Storytelling In The Things They Carried

Narrative stories or essays can expand through a wide variety. Although a narrative is telling a story, it could be a person narrative or something they have experienced. This allows others to become creative when telling their stories. Reading “The Sanctuary of School”and “Tell Me Something”, the authors used various ways of writing and publishing a narrative story.

Tim O’Brien, a previous war veteran and the author of The Things They Carried, reinvents himself as a character in the book, who is traumatized by the violent acts of the Vietnamese war. The book is all about exaggerations of actual stories that took place. Tim O’Brien uses his storytelling as a way of coping with the tragedies of this war. People cope in different ways; some people talk about it constantly and others keep to themselves. Norman Bowker, an actual veteran and a character in The Things They Carried, differs from Tim O’Brien in a sense that he bottled his stories in until he couldn’t hold on any longer.

The death that receives the most attention in The Things They Carried is that of Kiowa, a much-loved member of the Alpha Company and one of O'Brien's closest friends. In "Speaking of Courage," the story of Kiowa's death is relayed in retrospect through the memory of Norman Bowker, years after the war. As Bowker drives around a lake in his Iowa hometown, he thinks that he failed to save Kiowa, who was killed when a mortar round hit and caused him to sink headfirst into a marshy field. O'Brien realizes that he has dealt with his guilt over Kiowa's death differently than Norman Bowker in "Notes." Just before the end of the war, O'Brien receives a long letter from Bowker that says he

Even though Bowker made it out of the war alive, he was not himself when he returned home. He could not bring himself to talk to anyone about his experiences, though it “[was] a good time to talk” (134). As Bowker thought of all the people he could talk to about his war stories and how he had almost been given the Silver Star, he can only conjure the conversations in his imagination. When finally given the chance to get his emotions off his chest at the A&W, Bowker could only muster out “Nothing” when the intercom questioned if he had anything to say (146). The reluctance to share true war memories is a quality that veterans who have observed severe trauma can relate to. Similar how to Bowker continued around the lake in circles and circles, veterans cannot break out of the circle that is their experience of war. The only people they feel safe talking to are members of their old platoon, and even if they want to be able to express themselves and their emotions, there is a seemingly invisible barricade that prevents them from sharing. In Bowker’s case, the pent up emotion lead to “[hanging] himself in the locker room of a YMCA” (149). Though this story was invented by O’Brien, the thousands of soldiers who annually commit suicide is not a work of fiction. By using such abrupt, blunt diction to

Stories are something that stay within people for a very long time, memories vanish away from people and all there is left is the stories they have. Stories are unique in a way because no two people have the same one. The Things They Carried is a book that enhances different perspectives of the Vietnam War through storytelling. As Tim O’Brien explains the different stories that are told, he creates characters to capture the different moments that are experienced in war. Storytelling does not always come from the total truth, but from the experience of the storyteller.

In the chapter "Speaking of Courage" Norman Bowker claims that he is responsible for his friend's death. However, in the chapter "In the Field" O'Brien places the blame on an unnamed young soldier who started the enemy attack by turning on his flashlight. Which story is true? Does it matter what is true? According to Jim Neilson, the story of Kiowa's death "evokes the notion that for the U.S. Vietnam was a quagmire; his drowning functions almost emblematically to suggest America's deepening entanglement in southeast Asia" (193). Whatever the meaning behind Kiowa's story, it certainly fits the requirements for a good war story: there is nothing redeemable in it. Maria Bonn sees the three stories about Kiowa's death ("Speaking of Courage," "Notes," and "In the Field") as exemplifying "O'Brien's relentless investigation of how to tell a true war story" (paragraph 39). When you look at all three of these chapters together you can see the progression from what is imagined to what is true or is it the other way around? With Tim O'Brien, it is never clear.

The impact of the Vietnam War upon the soldiers who fought there was huge. The experience forever changed how they would think and act for the rest of their lives. One of the main reasons for this was there was little to no understanding by the soldiers as to why they were fighting this war. They felt they were killing innocent people, farmers, poor hard working people, women, and children were among their victims. Many of the returning soldiers could not fall back in to their old life styles. First they felt guilt for surviving many of their brothers in arms. Second they were haunted by the atrocities of war. Some soldiers could not go back to the mental state of peacetime. Then there were soldiers Tim O’Brien meant while in

In The Things They Carried two stylistic devices are frequently used to give information to the reader, or remind the reader of past information they already knew. One of the stylistic devices that O'Brien uses is repetition. O'Brien frequently repeats occasions, usually adding additional detail with each repeat. One example of this is the moment of when Kiowa died. He retold this story five times, this is the center of most of the novel's action and the motivation for most of the characters' development.

Tim feels lost and almost out of place due to his easy replacement into society. Tim fit right back into the normal life unlike Bowker. In “Notes” Tim expands on the thought of what is true. He had a hard time revising the letter due to the fact that it was not fully true. He had to omit piece of the true story and it creates a expression of whether it is possible to tell a true war story. “Speaking of Courage” is written in third person which blocks out the main narrator Tim O’Brien. Tim comments throughout the chapter in different spots, but fits as someone sitting on the sideline, listening to Bowker and his thoughts. Bowker is perceived as driving in circles around a lake trying to explain who he is to the people around him. He creates a picture like a race track with no end. Browker is locked in this cycle trying to fit into society. He is afraid of speaking out, feeling that others will not listen. He is discouraged and fights a battle between himself. He has stories of Vietnam that he can not express and release from himself which causes a massive weight to be on his shoulders. I feel

Tim O’Brien, in his collection of short stories called “The things they carried”, develops the theme of soldiers ‘carrying’ many burdens throughout their lives. Through his persona, also named Tim O’Brien, O’Brien contradicts the stereotypical reason as to why the men joined the war. Jimmy Cross explores the unwanted burden placed on a Lieutenant of the platoon member’s responsibility. Further O’Brien explores the affect of the Vietnam War on the soldiers on their wellbeing through Norman Bowker, who suicides as he is unable to deal with the memories and the pressure faced due to the war. the emotional burden from the memories, physical weight ‘humped’ by them during the war and the mental pressures enforced upon them are the different

In the novel “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, there are several story tellers. The various story tellers are very successful at telling the stories. They are able to describe the ugly truths of the war by changing the story so it is not exactly how it occurred. Rat Kiley, for one, is one of the ones that are better at it. He is better at story telling because he includes little details as well as his emotions.

Stories are told through various forms of literature, and the overall point of telling a story is to convey a message, a meaning that the author wants the reader to interpret and understand. The author does

Storytelling helps other people to emotionally connect themselves to the author so that they know they are not the only ones who are experiencing a painful or exciting experience, and are able to share the same emotions. It often helps other people to know what they should do in order to get over it when it comes to a painful experience. Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings explores the life of Maya Angelou and the struggles she has been throughout her childhood to her adulthood. Richard Wagemese’s Indian Horse explores the life of Saul Indian Horse and the struggles he has been through after departing from his family. The power of storytelling can unfold questions which ask the audience of how and why are the events are unfold the

Many people tell stories to inform others about themselves. Throughout my life people in my family have told me many stories, and behind each story there is a purpose. The stories I was told growing up were about experiences that people in my family have had or things that I have done. These stories mean a lot to me because through these stories different family members reveal many things about themselves. They want me to understand their ideas, beliefs, or feelings about a certain subject. They want people to praise or admire what they have done or accomplished. Funny stories are told to humor or embarrass someone, usually me. Other stories express that we are not alone in the world, and there are other people,

They way stories are told may morph, but never will storytelling cease. From their people skills to their memories, there is no argument that storytellers possess boundless talent and intelligence. They were the first educators. And now, storytelling is a large part of everyday life. The news in the morning, the gossip throughout the day, the casual response to the casual “What’s up?” – It’s all a form of storytelling. Our lives are steeped in it. In almost every conversation a story is told. At every turn a story is born. So we all are storytellers, and the world is our audience, just waiting to hear the gospel leave our