Despite the different plots of the two stories, A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings and The Things They Carried the similar theme that binds the two stories together is the vulnerability of human emotions. The story of The Things They Carrried shares a tale of soldiers deployed at war. Everyone is familiar with how ugly wars can get and its devastating effect on human emotions. It relates the true experience of people despite being expected to put their lives on the line feel vulnerable especially in times that they question what is the real purpose of the war they fight. A Very old Man with Enormous Wings talks about an old man seeking for purpose. Despite the difficult beginning, the old man became part of the household who took him in.
What weaves these two stories together is that it focuses on the ugly reality of human life and how genuine emotions, no matter how negative, turn the ugly into the truth and beauty. The old man, for example, could have accepted that fact that he could no longer fly off into the sunset because of the difficulty he was experiencing. He felt doubt and fear but even with these emotions he managed to soar. In the They Things They Carried, the soldiers were exposed to harsh conditions that made them question whether or not there is a true purpose in the fight. Why do they risk their lives for something that they are unwaring if they will survive. Like the old man, they felt fear and doubt. Human emotions weave together realities that may be ugly, but still remains genuine.
Works Cited
Garret, G., An Evening Performance. Print
Garret, G., An Evening Performance. 1985. Print
Johnson, C.. Kwoon. Print
Marquez G., A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings. Print
O’Brien, T., The Things They Carried. Print
