Touched With Fire
In a 1991 interview about The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien made the rather surprising revelation that “ninety percent or more of the material is invented, and I invented ninety percent of a new Tim O’Brien, maybe even more than that.” This “new Tim O’Brien” appears in the novel as the narrator of many of the stories. As the author suggested, the invented “Tim O’Brien” who appears in the book is not the same as the real Tim O’Brien. Although O’Brien projects a version of himself into his stories, you should remember that he is still a storyteller, and that this is a work of fiction. Of course, on a philosophical level you can ask what difference that makes—in a way, we all make a constructed version of ourselves when we revisit our past. But for now it might be best to hold off on this kind of discussion of truth and fiction. Instead, as you begin reading, consider the way the author uses the character of “Tim O’Brien” to frame or filter the Vietnam experience. Note that in discussing the book, this guide will use “Tim O’Brien” (in quotation marks) to note the created character/narrator in the novel, and Tim O’Brien (without quotation marks) to indicate the real-life author of the book. |