Offending A Reader

In my own opinion I believe that the reader of a book has every right to have reservations regarding how certain characters, races, ethnicities, etc. are portrayed. As we discussed in class, the Vietnamese woman reading The Things They Carried found the book offensive and did not want to teach this book. I find it interesting, however, in how she argued that she believed that the book was shining light on all the flaws of Vietnam, yet the book rarely if at all dives into the culture, people, personalities, or even encounters with Vietnamese people. I feel very strongly that communities that should be represented and deserve a voice if the author feels as though it is of value to show different perspectives within the book. Consequently, in The Things They Carried, I believe O'Brien was not trying to capture diverse views, he was trying to tell his own story. Maybe this was a coping mechanism to get over certain stories he had trouble processing, or perhaps he felt that his story would show a glimpse inside his mind as a young child. Either way, this book was created to show the audience how an American soldier was not as brave as everyone thinks, or the weight they carry inside them; each individual carries with them something either hidden or in plain sight. If O'Brien were to add another component of describing the Vietnamese, who is to say that it would be accurate? How could he understand the everyday banter between the soldiers or the thoughts going on inside their heads? How would this embellish the story? I believe it would take away from his writing, as he wishes to tell stories that linger between Americans. His strong suit is the American side; wouldn't it be difficult to capture a perspective that he simply could not write about? I think that O'Brien is telling the stories he needed to tell rather than sugarcoating or lying in order to capture more perspectives. For these reasons, I do not believe that this story is particularly offensive, as it his personal accounts, although I could understand how it may be difficult for the Vietnamese woman to read an American's opinion.

Mary Anne's Character

I would honestly like to believe that Mary Anne is not a fictional character. While the possibility of journeying to Vietnam is seemingly impossible, O'Brien writes this compelling story in a way that makes the reader wonder, what is the real truth? In essence, the entirety of his book has the reader ask him or herself what is the truth? Mary Anne's bravery and spontaneous desire for fighting in war are what convinces me that she is a real character. I want to believe that a woman could accomplish fighting a war and showing other men that she is not afraid to cut her hair and cover her body in black ash. While I may question the route at which she reached her boyfriend, I entirely believe that the war took her in and taught her lessons that most if not all women at that time never had the opportunity to achieve. I find it extremely interesting the transformation that occurred, from a woman dressing in all pink and white with a bubbly personality to a woman who is in her army uniform, and laughing only at the things she truly finds funny. Mary Anne's character to me is one that shows me the true effects of war and how it has this unique ability to change a person forever. I believe that this is the change that Mary Anne was waiting for in her life, as a woman during this time was supposed to merely send love notes to her husband or boyfriend fighting in war. Her character breaks barriers that were not seen during this time. Her character shows ambition and determination that she does not need to live under the wing of her boyfriend, she can fight on her own and moreover be on her own. For this reason, I would have to say she is my favorite character.

A Letter In The Mail

A letter in the mail can change a life. For me it's an acceptance letter; for O'Brien, it is a draft notice. In Tim O'Brien's chapter On the Rainy River, the writer exposes the fear of the draft. As O'Brien explains to the reader, his life was normal for a graduate of college. As O'Brien explains, he thought he was "too good for this war" (39).  I find it hard to wrap my head around the idea that if one is drafted, they are required to drop everything or every future endeavor to serve in the war. When analyzing this chapter, I agree that with O'Brien's logic that the government should implement a new system or requirement/law for choosing who should be selected to serve. I find it interesting that the government had/has such power over its people... and moreover that the government can alter a person's life. When reading the stories within The Things They Carried I tuck away in the back of my mind the thought that none of these stories would be created if O'Brien had not been drafted. In a way, his writing career may have ceased to exist, but at the same time, I wonder how his life would have turned out if he did attend Harvard for graduate school. The stories that he has shared with the reader are ones that have altered his perspective on life; they are experiences that the typical/ average person will never be able to understand fully. War evoked fear as well as an appreciation for life and death. I wonder if without being drafted that someone could understand life in this way. In my own opinion, I had grown up in society or generation where going into war is much different than when O'Brien was drafted. It is a rare occasion in today's day and age that I even hear talk of war and the experiences of the men and women serving nowadays. For me, the men and women that are serving are not my brothers or sisters or cousin, partly because they choose not to, but also because the draft is not something that is implemented at this time. For this reason, my perception of this idea of drafting is may be completely different than someone during the time of the Vietnam War. 

Stories

In Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried the writer shares rather personal stories to the reader that expose the brutality, love, hatred, death and so much more within the war. One passage toward the beginning of this book that stood out to me was the following: " Forty-three years old, and the war occurred half a lifetime ago, and yet the remembering makes it now. And sometimes remembering will lead to a story, which makes it forever. That's what stories are for. Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for those late hours in the night when you can't remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity when memory is erased when there is nothing to remember except the story" (36). This passage reflects the sheer meaning of this book as a whole. Each story presented to the reader dives into the past of Tim O'Brien and how the war will always be engrained into his mind through the stories he shares and recalls. Whether it be a story he has never shared, such as pondering over the idea to flee to Canada, or the memories that lasted among his friends and the jokes regarding the things they carried with them, O'Brien creates this unique book to dive into the real encounters of the war. While a reader may never understand the true hardships of a soldier, he or she certainly can understand and appreciate that war is most definitely complex, and that even some stories should never be shared. Untold stories may be because the story could expose fear or cowardness. In my own experience, the stories that are passed down to me are much different than war stories, although they may hold similar weight in my heart. For instance, milestone memories my grandfather has told me about his childhood, I will always hold close to myself since it "joins the past to the future." This passage to me reflects how I perceive all of the nighttime tales my parents use to share with me and how my imagination drifted into a story each night. While my fairytales are entirely different than wartime stories, the idea that the words passed down from generation to generation and always remains intriguing and thoughtful is what is most important. Without stories, one may never catch a glimpse into another person's life or mind, or the troubles, pain, love, and happiness that he or she has experienced.