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Accounts of a Lost War


" This lack of knowledge and abundance of obscurity is more than enough to significantly differentiate Wood Grouse from The Things They Carried. However, for the purposes of this essay, these two works share one extremely unifying characteristic: awkwardness. .
             Throughout The Things They Carried O"Brien tries to the best of his ability to explain the effect that war has on an individual. O"Brien conveys the message that the war itself is not an event to its participants, but a life. A life that replaces the former life of the soldier. In many instances this new life does not coincide with the day-to-day life of the civilian. This statement is evident throughout both works as several main characters encounter difficulty in their sometimes vain attempts to reintegrate themselves into society. .
             Throughout "Wood Grouse" the tension seems to continually mount as the two brothers are unable to relate to one another. The confusion and disarray that the war has left the older brother in, represented by the uncertainty in his voice when he says, "Did I kill a man?" shows almost a hint of insanity that creates a rift between the two brothers. Judging by the uneasiness of the two siblings, the reader may come to the conclusion that this was not always the case. The older brother's strange and, at times, almost incoherent speech leave the both the reader and the younger brother in a state of bewilderment. The situation continues to become more complicated during the scene concerning the injured bird. The veteran's sense of life has obviously become altered due to his war experience, but to say that he now sees life as more valuable is a controversial statement. After the veteran nearly becomes infuriated with his own brother over the accidental injury of a common bird, the veteran shows almost no hesitation in his decision to end the bird's life and continue on his way with little afterthought.


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