Barriers to Communication Essay

The correspondence subject that I have decided to expound on is The Barriers to Communication in the in the work environment. My emphasis will be on the Apple Organization just as different associations that have had interchanges issues. My enthusiasm for this subject stems from the way that I’ve experienced numerous boundaries to compelling correspondence while in the work place. I see by and by how ineffectual correspondence by all degrees of an association can prompt the diminishing work ethics, profitability and so on. I am additionally intrigued by this theme in that as a Business Management significant I might want to be as full of feeling in my correspondence with the association I will join just as with the people that will include the organization. In view of an exploration done In July 2011, a Maritz Poll, a yearly representative mentality overview led by Maritz Research, announced that 25 percent of workers showed having less trust in their administration than they did the earlier year. Terrible correspondence separates trust. Obstructions to correspondence in the work spot can be exceptionally inconvenient to the supportability, life span and accomplishment to the association. There are various obstructions that impact correspondence in the work place. As per skillsyouneed.com, these obstructions run from nonverbal correspondence, absence of criticism and social contrasts. These obstructions to correspondence may and can happen at any phase in the correspondence procedure. Boundaries may prompt your message getting misshaped and you hence chance burning through both time and additionally cash by creating turmoil and misconception. Powerful correspondence includes beating these obstructions and passing on an unmistakable and compact message. References Hindrances to viable correspondence. (n.d.). Recovered from http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/boundaries communication.html Duggan, T. (n.d.). Correspondence issues in a business. Recovered from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/correspondence issues business-2828.html

Explain what the current situation is, what problems are in evidence Essay

Clarify what the present circumstance is, the thing that issues are in proof and how those issues ought to be tended to - Essay Example There are diverse stock models and approaches for single provider and various providers and partnered benefits just as disadvantages for every one of them which would be assessed in the report. Certain proposals identified with buying and stock capacities would likewise be rendered so the current troubles can be reduced by a significant degree. List of chapters Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Conclusion 13 References 14 Introduction Inventory is characterized as the load of materials or whatever other thing that is being utilized by an association. It is additionally characterized as the inactive asset of any sort that has an extensive financial worth. It has been seen that inventories are administered so as to fulfill the future needs of the procedure of creation. The term ‘inventory management’ is viewed as the way toward keeping up the completed merchandise, and the semi-completed crude materials of organizations or some other business. It has been discovered that productively overseen stock would bring about an expansion in the income by chopping down the expense of the organization. The procedure of stock administration initiates when the organization begins its creation and requests the necessary crude materials for the equivalent. If there should be an occurrence of a retailer, the procedure begins when it puts in a request to the distributer. ... faces certain challenges in buying and overseeing inventories for the parts and materials of different brands for offering types of assistance to the clients. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organization is worried about the future prerequisites of vehicles parts and materials to meet the ever-expanding requirements and requests of the clients. In light of the comprehension of the contextual investigation, the report plans to show the distinctions in stock strategies when there are numerous providers included. The report would additionally talk about the shortcomings in the present stock administration practices of Lancaster Motor Group and prescribe fitting measures to handle the challenges especially identified with buying and stock capacity. Q.1. In what manner Might Purchasing And Inventory Management Policies And Procedures Differ Because The Dealerships Purchase Different Types Of Service Parts And Materials (E.G. Ointments Versus Genuine Parts) From Different Types Of Suppliers? Galena Markovic was very worried about the future possibility of the organization. She didn't need the organization to confront the issue that different organizations are looking with respect to dealing with the acquisition of fluctuated portions of autos in future. As it has been seen that the organization had a decent notoriety regarding the liberation of administrations, she turned out to be progressively worried about its activities. Therefore, she started thinking with respect to flexibly affix and stock administration to determine a touch of her interests and weights. Be that as it may, as she is selling the result of four organizations, she would need to purchase the parts from different providers (for example various providers). In such manner, she would need to follow stock strategies unique in relation to that of the typical stock administration approach of single provider. At the point when a

Free Spirit Publishings Social-Emotional Resources, Part II

Free Spirit Publishings Social-Emotional Resources, Part II Our latest updates for the week of August 6, 2017. As part of our back-to-school updates on TeacherVision, we've added more social-emotional learning and character education materials for teachers, students and parents. Use the six Free Spirit Publishing pieces found belowâ?which deal with bullying, learning from past mistakes, and identifying student learning preferencesâ?to guide your students towards becoming their best selves. Warning Signs of Bullying Designed to help both teachers and parents, this resource covers 14 physical, emotional, and behavioral warning signs that indicate that a child is being bullied or at risk for bullying. oung people encounter, Free Spirit has had the same mission for more than 30 years: to provide children and teensâ?and the adults who care for and about themâ?with the tools they need to think for themselves, overcome challenges, and make a difference in the world. If you missed Part I, you can find it here. Let's connect! Follow TeacherVision on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.

Hillforts Ancient Fortresses in Iron Age Europe

Case Study Employee And Manager - 881 Words

The purpose of this memo is to analyze and reflect upon a scenario in which an employee and his manager are presented with an unruly customer whose request is in violation of company policy. Austin, the employee, does his best to politely explain to the customer why he cannot fulfill their request. Once Suzette, the customer, begins to make a scene, Austin’s manager gets involved. Phil, Austin’s manager, resolves the situation by complying with Suzette’s request. After the exchange, Suzette is now satisfied while Austin is angry. Although the customer was happy, both Austin and Phil could have handled the situation better. Phil, in particular, should make use of the KEYS process to improve his ability to handle tough customer service situations in a fashion that reduces the risk of upsetting his employees and customers. Following Phil’s resolution to the situation, Austin is understandably upset since his decision not to process a refund was reversed by his manager. Phil’s decision to allow Suzette to return the merchandise was against store policy, which Austin was abiding. If Austin had allowed the return of the merchandise without supervisor approval he could have been reprimanded. Instead, he took every step to explain to the customer in a calm, professional manner why he could not accept her return. Once Phil was involved, however, everything Austin had previously communicated with the customer was discarded. Phil showed blatant disregard for Austin’s effort toShow MoreRelatedThe Business World, The Outside Environment Essay943 Words   |  4 PagesHIS Case Study Analysis In the business world, the outside environment is always changing. There are new technological advances, recessions, and more that can encourage a business to adapt. Not only is the business encouraged to adapt, but it is necessary if they want the business to continue to run smoothly and not crash and burn. 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Myanmar Free Essays

This essay will investigate the role of images in the media’s presentation of current events using the example of Myanmar/Burma protests. It is a well-known scientific fact that humans absorb the greatest amount of information through the visual channel; therefore, contemporary media places a significant emphasis on the use of effective images in the presentation of news. Images coupled with specific vocabulary are the most powerful tool of framing public discourse concerning current events. We will write a custom essay sample on Myanmar or any similar topic only for you Order Now As for the background information about the crisis in Myanmar/Burma, there has been a series of protests against human rights abuses and crackdown on ethnic minorities going on in the country since late August. The protests have been started by monks and supported by ordinary citizens. In late September, the military government of Myanmar/Burma responded with the police violence and arrests. Such a response sparked a wave of international indignation, and both Myanmar/Burma activists and their supporters abroad call upon the international institutions to take a decisive action to solve the crisis that has not been fully settled yet. For the purposes of this essay, three most influential news media providers were selected, namely CNN, BBC, and Reuters. There is little variation in their representation of the events in Myanmar/Burma, yet each news provider uses its own set of images to communicate its message to its target audience. CNN launched a series of articles tracking down all the developments of the situation in Myanmar/Burma. The article ‘Satellite photos may prove abuses in Myanmar/Burma, researchers say’ (CNN, 2007) is accompanied by a photograph showing a crowd of monks on a demonstration who are surrounded by other citizens. Deep red apparel of the monks contrasts with predominantly white clothes of other citizens, yet this photograph communicates a powerful message that many Myanmar/Burma citizens are united around the noble cause of confronting their government because of human rights abuses. The photograph is probably taken from the plane or any spot high above the Earth surface. This very fact reminds the Western viewer that many media channels are banned from doing on-the-ground reporting from Myanmar/Burma. It further amplifies the perception of the Myanmar/Burma government as authoritarian and undemocratic one. The thing that is probably missing from the image is the presence of authorities. It is well-known that streets of major Myanmar/Burma cities are flooded with the police and sometimes special forces. While the image effectively captures the peaceful spirit of the protests and high level of self-organization, it fails to convey the atmosphere of confrontation between citizens and authorities. BBC frames the story with a noticeable human touch. British media is known to focus on the human factor before examining international political implications of a certain event. The story titled ‘Monks trying to escape Rangoon’ (BBC, 2007) goes together with a photograph of two young monks fleeing away at the top of a truck. In the background it is possible to spot several other trucks carrying other exiles away. This image communicates a dual message: first of all, it persuasively portrays Buddhist monks as innocent victims of the oppressive regime rather than violent protesters; secondly, it indicates that the number of exiles exceeds the number of transport facilities available to them. Furthermore, it makes viewers think about the future of the protesters who are forced to leave their home country because of their political beliefs. It also puts the story in the wider regional context, since the conflict in Myanmar/Burma will also affect all the neighboring countries if exile becomes mass. The inscription under the image reads ‘Many monks are desperate to leave Rangoon, witnesses say.’ The image advances the story by showing that the protesters are ready to trade the risk and insecurity of fleeing to another country from relative political freedom they can enjoy abroad. Another BBC story, ‘Burmese play tense waiting game’ (BBC, 2007), also features an effective use of visual images. One of the images that accompany the story features Gen Than Shwe who heads the ruling junta and controls the army. The facial expression of Gen Than Shwe is conspicuously aggressive and hostile. To the Western viewer, such an image reminds of other historical forms of military dictatorship, ranging from Soviet-era military buildup to juntas in Latin America. Perhaps the most effective use of visual images has been done by the Reuters (2007). Together with a series of stories, it offers a slideshow of 25 photographs representing the course of development of events in Myanmar/Burma. One of the photographs features a Buddhist monk standing by a placard that reads ‘Free Political Prisoners, Listen to the People.’ Young man is wearing glasses (the fact that resonates with the collective image of ‘intelligentsia’ from developing countries) and has a very determined expression on his face. While there is a grammatical mistake in the word ‘Political,’ the image still credits the protesters for their brave attempts to attract the attention of international community. In such a way, Western media frames the public discourse about the events in Myanmar/Burma is a sympathetic way and calls upon Western governments and international organizations to render necessary support to the peaceful protesters and population of the country. References CNN. ‘Satellite photos may prove abuses in Myanmar, researchers say.’ September 28, 2007. October 3, 2007. http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/09/28/myanmar.satellites.ap/index.html BBC. ‘Monks ‘trying to escape Rangoon’.’ October 3, 2007. October 3, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7025357.stm BBC. October 3, 2007. ‘Burmese play tense waiting game. October 3, 2007. October 3, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7025357.stm The Reuters. ‘Myanmar junta arrests more.’ October 3, 2007. October 3, 2007. http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSGOR22843620071003    How to cite Myanmar, Essay examples Myanmar Free Essays Myanmar is one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. Despite its lush natural resources, the country formerly known as Burma has remained among Asia’s struggling economies, notwithstanding the fact that its neighbor, Thailand, has periodically rebounded from the boom-bust cycle of the international economy, including 1990s Asian Financial Crisis. Even if there be economic pitfalls like these, Myanmar has always been known for its two social pillars – the Buddhist monks and the Burmese military. We will write a custom essay sample on Myanmar or any similar topic only for you Order Now For years, the these two socio-political institutions have always been embroiled in a love-hate relationship especially in amassing the support of the Burmese people, as evidenced in the current political crisis engulfing all of Myanmar today. On the other hand, it is important to note that Myanmar was a former direct British colony, from 1824-1886 and subsequently became a province of India until it gained full independence in 1948. Burmese history post-independence though may be best described as a waltz between the exercise of democracy and the iron grip of the Burmese military institution, as the Burmese military junta has always wielded political and economic power in Burma since the time of Gen. Ne Win until today, under the leadership of Gen. Than Shwe. Presently, several indicators may serve to show the level of development Burma has reached – the Per Capita Gross Domestic Product (PCGDP), Literacy Rate, and the Life Expectancy. These three are very important indices in determining whether or not the Burmese government and its people are successful in substantially improving the lives of members of their society. The Burmese PCGDP is pegged at $1,800 (2006 est.), a far cry from the $9,200 (2006 est.) PCGDP of its neighbor Thailand and even its similarly situated neighbor Laos whose PCGDP is at $ 2,200. (cia.gov) On the other hand, Burma has been successful in ensuring that majority of its population can read and write, as its 89.9% literacy rate is only a few percentages lower than Thailand’s 92.6%. Life expectancy in Burma is also very low at 62.52 years old, while Thailand’s life expectancy is at 72.55 years old. Actually, the life expectancy in more underdeveloped neighbor Bangladesh is slightly higher than the Burmese average, at 62.84 years old. (cia.gov) Over and above the usual economic explanations as to the depressing levels of poverty in Burma, a major basis for the continuing economic underdevelopment in Burma shall always be the authoritarian rule of the Burmese government and the patent lack of democracy and freedom in the country. A main factor for the stunting of the Burmese economy is the strict government controls on all sectors of the economy by the ruling junta. Even as the world has already started embracing the principle of eliminating barriers to international trade, the Burmese economy continues to institute questionable economic policies such as a distorted interest rate regime and multiple official exchange rates. (cia.gov) Moreover, the discredited image of the Burmese military junta to the world has also resulted in a lukewarm investment climate, diminishing foreign assistance by developed countries, and economic sanctions, especially due to its protracted and continued crackdown on pro-democracy dissidents including Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. Such an unfortunate economic and political situation would definitely lead to dire results insofar as human development is concerned, the result of which would be the low life expectancy of the Burmese people. To a certain extent, it is very safe to surmise that the low life expectancy can be logically attributed to the failures of years of military junta rule in delivering basic social services to the people. Had the Burmese government been very effective in delivering primary healthcare to its impoverished countryside notwithstanding ensuring sustained food security, the necessary consequence of such a situation would perhaps lead to a higher life expectancy rate than what Burma currently faces. Apparently, if one looks at the CIA world ranking on life expectancy, Burma at 168th place would find itself in the company of countries and states which had histories of problematic governments and states which do not necessarily hold the interest of their peoples at heart due to pervasive corruption, civil strife, among others. (cia.gov) On the other hand, it would seem surprising that an impoverished country like Burma would have such a high literacy rate of 89.9%, especially as similarly situated underdeveloped countries such as Haiti and Cambodia have very low literacy rates, at 52.9% and 50.2%, respectively. The explanation for this would perhaps lie on the fundamental interest of the Burmese junta to educate and consolidate the people towards assimilating themselves to the legitimacy of the authoritarian regime, as an uneducated people would definitely plant the seeds of civil unrest and challenge the regime. This conjecture is offered in the light of similarly high literacy rates in other authoritarian yet impoverished regimes the world over, such as Cuba and North Korea, both of which have literacy rate of 99%. (cia.gov) The primordial prerequisite for the economic development of Burma today needs more than a simple implementation of liberalization measures in its economy, as the basic problem lies in the very structure of its institutions, particularly the manner by which the Burmese government wields power. If there is no room for discussion of different economic theories and policies which have worked for countless other impoverished nations, no shift towards economic liberalization and deregulation policies can ever be hoped in Burma as an authoritarian government shall always tend to believe only the policies and theories which it would want to pursue and implement. While a vast majority of the Burmese people is literate enough, it cannot be said fully at this point whether their literacy actually amounts to the development of countless professionals, scientists, engineers and skilled workers, as their poorly planned economy remains in shambles. In the ultimate analysis, prior to any economic cure which may be instituted to jumpstart its economic for the development of its resources and its people, a political solution must decisively be done if Burma is to move progressively and proactively forwards as a nation. Works Cited: Burma. CIA World Factbook. Retrieved from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  November 20, 2007. November 15, 2007. Thailand. CIA World Factbook. Retrieved from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/th.html,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   November 20, 2007. November 15, 2007. Rank Order – GDP – per capita (PPP). CIA World Factbook.       November 20, 2007. November 15, 2007. Rank Order – Life expectancy at birth. CIA World Factbook.             November 20, 2007. November 15, 2007. How to cite Myanmar, Essay examples

War of Words the Ability of Language to Tell a True War Story Essay Example

War of Words: the Ability of Language to Tell a True War Story Paper The world of fiction is thought to be just that: fictional. It is supposed to be a time and place that a reader can escape with the closing of a book. There is, however, a fine line between fact and fiction in some literary works that cannot be avoided or ignored; especially in war stories. In Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, a compilation of short stories about the Vietnam War, the line between fantasy and reality is blurred. In O’Brien’s case, the task at hand is to tell a true war story while pondering whether it is possible to ever uncover the real truth. Throughout the short stories found in O’Brien’s novel, specifically â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story† and â€Å"Good Form,† O’Brien grapples with the notion of what makes a â€Å"true† war story. He is also torn about whether or not language can fully convey the facts due to all the contradictions that war poses. Despite the fact that these are stories about the failure of language, O’Brien still captures the truth about the Vietnam War by employing literary techniques such as metafiction and imagery. Metafiction is â€Å"a term given to fictional writing which self-consciously and systematically draws attention to its status as an artifact in order to pose questions about the relationship between fiction and reality† (Waugh, 2). O’Brien uses this technique throughout his story in order to blur the line between what a reader believes to be the world of fiction and the actual world of the Vietnam War. This technique is used to instruct readers on how a true war story is defined while bringing the reader back to the present, as well as to tell a reader what writing is true and what is fictional. We will write a custom essay sample on War of Words: the Ability of Language to Tell a True War Story specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on War of Words: the Ability of Language to Tell a True War Story specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on War of Words: the Ability of Language to Tell a True War Story specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The technique inserts the author into the text, and gives him the authority to tell a reader his version of the truth of Vietnam. O’Brien does this in a very obvious manner. O’Brien gives his readers guidelines for deciphering a true war story which he emphasizes with various tales in â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story. † He states, â€Å"You can tell a true war story if it embarrasses you. If you don’t care for obscenity, you don’t care for the truth†¦Listen to Rat: ‘Jesus Christ, man, I write this beautiful fuckin’ letter, I slave over it, and what happens? The dumb cooze never writes back† (O’Brien, 69). O’Brien warns the reader that true war stories will be crude, and he immediately follows it with Rat Kiley’s use of foul language. He does this many times in an effort to inform the reader that true war stories don’t have a moral; a true war story cannot be believed (68, 71). This is immediately followed by Mitchell Sanders telling the narrator a story about a group of soldiers who were sent to the mountains to spy on their enemy. They wound up thinking they heard their enemy all over, and millions of dollars in weaponry was wasted. He attempts to tell O’Brien what the moral is, and he says â€Å"Hear that quiet, man? That quiet – just listen. There’s your moral† (77). There is no moral; if there was a moral to the story, Sanders would have been able to tell it to O’Brien. Instead, he told O’Brien to listen to the silence because that was the moral†¦no moral that could ever be spoken. While O’Brien uses obvious examples of metafiction in â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story†, he also, much more subtly, approaches the inability of language to tell a true story. One of the most effective ways that he does this is by the telling and retelling of the same story, especially that of Curt Lemon’s death. When he retells the story, he elaborates more on the details of what happened; he reveals Curt Lemon’s death in pieces throughout the story, but always ending or beginning with his death and the detail of stepping on a landmine. It is not until later that O’Brien states, â€Å"you can tell a true war story if you just keep on telling it† (85). By continually telling Curt Lemon’s story, O’Brien is making it a true war story even if it never happened. It works in the same way as Old Wives Tales; society continually tells them as if they are true, and people follow what they say even though the stories have never been proven. Whether it actually happened or not is irrelevant in the context of O’Brien’s work. O’Brien is not necessarily presenting the facts: â€Å"what we learn as children to be â€Å"telling the truth† [but] allows the reader to experience the â€Å"truth† of Vietnam through self-conscious assertions of authorial identity and performances of narration† (Silbergleid, 147). In his novel, he continually tells the reader â€Å"this is true. Other times he will say that it is mostly true. By saying something is true; it’s similar to admitting the tale is fictional. If it was true, why would the story-teller feel the need to confirm this truth? The reality of war stories is such that the stories do not all need to be factual. O’Brien uses metafiction as a means to j ustify why not every story has to be exactly true. In his short story, â€Å"Good Form,† he instructs the reader to believe that there are two truths: â€Å"story-truth† and â€Å"happening-truth† (O’Brien, 179). Story-truth is what is written in a iterary work with the purpose of allowing the reader to feel what the characters and writer are feeling. Happening-truth is the reality (such as O’Brien really having served in the Vietnam War) (Silbergleid, 133). It is not necessary to get every detail correct; it is not important to tell every story exactly as it happened, but it is important to set the correct tone for the story and the war which O’Brien does by using â€Å"story-truth. † Story-truth will give grim details in order to set the tone and bring the reader into the way. This is the truth that â€Å"makes the stomach believe† (O’Brien, 77). To do this, O’Brien uses a great deal of imagery which does not allow the reader to escape the reality of the war. This is most prominently witnessed in one of O’Brien’s telling of Curt Lemon’s death. He writes, I watched Curt Lemon turn sideways. He laughed and said something to Rat Kiley. Then he took a peculiar half step, moving from shade into bright sunlight, and the booby-trapped 105 round blew him into a tree. The parts were just hanging there, so Dave Jensen and I were ordered to shinny up and peel him off. I remember the white bone of an arm. I remember pieces of skin and something wet and yellow that must’ve been intestines. (O’Brien 82-83) With this imagery, the reader is forced to see a young soldier take a strange step, and then the next moment, there are body parts in a tree. The same technique is used when describing the shooting of the baby water buffalo. The readers are forced to watch as Rat Kiley pet the baby buffalo, tried to feed it, and then â€Å"stepped back and shot it through the right front knee. The animal did not make a sound. It went down hard then got up again, and Rat took careful aim and shot off an ear† (O’Brien, 78) and so on and so forth until the baby buffalo was shot into pieces and suffering. It makes the reader’s stomach queasy. This cruel act, the cruelty of war, is known and believed because the sick feeling the reader has in his stomach. But did this event happen? Is it in the record books anywhere as actually taking place? This ambiguity means that this may not be an actual event from the war, but it leaves the reader with a very visual and grim image of the atrocities of war. In story-truth, it is always possible that the event happened or that it never happened. There is no certainty, just like there is no certainty in war. Even if the death of Curt Lemon or the baby water buffalo never happened, that doesn’t mean similar events didn’t happen to countless numbers of soldiers; it doesn’t mean that this fighting style of war is not factual. O’Brien could have chosen any animal running around Vietnam, but instead he chose a baby water buffalo which is a â€Å"symbol of Vietnamese innocence†¦an emblem of the culture, not an agent of the war, and a baby† (Wesley, 7). Just like the baby water buffalo, Curt may not have been an actual person, but a number of innocent, young people on both sides of the war were sent to fight and die. Curt may or may not have been a real person, but the truth in the story is not important because it still reveals a truth about the cruelty of the Vietnam War. As O’Brien says, â€Å"a thing may happen and be a total lie; another thing may not happen and be truer than the truth† (O’Brien, 83). When there is this ambiguity between fact and fiction, metafiction becomes increasingly important. By inserting this point after telling Curt Lemon’s story, O’Brien is trying to â€Å"come to terms with the discrepancy between art and the Real† by affirming â€Å"the artificial element in art†¦and to make the artifice part of your point† (Tuttle, 1097). By stating that the story may be fictional and hold more truth than what society is told is true, O’Brien is blurring the line between the real world and the fictional world in his art. He is making this fiction a part of the reality of the Vietnam War. In addition it becomes necessary to blur the lines between fact and fiction because: In any war story, especially a true one, it’s difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen. What seems to happen becomes its own happening and has to be told that way. The angles of vision are skewed. When a booby trap explodes, you close your eyes and duck and float outside yourself. When a guy dies, like Curt Lemon, you look away and then look back for a moment and then look away again. The picture gets jumbled; you tend to miss a lot. And then afterward, when you go to tell about it, there is always that surreal seemingness, which makes the story seem untrue, but which in fact represents the hard and exact truth as it seemed. (O’Brien, 71). In other words, even the soldier telling the story may not have seen every action because of his own reactions. If a soldier closes his eyes, does that mean his friend didn’t die? No. O’Brien’s character, even if he closed his eyes, still saw the parts of his friend in a tree. The reader is also shown this, but, unlike the soldier, the reader is not able to look away. The reader is forced to see what the soldier would have seen had his first reaction not been one of his own survival. In addition, war stories need to be fictional because â€Å"what happened in the hearts and minds of the soldiers who fought that battle is not conveyed by clinical data. To uncover that is the task of fiction† (Timmerman, 101). In a war with so many deaths, who is left to tell the true war story? Not only does a writer not know what every soldier was feeling or thinking, but in an interview, O’Brien admits, In war, the rational faculty begins to diminish†¦and what takes over is surrealism, the life of the imagination. The mind of the soldier becomes part of the experience – the brain seems to flow out of your head, joining the elements around you on the battlefield. It’s like stepping outside yourself. War is a surreal experience, therefore it seems quite natural and proper for a writer to render some of its aspects in a surreal way (qtd. in Timmerman, 103). In other words, war is surreal or dreamlike. It is like a fictitious story that needs to be told in the same way. He also admits that the soldier’s brain becomes a part of the action; this is something that cannot be separated from the story of war, and begs to be told. It is a story that may or may not have absolute truths as they were, but to tell the story of the war means including the brain, or thoughts, of the soldier which, according to O’Brien, are now a part of the battlefield. By telling and retelling Curt Lemon’s story and the shooting of the baby water buffalo, the reader is allowed access to the thoughts of a soldier. Rat watched his friend die, and he was upset. After mutilating the baby water buffalo, O’Brien states that â€Å"Rat Kiley was crying. He tried to say something, but then cradled his gun and went off by himself† (O’Brien, 77). Rat was distraught at what happened to his friend, and he wound up shooting the baby water buffalo as a way to release his emotions. Whether the reader feels the same as Rat Kiley when they hear the details of Curt’s death, or whether it’s when they see the suffering of this baby water buffalo, it is the same. The reader can now feel similar pain to that of the soldiers. Whether the reader has ever been in a war or not, O’Brien directed the reader how to uncover a true war story by direct and indirect methods. He drew the reader in by having the narrator address himself as â€Å"I† instead of by name. He did that by telling the reader what was true and what wasn’t. He did it by bringing the country and the war alive to the reader by the use of imagery. O’Brien may have doubted the ability of language to tell a true war story, yet he did just that. He showed the reader that the war was immoral; that there were blood, guts, and cruelty, and yet the war was still beautiful. In O’Brien’s last description of the death of Curt Lemon, it is almost poetic. He writes, I can still see the sunlight on Lemon’s face. I can see him turning, looking back at Rat Kiley, then he laughed and took that curious half step from shade into sunlight, his face suddenly brown and shining, and when his foot touched down, in that instant, he must’ve thought it was the sunlight that was killing him†¦But if I could ever get the story right, how the sun seemed to gather around him and pick him up and lift him high into a tree, if I could somehow re-create that fatal whiteness of that light, the quick glare†¦ (O’Brien 84). It seems almost contradictory with the rest of his story, and yet, he writes about the death in a beautiful way. Despite all the tragedy, he still writes as if the sunlight was the cause of Curt’s death. He uses words of light (sunlight, shining, whiteness, light) which sound almost pure and innocent which is in stark contrast with the rest of the war. It is in the contradictions and paradoxes O’Brien presents that leave the reader confused and seem to confirm his premise about the inability of language to tell the truth. It is in this ambiguity of language, however, that allows the reader can discern fact or fiction for himself; it is within these opposing ideas that the truth exists. The truth that O’Brien points out is that there are no absolutes in war. War is beautiful and yet war is cruel. Death is both beautiful and dark. There are no constants; there is no steady ground to stand on just like a war. Works Cited OBrien, Tim. Good Form. The Things They Carried. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990. 179-80. Print. OBrien, Tim. How to Tell a True War Story. The Things They Carried. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990. 67-85. Print. Silbergleid, Robin. Making Things Present: Tim OBriens Autobiographical Metafiction. Contemporary Literature 50. 1 (2009): 129-55. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. Timmerman, John H. Tim OBrien and the Art of the True War Story: Night March and Speaking of Courage Twentieth Century Literature 46. 1 (2000): 100-14. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. Tuttle, Jon. How You Get That Story: Heisenbergs Uncertainty Principle and the Literature of the Vietnam War. Journal of Popular Culture 38. 6 (2005): 1088-098. Web. 07 Dec. 2010. Waugh, Patricia. Metafiction: The Theor y and Practice of Self-Conscious Fiction. New York: Methuen, 1984. Print. Wesley, Marilyn. Truth and Fiction in Tim OBriens If I Die in a Combat Zone and The Things They Carried. College Literature 29. 2 (2002): 1-18. Web. 03 Dec. 2010.