The Things They Carried: American Heroes “Talking about courage” in Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried is more than just one story about a soldier's personal experience of the Vietnam War. It's more than a story about his fight for his country, God and his fellow soldiers, not to mention his return home. “Speaking of Courage” is not only an allegorical story about the disconnect between Vietnam and the rest of the world, but also an allegory about the disconnect between soldiers and the lives they once led. Norman Bowker's flashback to Song Tra Bong, dramatizes the story for cultural analysis. The monsoon represents the war as a whole, as it causes violence to spill over across the entire world. Over time, the monsoon causes the mud to act like quicksand, sucking up everything it touches. Like the monsoon, war forces men to be conscripted to fight for their country. The mothers shouting at the soldiers to get out of the muddy field represent the world against war. America protests and riots for the war to be called off, but the soldiers are ordered to do their jobs, just as Lt. Jimmy Cross orders the men to stay in the muddy field. Once the men discover that the field is a field of shit, it becomes apparent that the field of shit symbolizes political involvement in war. The politicians of the world start war and order men to go out and fix shit by fighting against each other. When Kiowa begins to sink into the horrible ooze, all Bowker can do is watch. This not only means that men are drafted into war, but also that men are killed one by one. Soldiers in war face death every day and know that in an instant they could be the next to die. Bowker; however, ...... middle of paper ...... Bowker almost winning the Silver Star symbolizes how America neither won nor lost the Vietnam War. O'Brien uses July 4, Independence Day, as the date of Bowker's return home to signify America's lack of pride in failing to live up to its heroic reputation. At the end of the story, Bowker watches and even enjoys the fireworks over the lake. The fireworks symbolize the end of the war and a new beginning. Bowker's joy indicates that the soldiers are blending back into society. Tim O'Brien's story, "Speaking of Courage," is an allegory that opens the hearts of soldiers. O'Brien's use of metaphor allows the reader to make a personal connection with the soldiers of the war. The men who fight for their country and die on the battlefield are more than just a number or a casualty. These men all have a connection that most people don't understand.