Tim O Brien Rhetorical Analysis

Tim O’Brien, author of The Things They Carried, applies multiple techniques in his memoir in order to produce the theme of horror in war. He utilizes word connotation, literary/rhetorical techniques, sentence structure, and overall structure in the memoir. In an excerpt on page 199, O’Brien employs the combination of anaphora, metaphor, and negative word connotation to illustrate the horror of the Vietnam War. O’Brien often uses anaphora to emphasize his points within the sentences. Additionally, he combines anaphora with metaphor in the excerpt on page 199. The repetition of the phrase “I was” occurs eight times, which in turn conveys a sense of intensity and emphasis. This intense, passionate tone works to further enhance and define the purpose of the excerpt, which is to display the horror of war. Following each “I was”, O’Brien states certain inanimate nouns that he sees and experiences during the war, that he physically cannot truly be. These metaphors ultimately create detailed imagery in the reader’s mind so that he can understand what O’Brien is describing in the excerpt. Arguably the most important metaphor in the excerpt is “I was Nam- the horror, the war” (199). O’Brien sees and portrays himself as the war. He is so wrapped up in it that he states that the cruelty and hardship of the war is himself. O’Brien’s use of
anaphora in combination to metaphor appeals to the pathos of the reader and draws him in because of the intensity and harshness of function of the device.
Furthermore, O’Brien also uses a negative word connotation and harsh diction to illustrate the horror. For example, he states “I was the blind stare in the eyes of all those poor, dead dumbfuck ex-pals of mine…” (199). The use of the word “dead,” which implies a harsh connotation of an abrupt ending of life, as opposed to “passed away,” which has a connotation of a peaceful passing with correlation to sadness and defeat, functions to portray a sense of aggression and anger behind the text. He also says “I was the land...the cool phosphorescent shimmer of evil” (199). Instead of using the word “immoral” which possesses a softer connotation, O’Brien uses “evil” which has an exceptionally harsh connotation that further emphasizes the horror of the war. By using words with harsh connotation, the tone of the excerpt becomes more serious, angry, and meaningful.
Through O’Brien’s craft on page 199 in The Things They Carried, the purpose of the excerpt is emphasized as the horror of war.
O’Brien combines the techniques of anaphora, metaphor, and negative word connotation to do so. The combination of these three rhetorical techniques evokes a fearful mood for the reader, but also grabs his attention. The metaphors with the negative word connotation create detailed imagery of what O’Brien is discussing. All of these techniques together make the excerpt more intense, passionate, and consequential. Ultimately, they emphasize the overall main point of the excerpt- the horror of the Vietnam
War.