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This 10 page paper discusses one of Tim O'Brien's early books, "If I Die in a Combat Zone." Bibliography lists 7 sources.
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10 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVOBrien.rtf
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paper discusses one of his early books, "If I Die in a Combat Zone." Biography Tim OBrien was born in a small town in Minnesota in 1946; his father
was an insurance salesman and his mother taught elementary school (Lee 196). OBrien was "lonely, overweight, and a professed dreamer" as a child, and "he occupied himself by practicing
magic tricks" (Lee 196). He thought about being a writer, inspired by some clippings hed found that his father had written about his experiences fighting in the Pacific, but
when he went to college, "his aspirations turned political" (Lee 196). He was a political science major and hoped to enter the State Department "to reform its policies," saying
"I thought we needed people who were progressive and had the patience to try diplomacy instead of dropping bombs on people" (Lee 196). It apparently never occurred to
the young man that he would be drafted and sent to Vietnam upon graduation from college, but he was, and writes that he couldnt believe it was happening: "I
was walking around in a dream and repressing it all ... thinking something would save my ass. Even getting on the plane for boot camp, I couldnt believe any of
it was happening to me, someone who hated Boy Scouts and bugs and rifles" (Lee 196). When he discovered that his specialty was to be an infantryman, he considered
deserting to Canada (he in fact had his bags packed), but instead went to Vietnam "and hated every minute of it, from beginning to end" (Lee 196). OBrien felt
at the time that deserting would be an act of cowardice but has since changed his mind; he now thinks "it was an act of cowardice not to [desert], particularly
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