Tim O'Brien's redefinition of war in The Things They Carried

¶ … Things They Carried

In his thought-provoking novel about the Vietnam War, The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien redefines the traditional concept of war as an honorable pursuit. In doing so, he explodes the myth about war being even remotely romantic and undermines the long-standing belief about war's other redeeming features such as "glory," "honor" or "sacrifice."

Although a fictional collection of stories about the Vietnam War, the novel has a feel of authenticity about it since the author of the book participated in the war as a soldier and relives his experiences through his stories narrated by "Tim" or by several of his "comrades." In fact, O'Brien reminds us in the novel that a "fictional" war story is closer to the truth than a "true" war story. And he narrates the "truth" about wars by revealing its obscene face through the stories of his fictional / real fellow comrades.

In "How to Tell a True War Story," Rat Riley -- the Platoon's medic-- deals with his frustration about his friend's death by brutally shooting a baby water buffalo in its knees repeatedly -- just to hurt it, even while crying himself. He then writes a letter to his friend's sister extolling the virtues of friend and expects an appropriate response that would put a gloss on the senseless reality of war through heart warming notions of sacrifice, courage and pride. But when he receives no response, he reacts angrily by calling her a "dumb cooze." The two incidents reveal the brutal reality of war and how it affects seemingly "good" people.