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Loyalty In The Things They Carried

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No one can tell a war story better than a warrior himself. A work of fiction by Tim O’Brien called The Things They Carried conveys a strong message through several experiences displaying that even though the dead are no longer living, their stories will forever live. In his piece, a group of young soldiers serve in the Vietnam war risking their safety while carrying the burden of concrete and abstract objects. O 'Brien 's powerful collection of stories has allowed me to better understand the reality of war, how quickly innocence can be lost, and the true meaning of loyalty.
Throughout the book, many times adjectives such as “gruesome”, “brutal” and “traumatizing” come to mind as I read about the soldiers’ deaths. It is common to picture a fighter coming out of war strong and proud of his or her actions; O’Brien’s stories showcase a contrasting emotional version. He has given me a shocking view of the war where soldiers are not happily joining the …show more content…

In the event of sacrificing their youth, the soldier’s actions displayed a grand representation of loyalty. The soldiers are isolated from their everyday lives, giving them the chance to create friendships. O’Brien is able to display a strong bond between the soldiers when facing life and death situations. It is during this time that I saw the true meaning of loyalty; directing me to believe that loyalty is tantamount to an honorable award. The loyalty I discovered between the soldiers gives me a desire to display the same loyalty to my friends.
Overall, The Things They Carried has impacted me by allowing me to discover the importance of storytelling as a way to heal and move on. From not having self-confidence, to experiencing setbacks at a young age, this work of fiction has influenced me to seek the potential that lies within myself. The characters actions act as my motivation to go further than the average, to strive for even better, knowing that one 's age should not be an excuse for not experiencing the

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