star for valor. That part of the story is my own." at the end of the chapter. by including the silver star in the chapter, he was able to better convey the feeling of many veterans when they come