Fiction Essay “The Things They Carried” a short story by Tim O’Brien is about soldiers in the Vietnam War. O’Brien being a war veteran himself knows what the war was like, and he reflects this in this story. This story is about the many things that the soldiers carried. This story was one that made me want to keep turning the page and it is a story that gave an amazing inner view of what life on the frontlines is really like. The soldiers in the Vietnam War and for any War for that matter are constantly scared for their lives and just living day to day is a struggle they are forced to face fighting, death, and sickness on a daily basis.
The effects of war not only affect the soldier, but also cause an effect on families and loved ones. It is hard for the family to accept what had done war to Henry, but it is even tougher for Henry, who is blind by the terrible things he saw and lived at Vietnam, and does not see another way out than committing
In another case, Paul is seen trying to save the life of an enemy that he has stabbed, he fails but his efforts shouldn’t be forgotten. His friends refer to him as a hero, and he neglects this title and all the medals. Paul doesn’t like war and what it represents, to him, war is the real evil. The government forcing people into war, without giving them a choice is evil War can easily turn any person into a hero. Corporal Himmelstoss was an average polite postman before being drafted into World War I, not soon after he became a bully.
Analysis The author lists the objects the soldiers carried to represent the emotional burdens the soldiers bear. One is the necessity for the soldiers to face the tension between fantasy and reality. These emotional burdens are intensified by their young age and experience; they no perspective on how to rationalize killing someone or witnessing their comrade’s death. One major effect the war has had on these soldiers is turning them cynical or gloomy. In the story “Love,” O’ Brien’s tells the story of the reunion of Martha and Cross; this is a reference to the fallout of Vietnam.
shows, but through real life people. It is almost certain that these men will probably experience some type of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. “Combat fatigue,” “shell shock,” or “war neurosis” (Kulka) are all associated with PTSD. But with the weight of Lt. Cross’s men on his shoulders, their lives resting in his hands, is definitely hard. Battling the war of love in his head, asnd battling the Vietnam War as well, is a great means of PTSD in the making.
These feeling are expressed in the story about Rat Kiley's letter, with which the chapter is started - with his feelings of grief about loss and final «cooze», because he was not written back and he could not cope with his loss. His pain is shown in the shoking story of shooting baby buffalo. However, all these stories might have never happened, the soldiers were fighting the war and facing blood, troops and losses, struggling because of their youth and immaturity, fear that cannot be ignored about war. This terrible experience of war is the only truth that author wants to make the readers understand in his
7. The effect of the collapsing time in the final paragraph is that it had really emphasized his terror of remembering the war because even though the war was a huge impact part of his life O’Brien fears the memories of it. The rhetorical effect of this irony is that he spent so much thought over going or not going to war that the memories of the war was given no details whatsoever. It was almost not considered as important as the decision. 8.
George knows that the other men will probably be more cruel to Lennie, and George's quicker methods are the only alternative. 46. Slim was the only man on the ranch who understood Lennie and George's bond. The other men are too lonely and isolated to understand a such bond. They couldn't percieve why George would be sad after he told them he killed Lennie in self
During the story it also describes their attempts to converse with an A&W employee, but no one will offer them consolation. O’Brien himself realizes that if he didn’t have writing to work through his trauma, he might be in wretched into a place as Bowker. Both stories also talk about the tragedy of the deaths that were occurring. In The Things They Carried Kiowa was an loved member of the alpha company and O’Brien friend. Although O’Brien is unclear about whether or not he actually threw a grenade and killed a man outside My Khe, his memory of the man’s corpse is strong and recurring, symbolizing humanity’s guilt over war’s horrible acts.
However, he was still able to go through his life like that. The quote doesn't apply to All Quiet on the Western Front because Paul Baumer and his friends trusted the officials and this ended up leading to the death of all of them. "... It is impossible to go through life without trust..." This quote does not apply to The Catcher in the Rye because Holden Caulfield, the main character believes everyone is phony and doesn't trust anyone which is a major flaw. Holden’s major flaw affects his life