O’Brien’s novel “The Things They Carried” entails different tales that ranges from paragraphs to pages demonstrating how impossible it is to know the absolute reality of war. Sometimes the narrator begins a story only to abandon and continue it in another chapter. Other times, he lets another character finish the tale while others are told as if they are true only to be questioned later. O’Brien uses a technique that allows the reader to determine which of the stories are true, leading to the different angles that one can view the ways of telling war stories (Calloway 249). This essay, therefore, will compare and contrast the style and structure of O’Brien’s two chapters “The things they carried” and “How to tell a true war story” in his latest novel “The Thins They Carried.”
In “The Things They Carried” O’Brien uses an artfully unique style to tell the story. He demonstrates the style as the author and as a fictional character and uses it to relay the scraps of the war experiences in a particularly more extraordinary manner. Besides, this style brings about tension between the truth and false thus producing a meditative tone that is evident throughout the novel.
Both the stories have an in-depth meaning. O’Brien begins his book with the first chapter referred to as “The Things They Carried.” He uses this first chapter to identify and relate to the actual and imaginary things the soldiers carried with them in the war. He uses the theme of memory and imagination to explain the in-depth meaning of the things they carried (Smith 16). For instance, Lt. Cross goes through his daily routine at work, but his mind is always on Martha. More importantly, he recalls her memories and imagines what could have been. Therefore, the things Lt. Cross carry are his love and longing for Martha. The author also uses the form of storytelling referred to as “pretending” to make Lt. Cross’ actions seem less important. He emphasizes on Martha’s photographs and letters and characterizes the lieutenant as the bearer of those artifacts as well as his love for Martha since “whenever he looked at those pictures, he thought of new things he should have done” (O’Brien 5).
O’Brien also uses literary techniques to describe the physical artifacts carried by the soldiers. He introduces the primary characters of the novel through the physical artifacts each of them carried. He uses this technique to make the characters appear real and create fuller character composites (Kaplan 43). Besides, O’Brien’s primary objective was to help the reader connect with his characters and story and to make them physically and emotionally connected as if the stories were real. The minute details like the weight of the physical artifacts they carried were meant to feel the real weight war brings about as well as the emotional and psychological burdens that come with it. O’Brien creates tension after Lavender’s death that divides Lt. Cross between the stress of participating in the battle and his imagined fantasies of Martha. But even after burning down the physical artifacts of Martha, he still carried her in his mind.
In “How to tell a true war story” O’Brien abstractly comments on storytelling and uses paradoxical reversals to make the line between fact and fiction to appear blurred. For instance, he directly claims that the story is true and then reverses the claim by redefining it arguing that “None of it happened, none of it” (O’Brien 91). The reader is left to wonder if indeed the story is true or not of O’Brien’s style of referring to the story as “absolutely true” then later putting its veracity and reliability into question. Besides, the reader ends up putting the narrator’s persona into question since he believes does not lie but instead changes the definition of truth telling. Two stories are presented in this tale that is not true. There are the few stories that Rat Kiley writes in a letter to Curt Lemon’s sister conveying the truth about Lemon’s questionable and extreme acts that he points out to be true. But Lemon’s sister understands them in an entirely contrasting way thus fails to respond.
The other story is the one Mitchell Sanders narrates about the squad. Just like the other thing, Sanders insists that the story is true and then later questions its truth. In this sense, the author recalls the title of this chapter that suggests a deeper meaning to the hearers and readers of stories. He suggests that the audience could discern real stories regardless of their events. All in all, O’Brien urges that “in a true war story, nothing is ever entirely true” (O’Brien 82). There is the gut feeling that one feels regarding war stories. Each tale is retold until an actual version finally emerges that affects the reader. Additionally, O’Brien uses the meta-narrative commentary by recreating the story in the fictional writer memoir that is indeed not true but bears enough truth to move the reader emotionally. It also enables the reader to share O’Brien’s experiences through sympathy and imagination.
“How to Tell a True War Story” is a judgmental chapter. O’Brien passes judgment on how storytelling is done by claiming that there are a right and wrong way of telling war stories. There are the macho perspective and the act of telling tear-jerking stories. He uses this particular chapter to guide the style of the entire novel. According to him, true war stories are those that never end and seem impossible to believe (Calloway 249). Therefore, there is a right and wrong way of telling war stories as well as a correct and incorrect way of listening to them. Also, “How to tell a true war story” passes judgment on unreliable narrators and warns readers to be on guard. He judges the young men and women who are forced and others tricked to war by authority figures because they do not ask enough questions.
On the other hand, “The Things They Carried” is an introductory chapter where O’Brien introduces the characters regarding the things they carried. He relates to their actual and imaginary artifacts to present them in the novel and describe how each one of them is affected by the stuff they carried (Robinson 257). Additionally, O’Brien’s main objective was for the reader to connect with the characters and feel physically and emotionally connected concerning the weight of the things they carried. According to this chapter, it is evident that the characters are emotional and psychological burdened.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these two chapters of Tim O’Brien’s novel are difficult to compare and contrast since they have the same style and structure. But despite the fact that they are all about war, “The Things They Carried” is more of an introductory chapter that introduces the characters and their relationship to the in-depth meaning of the title. On the other hand, “How to Tell a True War Story” is more judgmental. It pronounces the different ways of telling war stories and urges readers and listeners to be attentive enough to be able to know the difference between a true one and the one that is not true. All in all, O’Brien’s novel is indeed emotional and can be termed as a true war story.
Works Cited
Calloway, Catherine. "`How To Tell A True War Story': Metafiction In The Things They Carried." Critique 36.4 (1995): 249.Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
Kaplan, Steven. "The Undying Uncertainty Of The Narrator In Tim O'brien's The Things They Carried." Critique 35.1 (1993): 43.Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York: Broadway Books, 1998. Print.
Robinson, Daniel. "Getting It Right: The Short Fiction Of Tim O'brien." Critique 40.3 (1999): 257. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
Smith, Lorrie N. "`The Things Men Do': The Gendered Subtext In Tim O'brien's Esquire Stories." Critique 36.1 (1994): 16. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
