The Things They Carried Timed Writing

According to Flannery OConnor, the only way to make people see is by creating a
good case for distortion. In the novel The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien, he uses
distorted elements to contribute to the effectiveness of the work.
The Things They Carried contains war stories of the Vietnam War and many of these
stories become distorted after being told from multiple characters. For example, when Tim
OBrien killed his first man, he recounted this memory with vivid details. Later on in the novel,
the same story is told from a different point of view, but with less detail. Tim OBriens account
of the event was negatively distorted, thus causing him to blame himself for the innocent mans
death. Because the stories were distorted in different ways, each character was emotionally
effected differently. The inclusion of similar stories told from different characters creates a
multi-dimensional story. Many dimensions can lead to multiple meanings for a single event.
In addition to the true stories, Tim OBrien also includes false stories or exaggerated
details to convey his message. He tells false stories in order to enhance the effectiveness of the
overall novel. While OBrien tells stories of other men such as Curt Lemon or Kiowa, he does
not believe these stories completely. The stories do not matter, but what does matter is how these
false stories create a real, yet distorted novel.
Another effective distorted element of this novel is the sense of time. The novel is told in
past tense for the most part, but there is no chronological order for the stories. Because there is
no distinctive chronological order for the stories, Tim OBrien is able to structure the chapters of
his book by meanings and not time alone. A distorted sense of time exemplifies the distorted
minds of the characters.
Comment [AK1]: What are these distorted
elements?
Comment [AK2]: Of course they are war stories,
delete this part
Comment [AK3]: mans
Comment [AK4]: Word-choice affected
Comment [AK5]: Reword, awkward
Comment [AK6]: Combine sentences with
similar ideas
Comment [AK7]: How are these distorted?
Comment [AK8]: Its as if I forgot what I was
writing about, I need more analysis and more
specific evidence
Comment [AK9]: Include an example or two for
support
Comment [AK10]: A little too far-fetched
Overall, The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien is a war story told through effective
distorted elements. Comment [AK11]: More specific conclusion