A Changed Man
Noel Mojica
English 101
Professor Beers-McCormick
9, November 2010
A Changed Man Today we can sometimes be exposed to some very traumatic and violent experiences that can seriously affect the mind in the future. War has been known to play a huge factor in changing a human being’s life, which is not always in the prettiest ways. Many soldiers who just join the service have clear and innocent consciences to begin with. Studies have shown that soldiers returning from war don’t always come back as the same person people once knew them before. War combat is an experience in which veterans will never forget. Some soldiers have seen or have even done things in which will haunt them for as long as they live. War can be one of the most tragic and traumatizing experiences a man will ever go through. Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things they Carried, provides its readers with powerful and deep moments in which the characters face. These characters in the novel are exposed to situations and experiences which are not always easy to take in. These characters’ hearts and souls are challenged with how they can adapt to the terrifying war life. A human being can only take so much before they will lose it. When a person loses it, it can be either mentally or physically. The results can lead to life changing personalities or traumatic stress.
Joining the military can turn even the most innocent people in the world into disturbed and traumatized humans. In The Things They Carried, Mary Anne was a beautiful young girl who meant no harm to the world. She was the typical American girl who enjoyed volleyball, cooking, and just having a good time. Little did she know what she was getting herself into by going out to Vietnam to join her boyfriend. Mary Anne, the first few days, was just an observer who was quickly learning the different lifestyles surrounding her. She began to become very curious in the war lifestyle. As time passed by, there were parts where Mary Anne was nowhere
English 101
Professor Beers-McCormick
9, November 2010
A Changed Man Today we can sometimes be exposed to some very traumatic and violent experiences that can seriously affect the mind in the future. War has been known to play a huge factor in changing a human being’s life, which is not always in the prettiest ways. Many soldiers who just join the service have clear and innocent consciences to begin with. Studies have shown that soldiers returning from war don’t always come back as the same person people once knew them before. War combat is an experience in which veterans will never forget. Some soldiers have seen or have even done things in which will haunt them for as long as they live. War can be one of the most tragic and traumatizing experiences a man will ever go through. Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things they Carried, provides its readers with powerful and deep moments in which the characters face. These characters in the novel are exposed to situations and experiences which are not always easy to take in. These characters’ hearts and souls are challenged with how they can adapt to the terrifying war life. A human being can only take so much before they will lose it. When a person loses it, it can be either mentally or physically. The results can lead to life changing personalities or traumatic stress.
Joining the military can turn even the most innocent people in the world into disturbed and traumatized humans. In The Things They Carried, Mary Anne was a beautiful young girl who meant no harm to the world. She was the typical American girl who enjoyed volleyball, cooking, and just having a good time. Little did she know what she was getting herself into by going out to Vietnam to join her boyfriend. Mary Anne, the first few days, was just an observer who was quickly learning the different lifestyles surrounding her. She began to become very curious in the war lifestyle. As time passed by, there were parts where Mary Anne was nowhere
Cited: McGirk, Tim. "The Hell Of PTSD." Time 174.21 (2009): 40-43. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. Jakupcak, Matthew, et al. "Posttraumatic stress disorder as a risk factor for suicidal ideation in Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans." Journal of Traumatic Stress 22.4 (2009): 303-306. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Nov. 2010 BLOOMBERG, NEWS. "Suicides Increase Among Troops." New York Times 14 Nov. 2009: 15. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 17 Nov. 2010.