Tim O Brien Character Analysis Essay

435 Words2 Pages
Through this novel, Tim O'Brien tells of not only his past life but his present one as well. He describes in detail the soldiers in the Alpha Company and what necessities each one of them carried in their bags. He tells about the physical things such as weapons, pictures, food, water, etc. However, O'Brien also focuses on the emotional things that these soldiers carry. Some of this includes, guilt, fear, pride, resentment, and wisdom. O'Brien touches on his feelings towards getting drafted. These feelings pushed him to run north to the Canadian border. He stays at the Tip Top Lodge for six days with the help of an old man. Here O'Brien comes to face the fact that he must return back home. This is because he doesn't want everyone to think he is a coward for avoiding war. O'Brien further discusses the tragic death of his fellow soldiers.…show more content…
O'Brien said that he used to carry around tranquilizers and marijuana to soothe his anxiety. Lavender gets shot in the head and this death leaves a heavy burden on the Lieutenant. Additionally, O'Brien speaks about Curt Lemon who got killed by stepping on a mortar round. The death that impacts O'Brien the most is that of his good friend Kiowa. He tells the story through what Norman Bowker had remembered. Kiowa was struck by a mortar round which caused him to fall into the the filthy mud. His fellow soldiers tried to get him out by pulling on his boot. For awhile they didn't have any luck and realized that Kiowa was stuck. After much struggle, they were able to get him out. Furthermore, O'Brien speaks about the letter that Norman Bowker sent after the war. He tells about Bowker's guiltiness and loss of interest in life. Eight months later O'Brien finds out that Bowker hung
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