O'Brien proves himself to be an effective storyteller through devices such as flashback, flash-forward, and his ability to eloquently allow the reader a true glimpse into the soldier's life. An interesting point O'Brien reveals about his own character is that no matter how hard he tries to abstain from it, war stories remain his true obsession. His love for writing ultimately serves as a coping mechanism to unify his past, present, and future.
"What sticks to memory, often, are those odd little fragments that have no beginning and no end" (34).
O'Brien tirelessly shows the reader that his memory itself is at odds with its own point of view of what actually happened throughout the war. We see this through the retelling of stories time after time in which facts become jumbled and changed. One of O'Brien's major themes throughout the work is that despite the war being over the story and the memories remain with him. He and the story he tells are two halves to one whole. They both shape and form the other even if O'Brien is unsure whether or not a memory actually happened or is just a figment of his imagination. However, his salvation lies in being able to voice his memories not for his audience, but for his own peace of mind. O'Brien's writings will continue to live on and will remain a true portrait of war and its aftermath.
"Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story" (36).
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