The Subjectivity of Storytelling - Essay Example

The ivity of Storytelling Introduction The truth in every story is to what the storyteller conceives as true or not. Tim O’Brien, a Vietnam War veteran and author of the book “The Things They Carried” writes several short stories about the Alpha Company during the Vietnam War, including “How to Tell a True War Story” and “The Dentist”. The Alpha Company is one of the groups of soldiers mobilized for the war. O’Brien gives the narrator his own name, and the rest of the characters are named after the soldiers he knew during his stay in Vietnam (Heberle 19). This style gives O’Brien the ability to distort the differences between fact and fiction. Due to this, it is difficult for any reader to distinguish which among the stories are taken from real-life experiences, and which are products of the imagination. The result is a mixture of doubt, entertainment, and intrapersonal questioning towards any narrative included in the book, particularly when the characters involved contradict themselves in the different stories (Heberle 87-8). Mixing facts with fictions is the author’s way of expressing his concept of giving more weight to the act of storytelling than the objective truth it contains. It can therefore be said that the book is not written for the purpose of recounting wartime tales and historical events, but of exploring the ways of narrating stories about war that could either engage or put off readers. It makes readers realize that the subjective viewpoints of the soldiers, the impact that war have in their lives, and their emotional reactions towards different situations are more significant than focusing on the objective angles of the story (Heberle 219-21). How to Tell a True War Story This short story backs the very idea mentioned above. O’Brien talks about the ugliness of the war in such a reflective manner that it does not require explanations or factual details anymore. He begins the tale with the statement “This is true,” (Calloway 249) and even if this statement does not establish the narrative as factual, it makes readers understand that at least the idea is true especially for the one narrating the story. The subjective truth that O’Brien explores on is usually contrasting to the usual glorious and heroic tales associated with wars (King 182). For example, in this particular account, O’Brien talks about Kiley, a soldier who exerts effort to write to Lemon’s sister. Lemon is one of the members of the Alpha Company who died while playing with a smoke grenade (Calloway 249 and King 182). The usual heroic wartime tales would most likely involve a good exchange of letters between the soldier friend and the sister, trading good thoughts and sad memories shared before with the one who died. But in this tale, the sister never responds, and Kiley calls her “dumb cooze.” (Calloway 249) This paints a picture of ugliness in the circumstances surroundings these soldiers. However, this is the most significant aspect of O’Brien’s narrative. His tale does not try to provoke false sentiments among readers by sugarcoating events and words, but to expose the truth in the event. The story declares how storytelling should be done. There is both a correct and incorrect way to do it. The author dislikes telling stories in a tear-jerking fashion to create an emotional appeal. He also does not agree on its opposite of telling stories in a macho fashion. This particular narrative serves as a guide to the overall style used in the book. O’Brien shares to readers what he perceives to be true by making readers aware of the concept of subjective truth through telling stories that may or may not have actually happened. On a general view, O’Brien teaches the readers that aside from having correct and incorrect methods of telling tales, there are also correct and incorrect ways of perceiving these tales. On a deep political perspective, O’Brien teaches the readers to be aware of the fact that there will always be trustworthy and untrustworthy narrators. It is apparent that for the author, blind reception of the details of any narrative and failure to ask analytical questions lead people into the marsh of Vietnam. He wants readers to realize the importance of asking questions and analyzing details (Heberle 106-7). The Dentist This is another short story from the same book “The Things They Carried.” As the first narrative discussed is viewed as the guideline to the overall view of the book, “The Dentist” outstandingly supports its concept of subjective truth. Readers normally expect a narrative to be arranged chronologically, starting from the oldest tale to the most recent. However, the positioning of “How to Tell a True War Story” and “The Dentist” in the book is not chronological, but strategic. The first part of “How to Tell a True War Story” talks about Lemon, the soldier who died while bravely playing with a smoke grenade. “The Dentist,” written right after the other story, talks about how Lemon fainted during a dental check-up. The bravado Lemon displayed when he played with the dangerous smoke grenade is contradicted by his obvious phobia in a harmless dental check-up. This story demonstrates a parody of conventional machismo. It is written in a way that tells readers how Lemon would die, and this provides readers with dramatic irony, a technique that offers the audience more knowledge on Lemon’s fate that Lemon himself (O’Brien 103-4). One may ask how this can be similar to the previous tale. First, O’Brien’s tone in both narratives did not change, whether in talking about Lemon’s death nor in telling about a funny event of fainting during a dental check-up. He treats both events is such a way that would make readers realize that war stories can be about anything, and the truth in these stories are subject to what the storyteller views as true and important. This second tale shows readers that although the machismo perspective is prevalent in most war stories, it is unworthy even if it provides much impact. This backs the argument that there is a correct and incorrect way of narrating a tale. Truth and Problems of Narration and Metafiction The basic common factor of these two tales is their ability to render obsolete the storytelling philosophies on pride and courage. For O’Brien, a true war story is not always about glory, pride, and honor. A war story is about the mundane details of the lives and experiences of those directly involved in the war. For example, when Kiley wrote to Lemon’s sister, the essence lies not in a heartwarming story that everyone expects, but in the reality of the situation. In a way, O’Brien asserts the fact that war stories are not about heroism and bravery, but about horrible feelings and experiences. The reflection O’Brien wants to trigger in both tales is that the most significant part of storytelling is the reader’s reaction to the details presented. At some points in both tales, O’Brien insists that the stories are accurate, but then hints every once in a while during general discussions that it is difficult to determine which ones actually happened and which ones merely seemed to happen. In conclusion, what is learned is that truth in war stories is not the cliched line that “war is hell,” or depictions of bravery and heroism. Truth in war stories is what presents the strongest statement to the readers (Heberle 287-9). For example, at one point, O’Brien narrates something about torturing a buffalo because of the horrible emotions that came with Lemon’s death. This suffering buffalo offers a more vivid feeling of the harshness of war compared to the true but hollow statement that “war is hell.” Works Cited Calloway, Catherine. ""how to Tell a True War Story": Metafiction in the Things They Carried." Critique. 36.4 (1995): 249. Print. Heberle, Mark A. A Trauma Artist: Tim O'brien and the Fiction of Vietnam. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2001. Print. King, R. "O'brien's How to Tell a True War Story." The Explicator. 57.3 (1999): 182. Print. O'Brien, Tim. "The Dentist." Manoa. 2.1 (1990): 103-104. Print. Read More