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The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien: An Analysis

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Courage is the ability to persevere through something that frightens one. Soldiers, who embark on missions that can lead to near-certain death, are seen as the epitome of courage. Fighting in a war, however, does not make someone courageous. In many cases, it is the cowardly route. Going to war because it is easier than not doing so is a cowardly action. This is the reason Tim O’Brien goes to war in The Things They Carried. O’Brien goes to fight in Vietnam after being drafted out of college, despite his fundamental stance against the war . Tim O’Brien is a coward: he kills, breaks, burns, and suffers his way through a war that he disagrees with, and does so because it is easier than resisting the draft and doing what he believes is right.
O’Brien’s

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