Final Thoughts

After just completing the book, I figured I would write some last remarks on my impressions of the book as a whole. When I first started reading the book, I went into it with a historical mind, one that enjoyed the historical references. However, as the book progressed I began to realize that Mr. O'Brien really doesn't care about the historical accuracy, but instead how this horrific war impacted he and many other Vietnam veterans. The concepts of death and life, silence and noise, and bravery and shyness seemed to come up many times throughout the entirety. One of the biggest things I marvel at now that I have completed this composition is the way that O'Brien was able to tie things together. The first example that popped into my mind was how he corollated his experience with Linda's death to his encounter with the first dead man he saw in Vietnam. By doing this, I think O'Brien was able to bring home how he felt to the audience by connecting it with a situation many readers have undergone. All in all, I think this was a very well-written master piece. I commend Tim O'Brien for being able to open up about his experience in Vietnam. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, those men who left for the war never returned the same. While this was a way for O'Brien to cope with his experiences during this grim time period in his life, I think in the process he allowed many other people to share in his struggle and get a taste of what he experienced.