War In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

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In the book The Things They Carried, there are various themes introduced throughout the book. One of the themes that really stood out to me was how the stress from the war psychologically affected the soldiers. These psychological effects that were shown in the soldiers have been displayed to be puzzling and irrational at times. The examples of this theme creates a vivid imagery in the readers about how war is like and how it psychologically affects you.

One of the examples of this theme is in the chapter “The Dentist” (pg. 82). In this chapter, it shows how the soldiers want to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance among each other. “The Dentist” features a short story about a soldier named Curt Lemon, and after fainting in the dentist’s, he thinks that he has to display his ability to persist anything and in a way to show his “manliness”. This leads him to make an irrational decision and get a perfectly good tooth to be pulled out. I think that if this wasn’t in a war situation, Curt wouldn’t have done this because he wouldn’t feel the need to show his bravery. I come to the conclusion that the war affected Curt to think that physical distress is nothing compared to the mental distress war gives you. …show more content…
131). In this chapter, it shows Norman Bowker after war when he returns back to his hometown. It is shown while he is driving around the lake that Kiowa’s death has triggered a psychological abnormality in Norman. I think what really made me feel sad about this chapter is how even though Norman had gone through a lot physically and mentally, he basically had no one to talk to about these stories and memories he had about the

War In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

War is sometimes necessary in order for peace to be preserved. War can be imperative even when it is not wanted, it is a last resort for securing peace and prosperity in our country. Many political and well known figures have done speeches and essays about war from over 500 years ago. Since wars have taken place for so many years, it shows that war is something that has been beneficial and is needed at times to keep a country powerful and united. From Tim O’Brien’s first hand war experience to…

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War In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

Wars are unpredictable and can change people’s lives: One way is by fusing with the daily lives of the people who fought in the war. Not only that, but soldiers never seem to forget those special moments when they felt as if they were part of something great and the times where they feared for their lives. Memories of the people they care about are what kept soldiers alive at war, but once they come back it seems as if those memories aren’t as special as they were during the war, making them feel…

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War In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

War, an action that is prevalent throughout the majority of human history which brings many consequences with it for all the good that it creates. The idea of war has become a major topic over recent centuries where it has been disputed whether or not that war really achieves what it sets out to do in solving problems. With advancements in technologies and the vast interconnection of the world, a war now would have much more devastating effects than it would have in the past. In Tim O'Brien's The…

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War In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

Niko Bellik once said, “War is where the young and stupid are tricked by the old and bitter into killing each other”. War is assumed to bring peace for our country and heroism for our troops. We need to know if we are committed in the ideology of war to act upon it. Many people do not question the true nature of war because we were taught that war is to protect our country and there is no wrong in doing so. There are several things to consider before giving support to a war. Before a citizen considers…

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The Vietnam War In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

The Vietnam War raged from 1955-1975. The United States had intervened in an attempt to contain Soviet influence as part of the bigger Cold War in progress. Ho Chi Minh and his communist Viet Minh party were battling South Vietnam and its ally, the U.S. More than 3,000,000 people died in the conflict - half were Vietnamese citizens and about 58,000 were Americans (History.com Staff). The intervention of the United States began in 1955 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower pledged to support Ngo Dinh…

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Theme Of War In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

that weighs them down to the point of being fatigued. However, In The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, themes of burdens and the stresses of war are present, and of how they affect everyone involved. The title of the book alludes to these themes, as each character is, “carrying” their own psychological or physical burden that weighs them down in one way or another, things such as burdens from home, dealing with the burden of war and it’s stresses, and of always dealing with the thought of serving…

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Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

Tim O’Brien, Vietnam War veteran, perhaps more than any other author gives eloquent and contrary voice to American involvement in war. From his own experiences in Vietnam, O’ Brien wrote a series of anti-war theme novels, including his acclaimed 1987 short story “The Things They Carried,” considered one of the top 100 short stories of the twentieth century (e.g., John Updike and Katrina Kenison, eds., The Best American Short Stories of the Century, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999). In his…

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Tim O Brien Rhetorical Analysis

The Twisting Views of War Through Imagery “The war in Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit” (Martin Luther King, J.R.). War is a topic today that is greatly controversial. In Tim O’ Brien’s novel The Things They Carried, O’ Brien describes the pointlessness and horrifics of war. Meanwhile just recently Chris Kyle published the book American Sniper where he talks about his pride of the war and the honor of serving your country. While Tim O’ Brien uses imagery and…

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Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

In 1990, The author Tim O'Brien wrote a book called "The Things They Carried" which was about a Vietnam war. It was the longest battle in U.S history. Since the U.S. couldn't get control of a South Vietnam and eventually North Vietnam took control of South Vietnam. The Vietnam war occurred in the year 1959 and ceased in the year 1975. There was a conflict between the U.S and communist government. The main idea of this war was to prevent the expansion of communism in Asia and Vietnam. The combat…

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Tim O Brien

Author Study: Tim O’Brien The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien details the lives of several soldiers of the Vietnam War and the trauma, guilt, regret, loneliness, and heartbreak, among the millions of other tragic emotions felt by these young men. Told through the eyes of the author, Tim O’Brien, who at the time, like many other young men, weren’t planning on fighting their government war but unfortunately were dealt an unfortunate hand, experiencing the pain and hardship that ensued throughout…

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