Notation of Truth in The Things They Carried by Tim O’brien

Introduction: Confronting the Reality of War

“I was once a soldier. There were many bodies, real bodies with real faces.” War is not an easy topic to discuss, but it is one that needs to be addressed. It’s a sad truth, but an essential one to confront. Understanding the profound changes that individuals undergo due to war is crucial. In war, there is a tremendous loss of morals, and nobody returns the same. Second thoughts, guilt, flashbacks, and fear become part of the daily routine for those who have experienced war. For those who haven’t been to war, comprehending its reality is challenging. This is why Tim O’Brien writes in a way that helps ordinary people better understand what war is like. It may not be the literal truth, but it is a truth that more people can grasp. The notion of truth is central to "The Things They Carried" by Tim O’Brien, as both explore the ethics of truth. For O’Brien, something isn’t true unless it feels true, whether or not it actually happened. He famously states, “story-truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth” (O’Brien, 1990).

Story Truth vs. Happening Truth

The "story truth" might not be directly quoted from real-life situations, but the embellishments O’Brien includes help readers extract more from his novel. These exaggerations enable people to relate more deeply and understand the emotions faced in war. The actual truth is more complicated than story truth, making it harder for those who have never faced the challenges of war to interpret. Ordinary readers need more engaging and embellished narratives to remain invested and relate to the experiences described. The real truth isn’t always the best way to convey a story to those who might not understand. O’Brien asserts, “The thing about a story is that you dream it as you tell it, hoping that others might then dream along with you, and in this way memory and imagination and language combine to make spirits in the head. There is an illusion of aliveness” (O’Brien, 1990). Adding those extra details helps readers better grasp the intense emotions one may feel in situations as extreme as war. “I want you to feel what I felt,” O’Brien declares in the chapter "Good Form". He needs people to understand what he felt during the war, events that caused him to experience such intense emotions. He believes that using embellishments and creating what could be real-life situations in his story is how he can effectively communicate his message to readers.

The Role of Guilt in War Stories

Guilt is a significant element of a war story. It unifies the novel "The Things They Carried" because it reveals a commonality among every soldier in the platoon; most of them feel guilt over various experiences in war. The soldiers carried everything they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried. This illustrates that the soldiers constantly bore baggage, and their daily lives were always stressful. Soldiers feel guilt in different ways, whether from witnessing someone’s death or being responsible for it. “At one point I remember, we paused over a snapshot of Ted Lavender, and after a while Jimmy rubbed his eyes and said he’d never forgiven himself for Lavender's death” (O’Brien, 1990). Jimmy carries guilt because he feels Ted’s death could have been prevented if he hadn’t been so preoccupied with Martha. Each man feels guilty about something in their own way, and this shared experience of guilt binds them.

Dehumanization and the Loss of Morality

When you go to war, there’s very little chance you will return as the same person. War changes people. This is why dehumanization plays a significant role in "The Things They Carried". O’Brien uses examples of soldiers committing completely immoral acts, losing their sense of right and wrong. In all honesty, “a true war story is never moral”. There is no way to tell a real, true war story without revealing some of the inhumane actions that occurred. O’Brien frequently demonstrates how soldiers lost their moral compass, “Azar strapped it to a claymore antipersonnel mine and squeezed the firing device” (O’Brien, 1990). Azar is losing his mind; he blew up an innocent puppy for no reason other than his own pleasure and entertainment. This exemplifies the extent to which war takes a toll on individuals.

Conclusion: The Unvarnished Truth of War

No matter what people would like to believe, war is unfair and gruesome. It’s the truth. People return home as different individuals than they were before the war. Morals have been lost, guilt weighs heavily on their conscience, and they have been changed, often for the worse. It is difficult for those who live normal lives, untouched by war, to comprehend its traumatizing nature. This is why Tim O’Brien provides a “story truth” about war. It offers readers the opportunity to truly understand the events that occur in war.

References

• O’Brien, T. (1990). The Things They Carried. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.