Storytelling is an artform that has been around for hundreds of generations, and that has spanned through countless cultures. These stories are passed around to tell family backgrounds, religious origins, or just as a way to enjoy one’s self. Bedtime stories, true stories, myths-the number of ways and forms that stories exist in are countless. In the age of technology, storytelling has become less common. But, no matter how much time passes in human history, the art of storytelling will not die. Even nowadays, a kid’s grandfather or great-grandfather will sit around a fireplace and tell these young ones stories from their time, during wars and peace and the Depression and other times of their lives. Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried
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The soldiers within the war were put on missions that they did not prefer to go on, such as removing enemy tunnels. One of these missions that was hated, although they were expected to go on, was flashbacked to within a story told by Sanders about these soldiers who were camped out on a hill. They couldn’t make a noise, and they although they wanted to go talk and relieve the tension, they were under strict rules. So, they did this: “They get on the radio and report enemy movement… All night long, they just smoke those mountains… Around dawn, things finally get quiet… and the mountains are absolutely dead-flat silent. (71-72, O’Brien)” The stress of being forced to shut up pushed them to wasting an entire airstrike against an empty area, and when questioned about it, they do exactly what they were told to do: shut up. Another flashback via story was about Fossie’s girlfriend, as he snuck her into the battlefield. It wasn’t regulation, and nobody believed that a person would be insane enough to attempt sneaking his honey into the fight. “ ‘It can’t happen,’ Sanders said… ‘I saw it, man. I was right there. This guy did it.’ (86, O’Brien)” O’Brien showcases the fact that people will do anything to get what they want out of a situation, even if it means going around regulations, rules, …show more content…
Stories come from everywhere, and war is no exception. But there is a large difference between the stories a person hears, and the actual experience of war. A person can try to imagine what war is like, and what hell that soldiers may have gone through, but they can’t know what it is like until they actually enter the battlefield. For a person who isn’t battle-ready, O’Brien’s novel is a very powerful description of what war could be like. The imagery within the novel is astounding, showcasing these soldier’s thoughts and insecurities. Flashbacks and metaphors are used to a large extent, illuminating the ongoing internal battle between desires and patriotism. The heavy use of repetition goes the extra mile in revealing the worldly desire for a happy ending, even when it just doesn’t exist. All in all, this intelligent novel is largely about what a good ending really is. Many of the soldiers make it out alive from the war, so is it not a good ending for them? The fungibility between two different “good” endings is largely based on the point of view of an individual. Good endings exist everywhere. Humanity just has to look for them, and be happy, knowing that the ending always could be
The soldiers within the war were put on missions that they did not prefer to go on, such as removing enemy tunnels. One of these missions that was hated, although they were expected to go on, was flashbacked to within a story told by Sanders about these soldiers who were camped out on a hill. They couldn’t make a noise, and they although they wanted to go talk and relieve the tension, they were under strict rules. So, they did this: “They get on the radio and report enemy movement… All night long, they just smoke those mountains… Around dawn, things finally get quiet… and the mountains are absolutely dead-flat silent. (71-72, O’Brien)” The stress of being forced to shut up pushed them to wasting an entire airstrike against an empty area, and when questioned about it, they do exactly what they were told to do: shut up. Another flashback via story was about Fossie’s girlfriend, as he snuck her into the battlefield. It wasn’t regulation, and nobody believed that a person would be insane enough to attempt sneaking his honey into the fight. “ ‘It can’t happen,’ Sanders said… ‘I saw it, man. I was right there. This guy did it.’ (86, O’Brien)” O’Brien showcases the fact that people will do anything to get what they want out of a situation, even if it means going around regulations, rules, …show more content…
Stories come from everywhere, and war is no exception. But there is a large difference between the stories a person hears, and the actual experience of war. A person can try to imagine what war is like, and what hell that soldiers may have gone through, but they can’t know what it is like until they actually enter the battlefield. For a person who isn’t battle-ready, O’Brien’s novel is a very powerful description of what war could be like. The imagery within the novel is astounding, showcasing these soldier’s thoughts and insecurities. Flashbacks and metaphors are used to a large extent, illuminating the ongoing internal battle between desires and patriotism. The heavy use of repetition goes the extra mile in revealing the worldly desire for a happy ending, even when it just doesn’t exist. All in all, this intelligent novel is largely about what a good ending really is. Many of the soldiers make it out alive from the war, so is it not a good ending for them? The fungibility between two different “good” endings is largely based on the point of view of an individual. Good endings exist everywhere. Humanity just has to look for them, and be happy, knowing that the ending always could be