Shame In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

In the book “The Things They Carried” two stories show that shame is a strong feeling that human beings experienced and can make humans do things that they wouldn’t do. In the story "On The Rainy River '' By Tim O’Brien the example below shows what the feeling of shame can do mentally to a person “my conscience told me to run, but some irrational and powerful force was resisting, like a weight pushing me toward the war. What it came down to, stupidly, was a sense of shame. Hot, stupid shame. I did not want people to think badly of me. Not my parents, not my brother and sister, not even the folks down at the Gobbler Café. I was ashamed to be there at the Tip Top Lodge. I was ashamed of my conscience, ashamed to be doing the right thing.” (O’Brien

He begins to start thinking about his family, friends, goals, and dreams. He questions if he should even go to Canada and begin a new life where no one would know what he had done or go back and fight in a war that he didn't believe in. Tim can’t push himself to jump and swim twenty yards so in embarrassment he cries and has a mental breakdown because of the conflict he was faced with. O’Brien ends up going back to his hometown and fights in the war not because he had to but because he was ashamed that when he was given the chance to leave the U.S he froze up and couldn’t do it, all he wanted to do was escape and not fight in a war he didn't believe in. This story shows great examples of what shame can do mentally to a person who doesn’t believe in the war or wants to get involved in

According to the story ”He would've talked about this, and how he grabbed Kiowa by the boot and tried to pull him out. He pulled hard but Kiowa was gone, and then suddenly he felt himself going, too. The shit was in his nose and eyes. There were flares and mortar rounds, and the stink was everywhere- it was inside him, in his lungs--and he could no longer tolerate it. Not here, he thought. Not like this. He released Kiowa's boot and watched it slide away. Slowly, working his way up, he hoisted himself out of the deep mud… he would've said. "I was cool. If things had gone right, if it hadn't been for that smell, I could've won the Silver Star." (O’Brian 143) This demonstrates that Bowker had the chance to save his friend and also win the silver star award but when he was faced with the challenge and the overpowering smell he couldn’t do it but while trying to save his friend from sinking underneath the pile of poop he found himself sinking as well and put his on life on line to attempt to save his friend from dying but it was too late it was everywhere, in his mouth, lungs, and inside of him. He was ashamed that he had the chance to save his friend and also win one of the rarest awards while serving but simply didn’t because the smell was too much for him and he couldn't handle it. Another piece of evidence that shows what