Capital Punishment In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

In Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”, O’Brien created several allusions that each character endured during the Vietnam War. Throughout the story were vast representations of the things the soldiers carried both mentally and physically. The things they carried symbolized their individual roles internally and externally. In addition to the symbolism, imagination was a focal theme that stood out amongst the characters. This particular theme played a role as the silent killer amongst Lt. Cross and the platoon both individually and collectively as a group. The theme of imagination created an in depth look of how the war was perceived through each character which helped emphasize their thoughts from an emotional standpoint of being young men out at war.

Under the current draft law, according to the official Selective Service System website, “a college student can have his induction postponed only until the end of the current semester. A senior can be postponed until the end of the full academic year.” Now, what if this young man gets murdered on the battlefield and is not able to return to receive his degree? This young man could have been a doctor, a dentist, maybe even a dermatologist, but instead he’s just a distant memory. Back before Congress reformed the draft in 1971, a man could get out of the draft if he was attending school, nowadays, we aren’t so forgiving ("How The Draft Has Changed Since Vietnam"). This could leave a lot of men with unquestionably promising futures stranded in the cemeteries.

Many people in the 1960s and early 1970s did not understand why the United States was involved in the Vietnam War. Therefore, they had no desire to be a part of it. The Selective Service System, which was used to conduct the draft, had aspirations of directing people into areas where they were most needed during wartime. However, people took advantage of the draft system’s deferment policies to avoid going to war. Others refused induction or simply did not register. There were also people who left the country to escape the draft. The Vietnam War proved to be an event that many Americans did not agree with, and as a result, citizens took action to elude the draft entirely or to beat the draft system.

Tim O’Brien’s moral dilemma arose when the draft notice arrived. Upon the arrival of his draft notice, he believed that the government picked the wrong person, as he was not fit for the war. Through his details of his job

“I think we ought to have a draft. I think if a nation goes to war, it shouldn't be represented by a professional force because it gets to be unrepresentative of the population . . . .” (Fayette, par. 2). Those are the words of General Stanley McChrystal, the former senior commander of international forces in Afghanistan, speaking of his stance on whether the United States should bring back the draft. The American public has become disconnected from the military. The time has come to do something about this; it is time to reinstate the draft. There are three reasons why the draft should be reinstated. The costs of military personnel have soared in recent years, it would make elected officials think twice before sending troops overseas since there will be a larger pool of draftees it would create a melting pot of backgrounds. Although there are those who condemn the draft, they miss the point entirely. Without question, the draft should be reinstated immediately.

Conscription, or more boldly the draft, has not been in place for some thirty years. While some people cringe at the thought of reinstating the draft, others have different views. This short paper will speak of those different views and the reasons why conscription of military service may not be such a bad idea after all.

In Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, he emphasizes a chapter on “The Man I Killed”, which describes the characteristics of a young Vietnamese man in which O’Brien may or may not have killed with a grenade. The novel is not chronologically sequenced, which leaves more room for the reader to engage in a critical thought process that fully bridges the author’s mind to their own. In O’Brien’s chapter, “The Man I Killed”, he attempts to humanize the enemy in a way that draws little separation between the enemy and himself by relating the enemy’s life prior to the war to his, and illustrates the war through the eyes of the soldiers who fought it.

During the Vietnam War, Americans were selected for military service by a government agency called the selective service. Those young men between the ages of eighteen and twenty six were forced into an involuntary process called the draft. Protesting against conscription or “the Draft” had always been a part of wartime America. Though for many citizens the Vietnam War would be the drawing line. Mentioned in What’s Your Number? an article written by Historynet, the first drawing of numbers using a draft lottery system to select who would and would and would not be drafted for the Vietnam War took place on December 1, 1969 (Historynet 2009). This marks the beginning of turmoil and uncertainty for those men born between the years 1944 and 1950

For most of American history men, and women have rose to the occasion in times of war, and joined. Women served as nurses, and cooks, while the men fought. This idea of fighting for our country is slowly fading; the U.S. Civil War, World War I, World War II, Vietnam war, and the Korean War all used drafts. What if everyone was required to spend two years in the military? When did the idea of fighting for one’s country, one’s freedom, leave the minds of young adults in the country. A two year draft might not affect you, but your children, your grandchildren, and so forth deserve to live in a country that is great. Fighting for your country should be something everyone takes part in; we should not take our freedom for granted; the United States of America has your back, give the country

When a soldier's name was called he was to report to his local draft board. The local draft board was made up of many community members. He was to report as soon as possible so they could evaluate his status. The only way to avoid the draft was to either have mental issues, were married, had children, attending college, or they were needed at home to help support their families.

The Military Draft has been a major part in United States history. The draft has been used in four different conflicts in the United States of America. It was used in Both world wars, the Civil war, and the Cold war. It might have been effective during these times, but it also causes great corruption and sacrifice. It caused families to lose their sons and friends. Many people lied about their age to join the war, and they were too young and didn’t understand the consequences of war. War is never a good thing to be in, in any circumstance. It this paper I will give you reasons why we don’t need a United States draft. As Americans we have to be thankful that we have a strong and productive Military, so we can have our freedom and safety in times of need.

During the Vietnam War, the United States' government instituted a mandatory draft. Since it was mandatory, if a man's birthday was selected, he had to report to boot camp or face prosecution. This system was both fair and unfair; it was fair because it was not biased, and it was unfair because the men strongly disliked being forced to go to war. In times of war, the United States' government should not be allowed to institute a mandatory draft because it can cause severe mental issues and the young adults are not always prepared to take on the gruesome task of defending their country.

     Tim O’Brien is drafted one month after graduating from Macalester College to fight a war he hated. Tim O’Brien believed he was above the war, and as a result pursued the alternative of escaping across the border to Canada. This understandable act is what Tim O’Brien considers an

Not everyone wishes to follow Caputo's desire to be the hero charging the undulating hills, lush jungles and grasslands of Vietnam. The need for high numbers of military units during the height of the Vietnam War required a draft. At first, the draft is designed to be a pool which unfortunately results

Throughout human history, war has permeated the lives of billions of people. From early conflicts such as conquests to control vast swaths of land by Alexander the Great and Cyrus the Great to modern, global wars such as the World Wars, the concept of war has been at the forefront of humanity’s mind for centuries. However, in recent years, opposition to war and lack of participation in the military has become a common theme in many countries, including the United States. To help alleviate the troubles caused by lack of participation, the United States instituted a law allowing for the conscription of its citizens. Conscription, which can also be referred to as a draft, is defined as the compulsory drafting of citizens into military service (What). The Draft has been utilized throughout US History in a couple of prominent wars; however, opposition has manifested against the Vietnam War and the draft, rightfully stemming from ethical opposition to the war and hatred for what the war and the draft stood for.