Summary Of The Man I Killed 'By Tim O' Brien

The Vietnam War was one of the most controversial wars the United States has ever encountered. During the mid 50’s, communism was dominant in Asia and was greatly expanding to Vietnam. There was no peaceful way to come up with a compromise between North and South Vietnam that would negotiate how Vietnam should be governed and thus they resolved to warfare. The United States knew that the expansion of communism was a worldwide issue and becoming a international source of power. They feared that communism would spread to every other country in that region and eventually overpower the United States. Therefore, the US government decided to help in the war with the south vietnamese who was democratic and fight against the communist north.

In the short story, “The Man I Killed,” Tim O’Brien blankly stares at a Vietnamese soldier he has killed, obligated with remorse. The dead soldier has a frail looking and delicately boned body with his jaw in his throat. His head was cocked behind his neck, a hole was in his eye and his teeth were gone. One of Tim’s fellow soldiers, Kiowa, observes Tim staring at the body. He attempts to toughen him up by directing Tim to stop showing sympathy for the dead man. He says to Tim, “Tim, it’s a war. The guy wasn't Heidi---- he had a weapon, right? It’s a tough thing, for sure, but you gotta cut out that staring” (O’Brien, 120.) In Kiowa’s mind, he characterizes these Vietnam soldiers to be seen as enemies, not friends. Kiowa is all for the Vietnam War, believing that he is doing something heroic by killing soldiers of Vietnam. However, Tim conveys his disillusionment against the war because he isn’t proud of what he has done in combat. He does not have the pride and satisfaction that he did something beneficial for his country by killing the Vietnamese soldier. For example, Tim O'Brien notices how innocent and young he looked. Furthermore, he clarifies how the soldier was still young and was presented with various long-term opportunities, yet the war prohibited him from achieving success, prosperity and the ability to

As portrayed in the novel, Tim, Ted and Cross show their disillusionment of the war in ways of sorrow, pity, guilt, anxiety, depression, containment, sympathy. Furthermore, the author “exposes the nature of all war stories” (Hacht, A 507–511). By conveying the theme of disillusionment, Tim O'Brien exposes the sad truths of the war away from the load of political propaganda that biased America’s view of the Vietnam War by portraying how it was “necessary” and “just” for the right reasons. However, Tim O’Brien shows the reader the truth behind all the political propaganda that hyped the Vietnam War, expressing how lives were lost, civilians were killed and how those who did survive changed. Therefore, the Vietnam War ruins the whole concept of the American Dream. It’s ironic how the U.S. government would force young adults to die and let civilians be tortured and killed over a war that could have been easily been avoided since it had no long term impact on America as a nation. Tim O’Brien discusses how this ruined the whole concept of the American dream and the promise for all people to live freely, equally and treated in a humane way. This strayed the Soldiers’ desire to fight and focus on the lives on