Sweetheart Of The Song Tra Bong, By Tim O Brien: A True War Story

When O’Brien offers that his writing is true, it is impossible to know exactly what kind of truth in which he is referring. To clarify, the author defines the word with many classifications. Using the basic framework given in the seventh chapter, it can be concluded that Tim O’Brien’s, “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” embodies the role of a true war story.

One obvious way to verify that it is true is by recognizing that it does not have a moral, nor does it “restrain men from doing the things they have always done” (O’Brien, 65). After reading the story about Mary Anne, it is hard to find a lesson that can be learned. It may include some symbolism and have hidden meanings, but it certainly does not teach, encourage a behavior, or inspire. Due to the evil nature of war, nothing points toward positivity. One can try to extract a life-lesson from the story, but anything that they would come up with was not originally intended by the author. After Mary Anne disappeared, it is stated, “In the end, however, nothing came of it. It was a war and the war went on” (O’Brien, 110). This reflects back to what Tim O’Brien said in regards to true war stories not keeping men from doing things they always did. After a while, it did not make a difference that she went missing; everyone just moved on. Mary Anne simply showed up in Vietnam, embraced the culture to an extreme, and was added to the list of missing. The story does not exude a moral or put restraints on the men’s actions. The war continued, and they were not really affected.

The manner in which “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” was told also includes some of the criteria given for true war stories. When reading about Mary Anne in Rat Kiley’s story, O’Brien tells the reader, “Whenever he...

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...amined, because they “seem” true due to their normality. The story about Mary Anne is difficult to believe, because of the bizarre elements. However, those are most likely the truest parts of the story, making it fit the criteria of a true war story.

Tim O’Brien’s ultimate purpose is to detract the fine line between fiction and reality. In order to fully grasp what a true war story consists of, the definition of true must be deciphered. O’Brien seems to believe that it does not need to be pure facts. Instead, it is mostly found in the imagination of the individual. Readers need to receive a story based on the truth in its overall purpose and meaning. It just needs to feel true. The author implies that it is not important whether the event actually occurred or not, because if the reader wants to believe it that badly, the feeling of truth will always be present.