William Timothy O’Briens Novels :: William Timothy OBrien Essays

William Timothy OBriens NovelsWilliam Timothy OBrien has written many stories during his lifetime. The first of which he wrote when he was nine years old. Timmy of theLittle League was an autobiography of a youngster involved in sports(Myers, 143). As Tim was growing up, he took a relief from writing. He began again epoch serving in the Vietnam war. When he beganwriting again, he quickly readapted to an autobiographical style ofwriting. These wartime stories argon what has make OBrien nonpareil of theleading writers today. His style is often compared to otherfactfiction writers such as Hemmingway, Fitzgerald and Faulkner(Myers, 144). It is said by critics that OBrien uses a lot of thesame plot ideas as use by these other famous wartime authors. Eventhough similar plots are used, OBrien uses his own experiences tomake the stories realistic and inspirational.The same basic themes runs throughout all in all of OBriens stories. According to Thomas Myers, all of OBriens work contains these basicprinciples the continual interplay of fact and imagination infiction and in life the compulsive, absurd, noble quest for valet de chambretruth the difficulty in defining and obtaining the elusive quality ofcourage and ongoing human need for fragile, made up, explanatorydevice we call story. With all of these elements together Tim istrying to write stories that fill his description that War storiesarent about war-they are about the human heart at war. While servingin the South China Sea, OBrien wrote poetry and short vignettes aboutwhat he was experiencing. After returning from his Vietnam tour-of-duty, OBrien wrote If I Diein a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home. This autobiography isan account of a soldier facing death and inquiring for courage.OBrien offers a particular version of himself who is both aparticipant telling one mans story and a symbolic minister plenipotentiary of hisculture who exchanges traditional and pop culture myth for hard-earnedknowledge of personal transgression and historical experience.(Oates,438) OBrien wrote about searching for personal courage whilefighting a war he did not believe in. He also touches on the fear hefaced as he grew from a naive young boy into a war-torn man. Some ofthe poetry and vignettes OBrien wrote during the war show up in If IDie in a Combat Zone. OBrien wrote this novel to help tell thepublic about the real horrors and fears that go along with war. Thisand the rest of OBriens novels are used to show Americans thefalsehood of the idea that war is glamorous.The same themes shows up in OBriens second book.