Truth is Found in Emotion, Not Facts

My favorite story from this section was “Church.” The religious reverence of Dobbins and Kiowa was something that I personally resonated with. Although they might not have been religious in a traditional sense, their respect and kindness shone through.

I also enjoyed the monks in the narrative. Very few Vietnamese are depicted in O’Brien’s tales and having natives positively changed the dynamic of his story. Their kindness contrasted with the usual harshness of the Vietnamese land and created a different outlook on the impact of the soldiers. It showed that not all of their confrontations were violent or deadly – some could be beneficial to all.

Honestly, I didn’t like “How to Tell a True War Story.” The writing was incredible and many of his points were insightful, however I could not bring myself to enjoy it. I think my main dislike was that O’Brien was unable to make me feel what the soldiers were feeling.

Throughout the plot, O’Brien was explaining to the reader how he writes his war stories. Instead of sharing the exact facts, he tells a tale that will evoke the emotions that the truth made him experience. I understood and enjoyed this method. It is one of the main reasons why I prefer fiction – because it focuses on the emotional impact on the reader, instead of literalism. However, his examples throughout the story did not gain this effect over me. I did not feel the emotions of the soldiers. I did not understand their actions. I did not sympathize with their problems. I felt a hurt, a pain, a sadness, a grief, but I did not experience their hurt, their pain, their sadness, their grief. This lack of connection frustrated me. I wanted to be there with the unit, but nothing forced me to relate to them.

The ending was even more of a loss of connection. His description of a reader, probably similar in perspective to me, was very different from how I read the narrative. She liked the story, despite its violence. Me, I did not like the story, despite usually enjoying war tales. This disconnect confused me, but it did not stop me from understanding his overall point – that truth is found in emotion, not facts.