For young people, the Vietnam War is a thing of the past, and they can only learn about it from second hand sources. Two of Tim O'Brien's works give readers vivid pictures about the Vietnam conflict: "How to Tell a War Story" and "The Things They Carried." After reading these works, it becomes very apparent that the Vietnam conflict has proved to be a war that many of the participants have not been able move away from, while getting on with their lives. After reading these works, especially "The Things They Carried," one will conclude that O'Brien shows that the Vietnam conflict takes on a parasitic form that eats away on its victims for the rest of their lives. This parasite is coping with death.
             A parasite is defined as an organism that grows, feeds, and is sheltered on or in a different organism while harming its host. The war and the number of deaths in this war, in this case, take the place of the organism; and the host becomes the soldiers. When Tim O'Brien returns to Vietnam with his daughter, twenty years had passed. However, it seems as though all of his thoughts are geared back to the time he had spent in the jungle so long before. The two of them travel all over the country, but before their departure, he returns to the field where he feels he lost everything. On this list he includes his honor, his best friend, and all faith in himself. These feelings will also be reflected throughout the characters in O'Brien's "The Things They Carried." For O'Brien, evidence of the parasite is not solely in his return Vietnam, but rather a constant personal preoccupation that seems to flow through the collection of stories. O'Brien shows how the memories of the war take on a parasitic form, and not only describes these memories in "The Things They Carried," but he also uses himself as an example.
             Death is one of life's most challenging obstacles. Tim O'Brien...