Tim Obrien's novel, "The Thing They Carried," focused on the belief that storytelling can save our lives. When stories are told, we look for meaning within the stories. Stories affect people in different ways, and sometimes trying to tell a whole story doesn't always reveal the real truth. He uses storytelling to cope with the loss and grief he experienced during the Vietnam War. Although he shares his post-war stories, he challenges his readers to decide which stories actually qualify as true war stories. Sharing and telling stories were outlets for soldiers. O'Brien would describe a true war story as one without any morals. A true war story is one that the reader will be able to make their stomach believe (p. 74). The stories soldiers told were ways to keep a cool head and find moral obligation in war. O'Brien's stories are ways of reflecting on the memories of the men who fought and experienced death together. In his story "How to Tell a True War Story", he talks about the death of Rat Kiley's best friend, Curt Lemon. He says that sometimes in war stories it becomes difficult to distinguish what is happening. He shares the soldier's story to make the story more realistic. “Take it easy. Go where the spirit leads you,” Kiowa tells Tim (p. 120). At this moment, no one understands what he feels. He doesn't use any words to describe his emotions. While this story may or may not be true, we have the ability to feel O'Brien's feeling of shock. In fact, the death of this man still haunts him. Creating a fictional life of the soldier was a way of hiding the remorse he felt after the man's death. Telling this story had the force to provoke O'Brien's shame and guilt, which he still feels after the