The Valpo Core Reader
 

Document Type

Life and Death Essay

Publication Date

10-20-2011

Excerpt

What is a true war story? In Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, O’Brien admits that war stories are unbelievable, immoral, pointless, and raise questions of truth. O’Brien would know; he has gathered numerous, personal war stories from his time serving in Vietnam in the late 1960s. In addition, true war stories are not about violence and medals but rather “sorrow...and people who never listen” (O’Brien 85). The American soldiers that fought in Vietnam are not necessarily searching for praise, although their coping mechanisms may illustrate otherwise; O’Brien helps readers understand that soldiers just want, and perhaps need, someone to listen to their story. Choosing to ignore or not understand the depth of a soldier’s story is dangerous to the progression of morality and the creation of a more compassionate community. War stories are universal, relatable, and truly “stories can save us” in a time of need (225).

Comments

Copyright © 2011 by Valparaiso University and the Author. Use with permission.

Share

COinS