In his language there are poetic references for the brutality and masculinity of war as feminine features. He has talked about the "star shaped hole" and this reminds most about the American flag as also the expectation of the country to kill and destroy for the country.
At the same time, the language is graphic enough to indicate the bloodshed that is going on all around. All combined these bring out the emotion draining nature of war. These probably reflect that O'Brien probably could not come to terms with war, which was expected of him, but was not possible due to the voice of his conscience. The sum total is that he was able to match the image of being a part of the killers that was expected. This is also a reflection on his personal vulnerability and insecurity that haunted him through the war. This reflects the character of a storyteller and social critic, which is probably what he wants to be. This enables him to convince people into believing that his works are fictions rather then real accounts of war. (Vietnam: A watershed in war writing)
The relationship of O'Brien and My Lai goes back for a number for years as he had served in a combat unit there one year after the infamous massacre. This experience is reflected in if I die in a combat zone, Box me up and Ship me home. He had gone through a lot of information before he wrote "In the lake of the Woods" and this had convinced him that the incident in My Lai was a "grotesque, monstrous, obscene evil" and yet he was sad to note that not many Americans are still shameful about the obscene incident. He felt that Americans have forgotten the lessons of Vietnam as also My Lai. He has written in "The Vietnam in me" as "All this is history. Dead as those dead women and kids" the memory lives on in his writings though forgotten as the history of My Lai. This will not happen for the readers of "In the lake of the Woods" for the description of the butchery that took place is defined by the author in a very graphic manner. The butchery that took place at My Lai should remain a constant prick in the heart of America about the Vietnam War. (My Lai, Flies, and Beelzebub in Tim O'Brien's in the Lake of the Woods)
O'Brien has constantly continued his demand for well told stories about Vietnam and this is through the quality and quantity of his own work. He has also asserted that if all the events in Vietnam were reflected as war fiction, then it would be very difficult to write down all the destruction that took place during that combat. This happening is due to the eyes of the soldiers being blinded by the expectation of certain events expected at the end of the war, and this stopped them from recognizing individual events as important. O'Brien has said himself that whether the incident actually took place or not is not relevant for war stories. There has to be a continuing element of fiction, and the events that occurred in Vietnam should be seen in light of the total happenings. This makes some critics say that some of his writings are really a continuation...
Krajek points out that what she took from O'Brien's lecture was the fact that a fiction author can help the reader connect with the story in reality, even if the story is not true. "His lecture's overarching message illustrated his belief that fiction, while a product of a novelist's imagination and not true in the literal sense, gets closer to the meaning of emotional and spiritual truth" (Krajek, 2009). The
This never happens. It is important to note, however, that regardless if the girls heard him or not, Sammy was the hero because he followed through. He knew his life would change and he knew things would not be as he had imagined but he was willing to accept that. Like the narrator in "On the Rainy River," he does not realize the impact his choice will have on
It is very difficult to reach a conclusion regarding "The Things They Carried" and the purpose for which O'Brien wrote it. While a first look on the collection of books is probable to provide someone with the feeling that it is easy to read and does not involve a lot of strong feelings, the truth is that this is what the writer intended it to look like. Not only is
While he pretended, she was "elusive on the matter of love" (1). While she might have signed her letters with love, Jimmy "knew better" (2) but the idea made him feel better so he allowed himself the luxury of living in the fantasy. Jimmy's guilt for Ted's death was "like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war" (16). Jimmy must work through this emotion, which
The audience has the feeling that O'Brian is presenting them with significant and personal stories from his life. This slowly but surely makes readers feel that they too are connected to the war and to the narrator. It sometimes seems that O'Brian also addresses present day issues in the book, not just happenings from the war. The bond between him and the audience is strengthened through this technique because people
He lay in the center of a red clay trail near the village of My Khe. His jaw was in his throat. His one eye was shut, the other eye had a star shaped hole. I killed him." (O'Brien 180). Very similar observations can be made about Turner's poetry. Turner uses highly descriptive language when he expresses his view of "bone and gristle and flesh," the clavicle-snapped wish" and,
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