Sometimes stories in literature are based on a real life event, other times, these stories are told they are set in some far off world. They can even include outlandish things like magic and time travel. The question is then raised in the reader's mind about whether or not the author actually went to that far off place or witnessed something completely extraordinary. Sadly, the answer in most instances is no or it didn't happen exactly like that. There is also the possibility that the author claims that the fantastical adventure they wrote about did happen, and this causes readers to question the sanity of the author. Cases when the authors write the eccentric version of the story they are placing a higher value on the theme (or the story-truth)…show more content…
The retelling creates an incongruence between the retold version and the first version a reader discovers when reading the novel. The story of Curt Lemon exemplifies this because in the first version Lemon paints himself like a ghost and goes trick or treating, but O'Brien leaves out the parts that make it seem incriminating so the event seems very innocent. However, the version he told in "The Lives of The Dead", as told by Rat Kiely, is a much darker version. "See, what happens is, it's like four in the morning and Lemon sneaks into a hootch with that weird ghost mask on. Everybody's asleep, right? So he wakes up this cute little mama-san. Tickles her foot. 'Hey, Mama-san—trick or treat!' Should've seen her face. About freaks. I mean, there's this buck naked ghost standing there, and he's got this M-16 up against her ear and he whispers, 'Hey, Mama-san, trick or fuckin' treat!' Then he takes off her pj's. Strips her right down. Sticks the pajamas in his sack and tucks her into bed and heads for the next hootch."
The retelling creates an incongruence between the retold version and the first version a reader discovers when reading the novel. The story of Curt Lemon exemplifies this because in the first version Lemon paints himself like a ghost and goes trick or treating, but O'Brien leaves out the parts that make it seem incriminating so the event seems very innocent. However, the version he told in "The Lives of The Dead", as told by Rat Kiely, is a much darker version. "See, what happens is, it's like four in the morning and Lemon sneaks into a hootch with that weird ghost mask on. Everybody's asleep, right? So he wakes up this cute little mama-san. Tickles her foot. 'Hey, Mama-san—trick or treat!' Should've seen her face. About freaks. I mean, there's this buck naked ghost standing there, and he's got this M-16 up against her ear and he whispers, 'Hey, Mama-san, trick or fuckin' treat!' Then he takes off her pj's. Strips her right down. Sticks the pajamas in his sack and tucks her into bed and heads for the next hootch."
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