When i read "How to Tell a True War Story" by Tim O'Brien my moods changed throughout the story. The narrator started by telling a story about certain soldier who died a certain way and then changing it and adding more to the story he was telling. This made the soldier who died in the incident seem like he was being stupid horsing around. It almost gave me a sense of being mad at him, but then towards the end the author changed the story enough so that i got a different feeling. I felt bad and almost proud because the soldier gave his life away to save his comrades. The story seemed a little complex for me and I'm still trying to dig for the deep message the author is trying to say. So far i think the author was trying to say that a war isn't always the same for every person who is involved, everyone sees it in a different way but it does tend to leave a scar that may be hard to deal with afterwards. The more universal way i would look at it would be that the only way we move on from something that drags you down is by understanding yourself. By looking at the experience on the good side.
What do you guys think the message was? I could use the feedback :) Also why do you guys think he used the story about the soldier who died and told it in different ways? Thanks!
Good thoughts about Obrians change of mood throughout the story. I think that the experiences we face during war sometimes are hard for people to believe. Maybe the person that experienced the horrible acts of war does not want to remeber them also. War stories are things that people do not want to hear or experience which is something that I think Obrian tried to show in the story. People that experience these things often live with them in the back of their minds for the rest of their lives.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. I think the point the author is trying to make is about how people can't really handle the truth of war because it is so life changing. I tried to watch "the hurt locker" and I couldn't get through the movie. It was too real for me to handle! Watching comrads explode, doing things against your morals in order to survive... It's pretty extreme. The reason why, I think, O'brien tells the story different ways is because it kind of resembles the game "telephone". Everyone will see the same thing, but will interpret differently.
ReplyDeleteA war definitely isn't the same for everyone involved. Having been deployed myself, and having been the victim of an explosive device while in Iraq, I can tell you that that sort of statement is definitely true. Everyone involved will have a different frame of reference to the same event, not necessarily because they weren't injured but because they have their own mindset. Even the most objective people in the world will still have a non-objective perspective on something that deeply affects them (or effects them, physically). I think O'Brien was trying to point out that if the story was too "pretty" that it shouldn't be believed because ANY story told truthfully will not be as impressive because life isn't always exciting, thrilling, or emotionally "nice" for us.
ReplyDeleteI felt that the message was that if you want to tell any story to anyone, especially a war story, you shouldn’t care whether they believe it is true or not. The story is only as true as you believe it is. I think this play deeply into the way he told the same story but in different ways. The narrator was trying to find what was true to him not what he thought the read would think is true. This message applies especially to war stories because some crazy things happen that some would believe untrue. The story teller shouldn’t put so much effort in trying to convince the listener that the story is true but instead should tell the story in a way that he or she feels is the truest to them.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I was thinking. I dont think he cared about whether the pieces were true or not. I think it was about getting all points across and watching people's facial expressions. Like, what the hell was up with the buffalo massacre. That was so sick! That's definitely something you tell someone for effect, not forgiveness. Im still mad over that haha. Plus, war looks different through different sets of eyes.
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