The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien Summary

It is interesting to read the war stories as told by Tim O’brien in “The Things We Carried”. There are several captivating depictions illustrating to readers what the standard criteria are for truth during storytelling. He maps for us how to determine the truth of a war story. Emphasizing the perspective of the author. O’brien makes the statement that being a real or actual event is not a prerequisite for truth. O’briens requirement for a true war story are not always precise. For example, O’Brien states that a true war story “embarrasses you,” (O’brien 270) “never seems to end,” (273). He further decribes them as having an “ uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil,” (270) and that they “are contradictory.” (275). Through the authors

During his notation of the Chris McCandless story, the essayist, Jon Krakuer offers his unique war story. In his own words he was a part of “the climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage” (Krakauer 207), not a participant in a conflict with others or a war of nations. The battlefield for McCandless was not one from generalized war stories, there was no jungle filled with traps, it was the Alaskan frontier. That did not stop the feeling of going to war, where McCandless was going was no doubt a dangerous place. Krakauer states how “he was fully aware when he entered the bush that he had given himself a perilously (emphasis added) slim margin for error. He knew precisely what was at stake” (Krakauer 219). Due to the provocative nature and descriptive language between these writings, or war stories, it is easy to draw many parallels between them. These are stories of young men during emotional or conflict, placing vivid images in the minds of the reader. There are, however, differences

Contrary to this criteria, Krakauer writings offer a lesson to its readers of youth and growth with the story of Christopher McCandless. There are similarities between O’Brien and Krakauers works. In both writings thre is an importatance expressed to the reader of the fact that war and youth will always be associated. When it comes to the risks associated with war, it is mainly the young who are pressed into the perils of war. However, being thrust into a war and being forced to serve in the front lines of battle does not turn a child into a soldier of war. As O’Brien tells what he would consider to be a ture war story of two young Vietnam soldiers he writes, “ They were kids; they just didn’t know. A nature hike, they thought, not even a war … they were giggling and calling each other yellow mother and playing a silly game they invented” (O’Brien 270). With O’briens words he reminices with his readers about childhood. The soldiers he writes about, under different circumstances, could have easily been kids in a school yard or a summer camp. True war stories show the gruesomeness of war, childrens lives lost faster than the blink of an eye. All this during a time they should be laughing, playing, and calling each other names. O’Brien proceedes to infuse the childhood scene with the brutality of war. Writing about how the one of the soldiers detonates a landmine killing himself while playing and