Beginning of Essay
For young people, the Vietnam War is a thing of the past and they can only learn about it from second hand sources. In Tim O'brien's The Things They Carried, it becomes very apparent that the Vietnam conflict has proved to be one that many of the participants hav ....

Middle of Essay
.... he returns to the field where he feels he lost everything. On this list he includes his honor, his best friend, and all faith in himself. For O'Brien, evidence of the parasite is not solely in his return Vietnam, but rather a constant personal preoccupation that seems to flow through the collection of stories. O'Brien shows how the memories of the war take on a parasitic form, and uses himself as an example. In the chapter ³Speaking of Courage², O'Brien introduces a character by the name of Norman Bowker. In the story Norman finds him self home after serving his time in Vietnam. Even though he is back in his home town, things do not seem the sam ....