Exploration 6: Jared Wolfe

     The story in The Things They Carried that has meant the most to me so far is "The Man I Killed". In this particular story, Tim O'Brien describes the physical attributes and possible characteristics of a man he killed with a grenade. He cannot take his eyes of the man's corpse, as he imagines how the boy might have lived his life and how his life was now cut short because of him. I enjoyed this chapter because it did a great job describing how different people deal with killing enemy soldiers in war in different ways. O'Brien was basically in shock that he had just killed a man, obsessing over what he had just done, while Azar was making fun of the dead soldier. It really makes me wonder how I would handle a similar situation if I were to go to war. I know several people who think killing in war would be easy, but I don't think that's the case. A lot of people don't realize the effect it can have on you, and O'Brien did a great job putting it into perspective in "The Man I Killed".

     I feel that I can relate most to the author, Tim O'Brien. Throughout reading most of the book, I have connected with him the most. He has his own inner struggles and I feel mine would be very similar if I were in his situation. Being drafted during the Vietnam War would be a scary thing, and his thoughts about dodging is something I probably would have considered doing myself.
   
     Something that stood out to me while reading is Tim O'Brien's use of sense detail. In "The Man I Killed", O'Brien describes the man he killed with a grenade in vulgar detail. He described his wounds and how bad the man looked. He also went on to describe the life the man might have lived, and while reading I was easily able to imagine what O'Brien had been describing. O'Brien's use of sense detail in this novel is some of the best I've read.

     "They carried the common secret of cowardice barely restrained, the instinct to run or freeze or hide, and in many respects this was the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down, it required perfect balance and perfect posture" (77). This quote struck me because it described how each of the soldiers have their own weaknesses, but they don't talk about it. They all have fears and at times they can be cowardice, yet they still refuse to talk about their weaknesses, it's a fear they all share.