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.