Tim O’Brien “How to Tell a True War Story”

The words, which describe the character tell on Kiley sharp gray eyes tight subatomic strokes of the wrist he wanted me to believe outstanding gentle killer eyes little crazy they were kids they just didnt notice snoop almost bawls writing it they were like soul mates. The words, which do non describe the character crazy in a good way real daredevil nineteen years old and it is too much for him. The computed tomographys real name was Bob Kiley, but everyone was calling him buy at (OBrien 174).He had lost his friend Curt Lemon in Vietnam, but this loss happened beyond any military actions, when they were playing with grenades (they were real kids) strikebreaker had actually lost his soul mate. Reading the story, Rats character created an impression of being flat. However, attack to the storys end, it is evident that huge sufferings are hidden behind the childish behavior. This childish behavior has indirectly be make it the cause of tragedy, and suffering with this loss, Rat reveals his round dynamic character.He tries to forget his ail, but the feature that he feels it is the sign of his deep soul, which was changed in the cruelties of the Vietnam War. Curt Lemon is the character around which Rats actions and thoughts are concentrated. They spent most of their time together and what they matte towards each other was real kinship. The unexpected loss was so difficult for Rat that he didnt hesitate to mail a letter to Lemons sister. This letter has be rise up the expression of his feelings, his sorrow, and his best memories to the highest degree that person. Re-writing the story from Rats perspectiveThe day didnt predict anything tragic. We crossed the river the mountains were in the west, and we had to direct our efforts there. We have already spent three days marching, and it already seemed monotonousso wellwe were trying to entertain ourselves, and in a sanction Curt Lemon was dead. He simply stepped on a booby-trapped 105 round. One second and the man was gone forever. We were playing, we were laughing, and then, out of sudden, he was dead. I didnt notice that the whole hour had passed before we cut off the thick grass for the mite helicopter to land.Surprisingly, the day didnt change the weather was the same, and we kept marching. The only thing was that Curt was not with us anymore. Higher in the mountains Ive sight a scotch VC water buffalo. I had no idea how I could come across it so high in the mountains, and it was probably unexpected for me, that at that moment I could believe of anything else besides Curt. I managed to get a rope around the baby buffalo and to lead it with us to the village, where we had to stay for the night. I stroked the baby buffalos nose, I tried to offer it come pork or beans, but it didnt seem interested. I shrugged but I felt, how enraged I was.At that time I didnt understand, what caused those feelings inside me, but now I know that Curts death had made me provoked angry for bei ng incapable to change anything and to return him to life. I shot the buffalo through the front knee. I was shocked at the animal not showing any sign of stress it didnt cry. It was silent, though it fell hard onto the ground but then got up again, and at that moment I shot off its ear I kept shooting and I could see it cause to be perceived, but for some reason I could not kill it. I would never make it suffer, but something inside me was preventing me from shooting right.I had no idea what others were thinking, but they were definitely watching each move and each shot I made. I was the only one to know, what it meant to me Lemon was dead and he had been the best friend in the world. I am not sure whether it was a inquiry of trouble, and what pain one may mean here. I didnt know whether physical pain could be measured or even compared to the moral pain I felt. I could not understand what I was doing, it was all smoke and I hardly remember whether I had shot the buffalos foot i t was as if I were dreaming. I shot it into the throat.I didnt want it to experience those physical tortures anymore. I bum still remember its eyes enormous, shiny, and dumb. I can remember myself crying. I wanted to say how sorry I was for both the buffalo and for Lemon, but tears didnt let any word come out. I understood I needed some freedom, some silence and some time to think, to try to recover and to ultimately feel better. I left-hand(a) the baby, may be it was still alive, but I didnt know it. I just knew that it was fighting for its life, the chance which Lemon didnt have. It will watch my sin forever, but my pain was enormous to hide it inside.I dont still understand for whom I feel worse for the baby buffalo Ive killed or for Lemon who didnt have a single chance to survive. What I know for sure is that Lemon didnt go through the pain, which baby buffalo felt before it died. I also understand that this death could become neither physical, nor moral compensation for Le mons death. This is what I think now At that time I was not thinking anything. The baby buffalos death remains my biggest weakness the inability to keep emotions inside. posterior that week I wrote a letter to Lemons sister to tell her what a great guy her brother had been.I have written several(prenominal) funny stories from our life I think that the letter turned to be very personal, even touching. I was almost bawling, because I could not accept the fact of his death. He had been the man able to turn the war into fun. He was right for war, and his attitudes towards war were also right. I clearly understood and I really felt that I would never receive any reply from that young girl, but I needed that writing to release my emotions and express what I was feeling about Lemon. Even when I pretended being angry at her, and called her dumb cooze, it was nothing but a mask I didnt want anyone know that I could feelJustification I decided to focus on Rat Kileys character. The author emphasizes his negligent attitude towards life. Listen to Rat Jesus Christ, man, I write this beautiful fucking letter, I slave over it, and what happens? The dumb cooze never writes back (OBrien 175). What I think is that Rat didnt even expect to receive any reply from Lemons sister he needed this letter to express what he had inside, and simultaneously he had to support his image of a guy nineteenth years old and its too much for him (OBrien 175).I was interested in viewing the story through his perspective, because I initially felt Rat could have been depict antithetically, less crazy and more humane. As a result, the events in the narrative would look different through Rats perspective. After Lemon was dead, Rat could not find himself. He did not know how he could neutralize the moral pain he had inside. Again, the author could lead the narration in a different direction. Rat was shooting the baby buffalo it wasnt to kill it was just to hurt (OBrien 179).Has anyone thought t hat Rat might have not clearly understood what he was doing? The fact that he was crying was the best proof that his actions had been absolutely uncontrolled. Moreover, his slight has proved to be only surface he was deeply suffering through the loss of his friend at his nineteen years he could give himself happy for having experienced the kinship he felt towards Lemon. My goal was to portray Rat through different features, not the features which the author used in the narration. I suppose that the author has not looked too deep into Rats soul.OBrien has created an image of Rats cruelty towards the animal, and the readers perceive him as a little crazy. Simultaneously, he has not emphasized many features which make Rat a real human. Even the scene of animal killing could have been depicted differently, through the prism of Rats moral sufferings. Rat Kiley was crying (OBrien 180), and that cry was the difficult acknowledgement of the fact that Lemon would never come back. Works ci ted OBrien, Tim. How to Tell a True War Story. Postmodern American Fiction A Norton Anthology. P. Geyh ed. New York W. W. Norton, 1992, 174-183.