The truth is not meant to be believed. If we believed, if we lived the truth we wouldn't survive our own realities. Tim O'Brien shows us this through the chapter, "How to Tell a True War Story." He reveals to us that obscenity is the only truth. He displays the brotherhood of war as a converging of the souls. The relationships we don't believe could happen are the truest. Curt Lemon and Rat Kiley were genuine brothers. After Curt's death we see Rat's grief through his bludgeoning of an innocent, baby water buffalo. Rat's grief goes beyond his own self. His grief has overpowered his ability to understand his own actions. O'Brien describes it as, "A piece of the world so startling there was not yet a name for it" (76). Why did Rat pursue these actions? We hurt what is innocent to see what it was like when our own innocence was taken away. And just like the baby water buffalo we never fight back. We come to the realization that innocence was not for us because we long to be wise. We give up innocence because we know it is a faster way to salvation, whether or not that salvation exists or is merely an illusion.
When O'Brien discusses how Dave Jensen sang Peter, Paul and Mary's "Lemon Tree" as they removed parts of Curt's body from the tree, the lyrics of that song resonated with me.
"Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat."
War becomes a loss love, unattainable, but never-ending.
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