Comparing The Things They Carried And Slow War

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Memory, Storytelling, and War in "The Things They Carried" and "Slow War" No two experiences with war are the same. Each soldier bears a distinct burden shaped by their experiences of violence and memories of war. As the chaos of battle calms, the stories remain—fragments of harsh truths and realities integrated into one's past. Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" and Benjamin Hertwig's "Slow War" connect us to this, providing glimpses into lives forever changed by the horrors of war. These stories reflect the essence of war's impact on the individual. “The Things They Carried” is a collection of interconnected short stories about the experiences of a platoon of American soldiers during the Vietnam War. In comparison, “Slow War” focuses on the lasting …show more content…

They transform into symbols of hope, fear, and survival, representing the emotional and psychological costs of war. They are more than just objects; they are representations of the human experience in its most raw and vulnerable form. “Slow War” also talks on memory through its various poems, but it is through "Iconoclast" and "A Poem is Not Guantánamo Bay" that we see challenges that arise with having an intact memory. The poet illustrates the long-lasting effects of war on individuals in "A Poem is Not Guantánamo Bay," saying that "a poem is not the man who crushed mint leaves into milk and offered you lentils while you watched. with rifle in hand"(Hertwig, Lines 1-3). This implies that even the most everyday aspects of life are impacted by the deeply ingrained memories of war. Some visuals, like "the man with a hole in his foot," emphasize the persistence that these memories hold on to someone. Similarly, "Iconoclast" explores the idea of memory by arguing that the consequences of war persist long after it has

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