Where's Nam?

I originally considered "Notes" to be a sort of explanatory section tossed in for any of us still stuck in the muck of the story, just in case we had missed the point. Upon further examination it occured to me that although "Notes" is a bit of a summary it is also a kind of eulogy, a final peace that O'Brien felt he owed his friends. I particularly love the inclusion of Norman's letter in this section and the detailed feelings it displays for the reader. Whether it is an actual letter or not doesn't matter because it is truer than the truth. This can be said for the entire section "Notes."

It is also important to consider that "Notes" details the healing process as pertains to O'Brien. He egotistically admits to having no pains in adjusting to being back in his old life and picking up where he left off. At the same time, he admits that the process of writing was healing for him and that he believes it is what kept him from ending up in some sort of mental/emotional state of "paralysis." Is it narrow-minded to consider that although this book started out as a sort of tribute to Nam or brothers in arms it turned out to be a form of purgation for O'Brien?

He reveals many characters to the reader that have deeply personal experiences. It is doubtful that they all confided these experiences to him. It seems more likely to me that each of these characters is a type of projection of O'Brien and what he internally experienced both pre and post Vietnam, not to mention the war itself. If you take a bit of the truth and fill in the blanks with what you presume should be there, you end up with something that may not be the entire truth but it does, just as O'Brien said, give clarity to a situation. I often find that a story loses something in the telling of it. Maybe he is trying to put that something back into the story by adding to it a measure of what is lost.

Bloody Constellations

"The star shaped hole was red and yellow. The yellow part seemed to be getting wider, spreading out at the center of the star." In describing the boy he killed Tim O'Brien returns again and again to the vivid imagery of the missing eye. It's an oddly specific shape and I began to think why the repetition? Why focus on the eye so much? I believe that that face is what truly sets us apart in our humanity. A body is there to make the head ambulatory, a face makes us stand out in a crowd. I imagine that it would be easier to dehumanize a severed limb or dismembered parts of a torso. Things that do not resemble a human being are merely objects, with no indication of the soul that is kept within. In dwelling on the star shaped eye Tim O'Brien is faced with the fact that he has killed another human being. His face, damaged. His eye, once an indication of life and a bright future, forever blighted. The eye becomes a symbol of the boy's death, and Tim O'Brien imagines all that the eye might have seen had he lived. All that the eye had already seen in the past.

Faith

In the chapters entitled "Stockings" and "Church" faith is an obvious theme. For Henry Dobbins faith is more of a superstition and is about outward gestures rather than personal reflection. For example Henry tries to make up for his actions by giving the monks a can of peaches and chocolate. Henry also wants to "show" the world about his personal faith by being a monk, also an outward gesture.

Something interesting is that the author makes special note that Henry washes his hands and the monks call Henry "Soldier Jesus". At first I didn't understand why these two things were at all relevant in the book but perhaps it is an allusion to the bible. Henry is "washing his hands" so to speak of the atrocities that he has committed while in Vietnam, just like Pilate washed his hands after ordering Jesus to be crucified.

Directly opposite from Henry, Kiowa believes that faith is an inward gesture and it is extremely personal.

Maybe from these chapters we are the gather that faith is different to everyone, some express it outwardly by going to church, worshipping, and doing good deeds. While others of us believe faith is something so private and personal that we keep it in and have a personal relationship with a higher power.

Yearning

It is apparent that Norman is wanting/dieing to talk. He keeps on imagining himself talking to people, first he sees himself talking to Sally then his dad and he almost talks to the guy on the intercom at the A&W. He wants to talk but can't. He knows that some wouldn't want to hear it, others would listen but couldn't understand, and others would understand but couldn't give the comfort or empathy he was needing an also those that would listen where not in a listening mood. He was alone and all he could do was let the pain fester. That's what happens when you don't talk, the pain begins to rot inside of you and eat you from the inside out.
Also he was wanting something to live for to belong, something to ground him, something tangible/real to him. All that was real to him was the war and that was gone and the knew life he was in was just some kind of ghost like figure that was passing buy or maybe it was him that was the ghost. He just drove around that like over and over again looking for someone and something to help him. I know this feeling all to well and I have a feeling that inside he felt like that if he could let it all out and talk it would make him real, make this knew/old world real to him again and give him something to live for; a reason to stay.

Actions speak louder than words

"Style" really gives us a deeper understanding of Henry Dobbin's nature. Without a doubt, he stands out from the other men in the group. He is protrayed sensitive, but strong. Funny, but pensieve. He's a man that is naturally good natured, as portrayed in "Church." It is very clear that he is sensitive to the little girl, her position and culture. Azar obviously opposes Dobbins in this regard through his words and actions.

I mentally group Henry Dobbins with men like Tim O'brien, being men of decent nature because of chapters like this. This was shown as through O'brien's, and no doubt, Dobbins perspective, as they saw the little girl dancing. O'brien describes her dancing like, "She did a graceful movement with her hips" or "The girl went up on her toes and made a slow turn..." Then Azar mockes her as he "...did funny jumps and spins" and "...then did an erotic thing with his hips." The difference in word choice between how O'brien describes the dance from their perspective, and then from Azer's perspective, reflects their individual maturity. I guess action speaks louder than words. Ironically enough, Dobbins doesn't fall into the trap of 'loud words' as he considered dropping Azar into the village well because all of this. In perfect harmony with his personality he orders, "dance right." What a perfect example of enforcing respect and decentcy effectively without having to lose control to one's anger.

on Norman

We see in "Speaking of Courage" Norman Bowker struggling while trying to find life after war. Norman was snatched up for war at a crucial age in his life, the transition between being in his later teenage high school years, to settling into young adulthood with a sweetheart or a career path ahead of him. Norman recalls his high school days as he circles the lake, longing for his friends, and carefree conversations by the lake. He see's his old sweetheart cutting her grass, and it stings him both in memory of what it was like pre-war, and the cold reality that she has a life of her own, something he feel he lacks.

While O'Brien is able to find relief in story telling, Norman Bowker is unable to talk to anyone about his experiences, instead he can only fantasize about talking with Sally, his father, and even in his imagination he struggles to truly tell them what it was like. He is longing to only express himself and have others understand what he was going through, as shown by his encounter with the A&W box. I think O'Brien was contrasting the difference between himself and Norman, to show that because O'Brien had a release, he was able to cope with peace, and because Normal did not, it led to his tragic suicide.

Finding Faith

I think out of all the characters thus introduced in "The Things They Carried" the character of Henry Dobbins might be my personal favorite. It says at the beginning of the chapter "Stockings" that Dobbins is a man without a certain sophistication. I think this may be true in some senses but wrong in others. Dobbins carries his girlfriends stockings around his neck for good luck. They are something of a security blanket, they keep him from harm. Even after his girlfriend dumps him he still wears them around his neck. We then see that it's not about her, it's about the personal power Dobbins gives to this talisman around his neck. I think Dobbins shows great sophistication here. He shows that his personal faith in this object is not to be touched nor affected by others. Can we say the same of our personal beliefs? Or are our beliefs simply ideas on our skin easily rattled by the people, experiences, or ideas that brush against us?
Dobbins next endears me to him in the chapter "Church". In this chapter Dobbins or rather O'brien defines religion as something separate from monasteries and sermons. Dobbins expresses the desire to be a monk. He states that he might not be able to explain God's will or change the world with powerful sermons but he can "wear a robe and be nice to people."He ends the chapter by saying "All you can do is be nice. Treat them decent you know?". I think this show that Dobbins has a handle on himself that perhaps the others don't have. The other soldiers cope with the horror around them with violence or humor or hate. I think Dobbins copes by believing in the simple principle of being kind to people, treating them decent. In this way he again puts faith in something that is larger than he, larger than Vietnam, larger indeed than any war. I think that is the basis for religion. A belief in something larger than oneself, that has stood the test of time.