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Guilt In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

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In Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, shame and guilt is developed. This is so by O’Brien having flashbacks while the Vietnam War is on the rise. O’Brien develops shame as he remember a particular story that he has told no one, “This is a story I've never told before” (O’brien 39). He thought it would only bring shame and embarrassment for him and his family, “To get into it, I’ve always thought, would only cause embarrassment for all of us” (39).Soldiers felt obligated to go to war for fear of embarrassing themselves, their families, and their towns if they did not . This shamefacedness is bolstered by the criticism of cry unrefined "masculine" enough—not beastlike brave, heroic, and patriotic enough. O'Brien reflects on howsoever the
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