Feeling Death in The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

War is often thought about as something that hardens a soldier. It makes a person stronger emotionally because they are taught not show it and deal with it internally. People say that death in war is easier to handle because it is for the right reasons and a person can distance themselves from the pain of losing someone. However, there is always a point when the pain becomes too real and it is hard to maintain that distance. In doing so, the story disputes the idea that witnessing a traumatic event causes a numbing or blockage of feelings. Rat Kiley’s progression of sentiment began with an initial concern for the buffalo, transforming into an irate killing of the animal, and then ending with an ultimate acceptance of death. These†¦show more content†¦Rat felt the sorrow of having recently lost a friend, which was indicated by him crying. Rat was so overcome by emotion that he was unable to speak to the others. He could not verbally express how he was feeling. When Rat went to leave, he did not just carry his gun. Instead, Rat â€Å"cradled his rifle† (76). The act of cradling the gun implied that Rat was seeking comfort from his actions. He was also seeking reassurance while he was grieving his loss. This is when Rat could no longer deny the reality of war and death. Most of the other feelings were defenses; they helped him maintain that distance for a little bit longer. When Rat was finally able to cry over the death, the distance was completely gone. Rat was able to enter the grieving process and cope with Curt dying. The crying was an apparent display of his acceptance of death. By facing the death head on, Rat became a stronger soldier because he was not suppressing emotions. The other soldiers in the platoon did not know how to react to the display. As the narrator stated, â€Å"We had witnessed something essential, something brand-new and profound, a piece of the world so startling there was not yet a name for it† (76). Since the other soldiers were not used to seeing outward presentations of grieving, the entire event was perplexing and foreign to them. They were unsure of how to react or even proceed. Therefore, in order to maintain the notionShow MoreRelatedThe Things They Carried by Tim Obrien1426 Words   |  6 PagesThe War at Home The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, transports the reader into the minds of veterans of the Vietnam conflict. The Vietnam War dramatically changed Tim O’Brien and his comrades, making their return home a turbulent and difficult transition. The study, titled, The War at Home: Effects of Vietnam-Era Military Service on Post-War Household Stability, uses the draft lottery as a â€Å"natural experiment† on the general male population. 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