The Importance Of Courage In Vietnam War

The soldiers who fought in Vietnam showed courage. They were not impervious to fear. They had the same fears of pain and death as the draft dodgers. They feared communism. However, their sense of duty forced them to fight instead of run away because they did not agree with the war. Only a select few have the specific mindset to show courage.

In Going after Cacciato, Berlin was searching for courage. He was searching for a way to be deal with his fear for the war. He felt obligated to fight, but he doubted the purpose of the war. Since “the war was still a war, and he was still a soldier. He hadn’t run. This issue was courage, and courage was will power” (322). He wanted to be courageous. Leaving and remaining in Paris would not have been

Like Berlin, he searched for the courage that would allow him to stay and fight. Since he did not believe in the purpose of the war, he lacked dedication. But at the same time, he did not want to be the person who was unwilling to fulfill their requirement to serve. While fighting, Tim gained an Understanding of Plato’s definition of courage in Laches. Plato said “courage is nothing to laugh at, not of it is proper courage … Proper courage is wise courage. It’s acting wisely when fear would have a man act otherwise. It is the endurance of the soul in spite of fear - wisely” (136). Tim understood that even though he might not win a medal, agreeing to fight in an unwinnable war was courageous. Despite his realization, others did not have the same

His unique storytelling combined personal events with fiction. This allowed him to write about a controversial war and have the book become a critically acclaimed book. In an interview, O’Brien said that he “wanted to write work of fiction that would feel to the reader as if this had occurred or, in a way, is occurring as I read it” (“Looking Back”). He achieved his goal by inserting personal experience; it made the books more relatable for the audience. Hearing about the Vietnam War in a social studies class is very different than reading a Vietnam War book written by a veteran. Social studies provided facts while storytelling provided emotions and thoughts. Placing himself in the narrative also helped to obscure the distinction. But in the books that he did not insert himself, his exploration of the purpose, obligation, and courage also helped to blur the line. His personal experience made a fictional story, Going after Cacciato felt realistic. Even though events in the novel did not take place, the characters actions and thoughts made it feel real. Despite his unique storytelling, he was unable to write a true war