Cowardice and Courage VS. Embarrassment
Throughout The Things They Carried, O’Brien shares the horror and truth going into the Vietnam War. He shares very touching and brutal stories throughout his book, sharing the specific jobs the men had and the specific things they must carry. Going into the Vietnam War soldiers are seen as our heroes but deep down inside can they consider themselves heroes. Tim O’Brien shows what he beliefs about masculinity and courage throughout his stories by telling us the secrets that soldiers wouldn’t admit after being drafted into the war. In The Things They Carried O’Brien writes “Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what …show more content…
Lemon had a couple of bad experiences with dentist when he was young boy. Lemon says to the men “No way. Count me out. Nobody messes with these teeth” (147). Moments later after he says that he walks into the tent with the dentist and before the dentist even touched him Lemon fainted. Lemon had already said to count him out of going to see the dentist but he still went. This comes to show how being a man under pressure affects his choices. After he fainted Lemon was embarrassed, “He wouldn’t talk to anyone. For the rest of the day he stayed off by himself, sitting alone under a tree, just starring down at the field tent” (148). As stated in my paragraph above , over embarrassment Lemon is going to take a decision that is going to affect him only because of the way the men were reacting because of how he fainted. Men don’t like being embarrassed or feeling less than a man. O’Brien shows this by stating “Anyone else would’ve laughed it off, but for Curt Lemon it was too much” (148). This reflects O’Brien beliefs about masculinity and courage sometimes is just taken far when it shouldn’t have. Yes, men are strong and brave but that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to be afraid of things or embarrassed at moments and that’s what O’Brien is also trying to tell us. Men need to understand that …show more content…
Both these men made a pact in late August, “ they made a pact that if one of them should ever get totally fucked up-a wheelchair wounds the other guy would automatically find a way to end it” (110). Around October Strunk got his right leg blown off and wasn’t going to be able to walk anymore. They both made a pact so Jensen went beside Strunk and Strunk told him “Jesus, man, don’t kill me” (114). Strunk knowing he is going to be sent to Japan forgets about the pact and begs Jensen to promise to not kill him. Strunk uses this situation to benefit himself to not be embarrassed because he is leaving the war over a real injury not purposely, but he didn’t care that he made the pact he found his way out the war without one leg and eventually died on his way to Japan. This shows us how O’Brien beliefs also applies here because both men forget about their pact and let it go to be able to leave the water without
Throughout The Things They Carried, O’Brien shares the horror and truth going into the Vietnam War. He shares very touching and brutal stories throughout his book, sharing the specific jobs the men had and the specific things they must carry. Going into the Vietnam War soldiers are seen as our heroes but deep down inside can they consider themselves heroes. Tim O’Brien shows what he beliefs about masculinity and courage throughout his stories by telling us the secrets that soldiers wouldn’t admit after being drafted into the war. In The Things They Carried O’Brien writes “Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what …show more content…
Lemon had a couple of bad experiences with dentist when he was young boy. Lemon says to the men “No way. Count me out. Nobody messes with these teeth” (147). Moments later after he says that he walks into the tent with the dentist and before the dentist even touched him Lemon fainted. Lemon had already said to count him out of going to see the dentist but he still went. This comes to show how being a man under pressure affects his choices. After he fainted Lemon was embarrassed, “He wouldn’t talk to anyone. For the rest of the day he stayed off by himself, sitting alone under a tree, just starring down at the field tent” (148). As stated in my paragraph above , over embarrassment Lemon is going to take a decision that is going to affect him only because of the way the men were reacting because of how he fainted. Men don’t like being embarrassed or feeling less than a man. O’Brien shows this by stating “Anyone else would’ve laughed it off, but for Curt Lemon it was too much” (148). This reflects O’Brien beliefs about masculinity and courage sometimes is just taken far when it shouldn’t have. Yes, men are strong and brave but that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to be afraid of things or embarrassed at moments and that’s what O’Brien is also trying to tell us. Men need to understand that …show more content…
Both these men made a pact in late August, “ they made a pact that if one of them should ever get totally fucked up-a wheelchair wounds the other guy would automatically find a way to end it” (110). Around October Strunk got his right leg blown off and wasn’t going to be able to walk anymore. They both made a pact so Jensen went beside Strunk and Strunk told him “Jesus, man, don’t kill me” (114). Strunk knowing he is going to be sent to Japan forgets about the pact and begs Jensen to promise to not kill him. Strunk uses this situation to benefit himself to not be embarrassed because he is leaving the war over a real injury not purposely, but he didn’t care that he made the pact he found his way out the war without one leg and eventually died on his way to Japan. This shows us how O’Brien beliefs also applies here because both men forget about their pact and let it go to be able to leave the water without