Tim OBriens The Things They Carried Essay - 1350 Words

There is no lack of interpretations or assumptions of what Americans believe about the war; stating their opinions about politics or the military is not something they are afraid of doing. Whichever way a person wants to perceive the war is entirely up to them, but the viewpoints of the soldiers’ who are fighting in said war, show perspectives that are often entirely opposite of the views of those Americans. Tim O’Brien’s The Thing They Carried offers insight on the Vietnam War as told by soldiers during that time. O’Brien blurs distinction of what the truth is and what is false when it involves the storytelling of war and how everyone else perceives it; the connection of the ‘normal’ Americans, or the average American opinion on war,†¦show more content†¦There are people who want war to happen to make a great change to better their country. There are interpretations that say soldiers are brave and they are doing heroic acts, the war will save them from the unrest within their own country, and additional territory increases. War seems to be the answer to many peoples’ questions. War plays an important role in America’s government and in their political standpoint. However, the soldiers who take part in the war voice differing opinions and thoughts of what war means. The onlookers and the ones involved have different perceptions. O’Brien’s The Things They Carried included gruesome images and stories that bring real-life examples of how soldiers encounter the war to life, which disrupts and challenges the common assumptions that people may have of war. The fact that the Americans who think war is great cannot listen to a true war story seems counterproductive in that the opposite of what they believe is the reality of these soldiers. It suggests that people do not want to hear a true war story for several reasons. No one wants to hear a true war story that could be too much for them to bear, or not to bear, since they are not the ones constantly in battle. No one wants to listen to the truth being told while they are too busy trying to â€Å"make America great† by sending these soldiers to war. The quote, â€Å"As a first rule of thumb, therefore, you can tell a true war story by its absoluteShow MoreRelatedTim OBriens The Things They Carried Essay1328 Words   |  6 Pagesof doing. Whichever way a person wants to perceive the war is entirely up to them, but the viewpoints of the soldiers’ who are fighting in said war, show perspectives that are often entirely opposite of the views of those Americans. Tim O’Brien’s The Thing They Carried offers insight on the Vietnam War as told by soldiers during that time. O’Brien blurs distinction of what the truth is and what is false when it involves the storytelling of war and how everyone else perceives it; the connection ofRead More What is Love? Tim OBriens The Things They Carried Essay2282 Words   |  10 Pagesstill people that can confuse it because of objects or even words. An example of this confusion can be shown in the novel â€Å"The Things They Carried†, by Tim O’ Brien. Jimmy Cross is fond of Martha and s hows strong emotions for her. Jimmy Cross shows his emotions towards Martha right at the beginning of the novel by sharing to us the following: First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried letters from a girl named Martha, a Junior at Mount Sebastian College in New Jersey. They were not love letters, but Lieutenant