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Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

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Uncertainties of pursuits that you may not return from, and living through constant life or death situations are things no one expects as a normal routine in life. Tim O'Brien’s story “The Things
They Carried,” excellently assists us in viewing the realities faced by soldiers during the
Vietnam War. Many of those who have seen action in war or who were deployed to war, are negatively impacted by their experiences while serving their country. Not all of the effects are physical, but much damage is internal. The psychological is unseen by the eye but is very much real as a result of war. The nature of some missions carried out by soldiers and the possibilities alone were causes for psychological damage. Firsthand witnessing of a friend’s life …show more content…

As soldiers have experienced, the images stick with us the most. Images of death psychologically causes tremendous harm.
In addition to the image of death in or from combat, the strong sense of responsibility in conjunction with the losses create additional psychological trauma. The impossibility of a mission and fulfillment of duties is a large player in the distress caused for quite a few of our soldiers. There is a great pain of shame that is felt, as well as hatred of self. This is also true for those who are there to care for the injured during combat. The volume and intensity of this work often left the nurses with feelings of inadequacy in meeting all of their patients' needs. In a sample of 50 Vietnam nurse veterans, 72% had worked in four or more mass casualty situations
(Norman, 1986). The strong emotional bonds that nurses often forged with their young patients added to the stressfulness of their role. ( Paulus, Wolfe, Metzger, Pitman pg#891) The main character in O’Brien’s story displays the psychological effects of feeling. “He felt shame. He hated himself. He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was now dead, and this was something he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest

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