Index IntroductionMeanings of fear and dehumanization in "The Things They Carried"ConclusionThe Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien is a collection of war stories based on the experiences of O'Brien during the Vietnam War. These stories are fragments of truth with an underlying falsehood that proves worthy of a closer look. When you remove the deception and begin to understand the emotional burden placed on these soldiers, which can only be described through misconceptions and exaggerations, you begin to realize the truth. The deeper meaning behind these stories is that some things must be exaggerated and embellished in order for them to be real and accurate. It is used in such a way that the fear and dehumanization of the characters in this book are so close to the truth, but, at the same time, couldn't be further from it. The truth is distorted, distorted and sometimes simply completely non-existent. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay IntroductionIn the novel The Things They Carried, author Tim O'Brien constantly stretches the truth in a way that portrays feelings or emotions that would not be clear otherwise. O'Brien uses a form of false narrative about real events to try to convey certain feelings and emotions that might have been more difficult for the audience to understand, had he been telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. In the chapter titled “Good Form,” O'Brien says, “I want you to feel what I felt. I want you to know why the truth of the story is sometimes truer than the truth that happens.” In this chapter he makes several references to the notion of true and false aspects of the stories he tells. With the truth having happened, the feelings he wanted the reader to feel may not have been as easy to understand as the truth of the story. In one chapter O'Brien even goes so far as to invent his "daughter" Kathleen to make the reader understand. Kathleen was part of an elaborate story about returning to Vietnam with her daughter, to the place where her best friend, Kiowa, died. Not only that, but he uses Kathleen in a way that moves the story forward towards a question he feels he can truthfully answer with two contradictory answers. “'Dad, tell the truth,' Kathleen may say. "Have you ever killed anyone?" And I can honestly say, “Of course not.” Or I can honestly say, 'Yes.'” O'Brien completely spoofs Kathleen as a whole, using his fake daughter to ask questions that he thinks might have a real answer. For someone not present for what really happened, the questions can only have an actual answer, yes or no, not yes and no. O'Brien admits all the faculty in his book at the beginning of the chapter "Good Form" saying, “It's time to be blunt... long ago he walked in Quang Ngai province as an infantry soldier. Almost everything else is made up. But it's not a game. It's a module. Right here, now, as I make myself up, I think about everything I want to tell you about this book that was written as it was.” This quote is O'Brien directly stating that he wants the reader to understand the truth. Even though what he's telling you may not be the real, factual truth of what happened, the way he explains it makes you feel the way he felt. Meanings of Fear and Dehumanization in “The Things They Carried” Fear unifies the novel because it shows the commonality between each soldier in the platoon through a mutual feeling that none of them want to admit. Fear is something every soldier feels, whether or not they express their discomfort and undeniable feelings. Being afraid is an inevitable feeling, especially in.