From the moment I began reading, I felt as if I were sucked into the story and I was in the middle of the battlefield staring at a the body of a dead man. Tom O’Brien describes his victim in great detail repetitively, which truly expresses his guilt. Not only does he continuously repeat the […]
First off, I noticed that in the beginning of “The Man I Killed,” the description of the dead man is written in such a way where one feels they need to catch their breath after reading it.. The details are all separated by commas instead of being put into separate sentences. I believe that the reason for this rushed, […]
This short story centers around a medic named Rat Kiley. I originally selected this story thinking it wasn’t going to be gruesome, that reasoning was based on the title. Turns out I was mistaken. The author explains the “nightlife” aspect of vietnam which is downright terrifying. Moving in a completely dark forest with a sky […]
In “How to Tell a True War Story,” Tim O’Brien writes that in war stories, the “only certainty is overwhelming ambiguity.” Funnily enough, once you’ve read that, it’s hard not to apply it to every other story in the book. On the surface, “In the Field” is about the abrupt death of O’Brien’s fellow soldier […]
I randomly stumbled upon this music video from two Spanish singers (which some of you may or may not recognize). Although this post seems random, once you watch the video you’ll realize it has to do with the effects of war not just on the “hero” but on his family and the long term effects/damages […]
Tim O’Brien’s “On the Rainy River” takes the reader through an array of emotions. The author shows his fear, embarrassment, confusion, and everything in between. Embarrassment is certainly the most important emotion throughout the story, because for Tim O’Brien, it is the only thing he can pinpoint as a reason to go to war. Sure […]
What stood out to me in How to Tell a True War Story was one specific paragraph. “For the common soldier, at least, war has the feel – the spiritual texture- of a great ghostly fog, thick and permanent. There is no clarity. Everything swirls. The old rules are no longer binding, the old truths […]
This story starts out by saying that he had never told anyone this story before because of his embarrassment. This device draws the readers in and makes us curious of what he has to tell us. Before the story went on, I thought he was going to tell us about the shame that he felt […]
The entire short story “How to Tell A True War Story” can be summed in a single quotation from the text, “The only certainty is overwhelming ambiguity.” This story only emphasizes the loss of connection and sense of misunderstanding between soldiers/veterans, and common civilians. I believe O’Brien’s idea when writing this story, was that war […]
What I find the most interesting about the movie, is the fact that the entire time Swafford never got to fire his gun. That is what gradually drove him crazy while in the Middle East; that he trained and put himself through the most intense physical and mental training in order to fight for war, […]