Not to beat a dead horse

This novel continues to infuriate me with it's lack of conflict, yet with its continueing story plot. This is not one of Shakespeare's great plays filled to the brim with situational irony and intense plot twists. This is not a great Greek tragedy of divine struggle. It is not even a comedy or religious work to scare people into praising God. It is just.... some events that were written down. That is it. In a way, however, it is a romance tragedy, but not fro mthe perspective of the hero. If one was to say it was such a piece of literature, Cohn or Brett culd be considered the hero/heroine trying to find love, and coming to a miserable and lonely end. "I just couldn't stand it about Brett. I've been through hell, Jake. It's been simply hell." (Hemingway 198.) Cohn can not find true happiness because he has never been treated properly by women, and by few men. He is always put down, and is always trying to find happiness that everyone has, but he lacks.

So where do you stand?

Tim O'Brien is, obviously, the author of the book, and around chapter three the reader finds out he is the narrator. His point of view for the novel is the reminiscing narrator. All of the stories and flashbacks are from O'Brien's head, his experience. They are his way with dealing with his ghosts, and with relating them to people who were not in Vietnam.

Instead of just presenting the novel and letting the reader judge the war on their own reactions, O'Brien engages the reader in his memories and in his own chaotic sorrowful feelings and thoughts. "All i could do was cry. It seemed that all around me a crushing weight was pressing on me." (O'Brien 54). O'Brien spends an entire chapter telling of his inner storm, his chaotic, twisting thoughts swirling inside him as he tries to escape his fate. He is not just making these feelings up or retelling them from someone else. They are his and his alone.