Despite his past actions or fears, a man can carry on the legacy of honor. In Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried, the young men struggle with not only their lives as soldiers, but also with the weight of their reputations amongst themselves. They desperately want to be men, and being a man means they must be honorable. However, honor is the perception of his character, and it is only granted when a likeable man accepts his actions, and doles out justice as he sees fit. It is almost paradoxical to honor an unlikeable man—whether the dislike stems from his actual character, or his peers’ perceptions of him. Therefore, he must be a symbol of [agreement?] amongst the people who deem him worthy of honor. One of the first casualties in the novel is Curt Lemon, who was blown up by a rogue detonator. Throughout the chapter, his best friend, Rat Kiley, mourns and tries to cope with his loss by remembering Lemon’s character. Rat wrote in a letter that he could trust Lemon with his life, and that he and Lemon were very similar in so many ways; the dedication needed to respect the memory of his friend blooms from the connection between their personal lives, and who they thought they were. A dishonorable man will surely be remembered, but he will not evoke the same response from his peers. …show more content…
He has grown into a body that moves the way it does because his friends said the way he used to walk was feminine. Tim O’Brien decided to go to the Vietnam War in fear of the social repercussions. In his novel, he reveals his intention of dodging the draft, however, the character based on O’Brien bit the bullet and stayed away from the Canadian border when he realized he cared about what his family and friends would say about him back home. He wanted to be one of the good guys, and, though he opposed the war, O’Brien opposed the legacy of cowardice even