The Outcomes of Some
Actions or events that occur in a person’s life can dramatically shape their outlook on life, whether positively or negatively. To illustrate, on the television show , Revenge, the plot surrounds a young woman seeking revenge on those who wronged her father; which caused her to have an extremely troubled childhood. This narrative is not only for Hollywood, it can happen with everyday people. In Tim O’Brien’s, “The Things they Carried,” he has two short stories that detail the changes a person can undergo due to life-changing events. In his story, “Speaking of Courage” and “Notes”he tells of a man trying to readjust to life after the Vietnam War. In another story, “Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong,” the transformation of a …show more content…
She was originally brought to Chu Lai, Vietnam by her boyfriend who could not live without her. When she first arrived in Vietnam she was described as naive and,“a cute blond-just a kid,just barely out of highschool” (O’brien “Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong” 86). Mary Anne still carried her cosmetic bag around with her, wore her culottes, or skirts with matching sweaters, a very unlikely sight during war time.This domestic appeal she possessed would soon disappear. While they were stationed in Chu Lai , they worked in a medical unit and Mary Anne quickly adapted to the gore and rapid decision making that comes with being an army nurse. She “seemed fascinated by it” and by the time she adapted to it, she had “a sudden new composure, almost serene” (O’Brien Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong 93). As she became more involved and interested with the war, she wanted to explore and see what else the land had to offer. Unlike the other men, she had a desire to learn about the Vietnamese people and how they lived; this lead to her living the way everyone else did in the bush. She no longer used her cosmetics, “she stopped wearing jewelry,cut her hair [wrapping her hair] in a dark green bandana”(O’Brien Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong 94). She was allowing the war to become a part of her, which unmasked a new person that was molded by the war. She began learning about the various weapons and trying out …show more content…
Norman Bowker experienced a mental decline from the war. His constant obsession with the loss of Kiowa, led to on suicide by hanging himself in a YMCA locker room (O’Brien “Notes” 149).War caused him to lose sense of who he truly was causing him to become desolate. In contrast, Mary Anne gained a new sense of belonging from the war. As a person, she went from an innocent young girl right out high school, to a young woman ready for combat, even becoming apart of the land itself. The story stated that, “ the wilderness seemed to draw her in” (O’Brien “Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong 100). She let the war mold her into a whole new person, therefore making her a stronger person. Although both Bowker and Mary Anne were affected by the war, their reactions determined their final
Actions or events that occur in a person’s life can dramatically shape their outlook on life, whether positively or negatively. To illustrate, on the television show , Revenge, the plot surrounds a young woman seeking revenge on those who wronged her father; which caused her to have an extremely troubled childhood. This narrative is not only for Hollywood, it can happen with everyday people. In Tim O’Brien’s, “The Things they Carried,” he has two short stories that detail the changes a person can undergo due to life-changing events. In his story, “Speaking of Courage” and “Notes”he tells of a man trying to readjust to life after the Vietnam War. In another story, “Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong,” the transformation of a …show more content…
She was originally brought to Chu Lai, Vietnam by her boyfriend who could not live without her. When she first arrived in Vietnam she was described as naive and,“a cute blond-just a kid,just barely out of highschool” (O’brien “Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong” 86). Mary Anne still carried her cosmetic bag around with her, wore her culottes, or skirts with matching sweaters, a very unlikely sight during war time.This domestic appeal she possessed would soon disappear. While they were stationed in Chu Lai , they worked in a medical unit and Mary Anne quickly adapted to the gore and rapid decision making that comes with being an army nurse. She “seemed fascinated by it” and by the time she adapted to it, she had “a sudden new composure, almost serene” (O’Brien Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong 93). As she became more involved and interested with the war, she wanted to explore and see what else the land had to offer. Unlike the other men, she had a desire to learn about the Vietnamese people and how they lived; this lead to her living the way everyone else did in the bush. She no longer used her cosmetics, “she stopped wearing jewelry,cut her hair [wrapping her hair] in a dark green bandana”(O’Brien Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong 94). She was allowing the war to become a part of her, which unmasked a new person that was molded by the war. She began learning about the various weapons and trying out …show more content…
Norman Bowker experienced a mental decline from the war. His constant obsession with the loss of Kiowa, led to on suicide by hanging himself in a YMCA locker room (O’Brien “Notes” 149).War caused him to lose sense of who he truly was causing him to become desolate. In contrast, Mary Anne gained a new sense of belonging from the war. As a person, she went from an innocent young girl right out high school, to a young woman ready for combat, even becoming apart of the land itself. The story stated that, “ the wilderness seemed to draw her in” (O’Brien “Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong 100). She let the war mold her into a whole new person, therefore making her a stronger person. Although both Bowker and Mary Anne were affected by the war, their reactions determined their final