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Matthew Olson

Mr. Nickell

ENGL1213 MWF 8:00

14 March 2014

E!an"in# on The Things They Carried$ia %ros&an's (nal)sis

*n all no$els+ the a,thor ine$ita-l) !o,rs his so,l onto the !a#e+ !lantin# his own tho,#hts

an" eelin#s. The Things They Carried-) /i& O'%rien+ is a war no$el that ollows this r,le.

atharine a$a#e %ros&an+ skill,ll) share" her e!ertise on the s,-ect in an anal)sis o s,ch

work+ ,n"er the title o /he F,nctions o War Literat,re. * seek herein to e!an" on her #reat

work with &) co&&entar).

%ros&an writes+ 567alor is "eine" -)+ eercise" on -ehal o+ an" ratiie" -) the co&&,nit).

Mo"ern war literat,re an"+ in the twentieth cent,r)+ il&s9+ whether or not "irecte" towar" that

en" -) their a,thors+ ha$e acte" on the i&a#ination o the )o,n# to sha!e a sense o national

!,r!ose an" ins!ire a -ellicose s!irit. %ros&an+ !. 89

O'%rien o$ertl) ollows this "a&a#in# tren". ;e is not a war

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/he) -,rne" e$er)thin#. /he) shot chickens an" "o#s+ the) trashe" 5$illa#es7 well O'%rien+ !.

1=9. (s a atholic+ * a& a!!alle" -) this. /he Catechism of the Catholic Church&akes the

h,rch's ancient "octrine on >,st War a-,n"antl) clear+ an" that teachin# certainl) "oes not

allow or the wanton "estr,ction o the li$elihoo" o an) !eo!le+ es!eciall) the innocent.

* wo,l" $ent,re to sa) that O'%rien is a nationalist o the ?ni$erse+ -less (&erica $ariet)+

with Go" re!lace" -) a !a#an re",ction o the @i$ine to the nat,ral real&. /his &akes &e

"istr,st hi& all the &ore.

* know not o the rea"er's tho,#hts on it+ -,t * in" ecess nationalis& to -e incre"i-l)

re!,lsi$e. * a& re&in"e" o the wor"s o Lactanti,s+ an earl) hristian: For what are the

interests o o,r co,ntr) -,t the har"shi!s o another state or nationA Batriotis&9

%ros&an contin,es with another #reat o-ser$ation: *t is not onl) to war as a national

,n"ertakin# that s,ch literat,re has incite" &en+ -,t to a !ersonal challen#e. /his "e$elo!&ent is

consistent with the Co&antic an" !ost

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*t is worth notin# that+ e$en in his h,rch cha!ter+ O'%rien still ails to oer an) sort o

o-ecti$e &oralit) or a -asic enth,sias& or r,les an" #,i"elines. ;e e$en has ;enr) @o--ins

e!ress his "islike or reli#ion. %,t * s,!!ose that the rea"er sho,l" not -e at all s,r!rise"+ #i$en

the a,thor's D,ite o-$io,s "is"ain or the s,-ect. O'%rien+ while also !ro!osin# an a#reea-le

"ierence -etween stor)

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Works ite"

1. O'%rien+ /i&. The Things They Carried.

%oston: Mariner %ooks+ 200H. Brint.

2. %ros&an+ atharine a$a#e. /he F,nctions o War Literat,re.

South Central ReviewH.1 1HH29: 8=/OC. We-.

1H Fe- 2014.

3. IBatriotis&.IEarly Christian Dictionary. N.!.. We-. Mar 2014.

Jhtt!:KKwww.earl)christian"ictionar).co&KBatriotis&.ht&l.