Vol. 6, Issue 2, Part E (2024)

Literature is abundant on the theme of war, but the way Tim O’Brien has penned down the experiences of a foot soldier makes him stand out from the traditional League of War writers. The reader starts imagining himself on the battlefield climbing hills, digging foxholes, setting ambushes, searching tunnels and burning villages. Tim has succeeded in the attempt to bring out the real horrors of the war and the physical and emotional distress of the soldiers. O’Brien adopts a fragmented style of writing and gives importance to soldiers’ emotions over established grand narratives. O’Brien also makes a unique point that almost every soldier fantasizes about running away from the war and becoming a deserter. In his works, Tim O’Brien denounces the established notions of courage, velour, heroism and patriotism related to war and argues that it is not the purpose or patriotism which motivates the soldiers and deters them from running away but the real deterrent is the fear. This article demonstrates how Tim O’Brien exposes the metanarratives which are planted in society to glorify war. The article will also demonstrate the way Tim O’Brien highlights fear as the main factor because of which the soldiers cannot take the bold step of running away from the war.