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Summary Of The Tears Of War By Tim O Brien

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The Tears of War The author Tim O’Brien, creates a novel that talks about many true and unreal war stories to display how much the Vietnam War has physically and emotionally affected each soldier. This book was written by the point of view of a veteran who has experienced the grief and pain these men were put through because they forced to fight in a war that they may or may not have believed in. O’Brien’s purpose for writing this novel is to let people who were not in the war try to understand and experience the feelings and thoughts of the men as they read each story in this novel. During the first chapter, “The Things They Carried”, the main focus is what the soldiers mentally and physically have to carry with them as they walk through …show more content…

Before the war, these men are walking to get the mail like any other day, not expecting anything to change. They have no idea yet that they are about to read a letter stating that these men will be sent to a war forcing them to leave their homes to flea for their lives or to fight in a war that they may not believe in. “I remember opening up the letter, scanning the first few lines, feeling the blood go thick behind my eyes… a million things all at once--- I was too good for this war. Too smart, too compassionate, too …show more content…

The soldiers carry their thoughts and memories of the ones they love back home, and the soldiers believe it effects them on doing their jobs during the war. “I nodded and told him I was surprised. I thought he burned it… Well, I did--- I burned it. After Lavender died, I couldn’t.” During the war, Jimmy Cross blamed himself and his thoughts of the one he loved for the death of one of his men. So he tried to erase her from his mind by burning pictures of her and putting his mind set on the lives of his men. He was ashamed of himself and felt guilt for thinking about how much he loves

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