Theme Of Trust And Guilt

Trust turned into Guilt The Vietnam War, November 1st 1955 to April 30 1975, twenty years of war, twenty years of changing young men's lives for the worst. Tim O’Brien, the author and narrator of the novel The Things They Carried depicts the tragic experiences he endured while in the Vietnam War. He was a young college educated man who was drafted into the war, along the way he got close to many soldiers in his platoon, gaining support and trust. Having these relationships helped him get through the war but also caused many tough times due to their deaths. In the novel The Things They Carried author and narrator Tim O’Brien portrays the themes of trust and guilt by showing how the men lean on each other in a time of need and trust each other …show more content…
The story takes a unexpected turn when Rat shoots himself in the foot because he couldn't take the war any longer. Since this action is highly frowned upon and Rat could get in trouble for doing this, Lieutenant Cross stood by him by saying “he’d vouch that it was an accident” (O’Brien 212) and also “Henry Bobbins and Azar gave him a stack of comic books for the hospital reading” ( O’Brien 212). These quotes show how the men were loyal to Rat, even when he didn’t follow the rules of war, and that Rat trusted them to have his back during sticky …show more content…
When the men first meet they are strangers, in this cold place of war everyone needs some support, so bonds between the men grow quickly and become strong. As quickly as they grow they can be broken, many men die unexpectedly and tragically, the trust is over and the remaining man may feel guilty about not being able saving his buddy. The trust the men have for each other is undoubtedly the strongest they have ever felt due to the situation they are in, though because of the dangerous and unexpected ways of their situation death can come fast for the men, breaking the bond and bringing