Tim O’Brien: How to Tell a True War Story

In Tim O’Brien’s How to Tell a True War Story, we are shown how important it is to be aware of other people’s situations. When Rat Kiley’s (a platoon member) best friend Curt Lemon is killed, Rat sits down to write a letter to Lemon’s sister. Rat writes a letter which he finds to be “very personal and touching.” After waiting two months for a response from Lemon’s sister, Rat realizes that he is not going to get a response. Lemon’s sister had gotten the letter, however, to her, the letter was disturbing and rude. A soldier is exposed to deaths of many different people including his platoon members during war. Depending on the nature of the soldier, he may react differently than his fellow soldiers do to the terrible things he witnesses. In Rat’s letter, he includes how Lemon liked challenges and testing himself. He says that Lemon was crazy but in a good way. Rat had no idea  that writing about Lemon’s courage would disturb his sister, rather it just seemed normal to him. Apparently, Lemon’s sister found this information to be unsettling. Lemon’s sister was not in the platoon and most probably had never experienced what it is like to go to the army and therefore, she was offended by Rat’s letter instead of touched. We learn that when choosing one’s words or ways to interpret something, it is important that one is aware of the needs or situation of the individual that they are communicating with.