Post traumatic stress disorder in american sniper movie

The number one thing that comes to mind when I think of a war story is American Sniper. It would be the perfect example of what someone would think of. It shows the things that Chris Kyle went through while he was fighting in the war and the adjustment that he had when he returned home from the war. Even before the movie came out when I heard of someone returning home from being away at war the thing that came to mind was them dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Not everyone that come home from serving in the war does not deal with PTSD, but media makes you think that it affects everyone. According to Tim O’Brien’s “ How to Tell a True War Story” the things that our minds go to are not even true war stories. He says that when you hear a true war story it embarrasses you. It is difficult for the person telling the story to tell what really happened and what they think happened. He also says that a true war story should be hard to believe and if you do believe it you should be skeptical. True war stories never seem to end, because what the people are telling about they have to live with the rest of their lives and sometimes it haunts them and their memory. A true war story is never about war. Song of Roland does not have any of the qualifications that are listed above, it is more about telling the stories of Roland and making him a hero.

Song of Roland, according to O’Brien, would not be a true war story. Song of Roland is more about the soldiers being sent to fight and the things that are happening to them rather than a reflection that they have looking back on the events. The events in Song of Roland are more of a narrative story of how Ganelon betrays his stepson, Roland. This story meets none of the requirements that O’Brien feels that it takes to have a true war story. There is no part in Song of Roland that would embarrass the person who is listening to the story. Some of the things that happen in the story make you feel bad for the people that had to go through all these things. Getting someone into their feelings is something that I think that O’Brien is trying to lead his viewers away from. When someone begins telling a war story most of the time it makes the audience feel sorry for the person that had to go through that experience and be thankful for the life that they have, not having to go through those types of things.

The stories that are told in Song of Roland are more to make the audience think of Roland as a hero and that is what most modern war stories are about. Even though it tries to paint the picture of hero, I do not see Roland as a hero. If he would have just let go of his pride and would not have been so boastful his men’s lives might have been saved and could have returned home. The reason that modern day war stories are made to make the star a hero is because that is what we crave in movies now. We want to be able to praise someone for their service, but this could be hurting the individual because the experience is always being brought up and not on their terms.

Even though Song of Roland is not a modern text, just like text today it fits in with the ancient texts that were written about war or coming home. The person that the story is about is always made out to be the hero. Not only are they made hero, but it is about their journey coming back home. This is similar to what is done today, but also different because the soldier is made the hero after the movie comes out nowadays or in the movies anyway. I am sure that families of soldiers always feel as though they are heroes for the sacrifice that they made for our country.

From the qualifications that O’Brien lists, it seems as though if it is a true war story the listener should just be there for the person that wants to talk so they can get the feeling off of their chest, but when they have told the things that they want to tell you should not ask them any more questions or even give your opinion about the matter. This seems to be true for the letter that Rat wrote to his friend who had recently died sister. He just needed to let her know about who he felt about the time that he and his friend spent at war and how he felt about him as a person. I can understand, from that perspective, why you would not want to write the person back unless it was just a thank you for taking time to write them to express your sympathy. Just like when someone that you know, or their family member dies, you often send your condolences through flowers, gifts, or just by sending a card telling them that you are thinking of them in this tough time that they are having to go through. When someone does that you do not normally write back how you are feeling on the matter, you just send them a thank you for sending you love and prayers.

For soldiers just having someone there to listen to them means a great deal to them. Just like we lean on friends or family if we are stressed about something or are going through a hard time. Often times, though, just like in “ How to Tell a True War Story,” the soldier does not want to keep bothering their loved ones with the problems that they are facing from the things that they experienced. He tells the audience about the guy who just lays in bed watching his wife sleep while he is laying their dealing with the nightmares of war.

The qualification that it is hard to tell what really happened and what think happened is something that should not be a factor in believing the story, unless it is for show. Even if the thing that is haunting the person did not really happen, they should be able to talk about it and express their feelings because if they do not even talk about it they will never be able to quit having the nightmares. On the other hand, if they are just telling the story to a crowd because they want to hear a story then the qualification is more understandable. But the person telling the story should not be thought less of or the information that is being told should not be disregarded because they do not know the difference between what happened and what they think happened. The nightmare that they are facing could actually be what they think happened rather that what actually did happen, or even the unknowns about the situation.

The qualifications that O’Brien makes about the stories never end and the story is never about war seem to be the most accurate ones. The stories never end because the people that are telling the stories are always going to have the memories and live with them. The story may bring up a new part every time it is brought up, but that is just a memory that has just now resurfaced. He says that the stories are never about war and that is understandable. The things that haunt the soldiers minds are the “ what if’s” that they feel like could have changed the outcome of the situation. The “ what if’s” are always what make us go back and relive a moment and the same if for them, but so much more is on the line when they dig back into their feelings and start questioning the “ what if’s” about a certain situation.

After reading Tim O’Brien’s “ How To Tell a True War Story,” my perspective on modern movies and even the ancient books that are read, like Song of Roland. When you think of a war story something along the lines of American Sniper is thought of. It reenacts some of the events that the soldier went through while he/she was away at war, and the things that they deal with once they come back, when they are trying to adjust back to being home. The things like that are thought of because that is what media qualifies as a war story. That is not true according to O’Brien. He says that a true war story should embarrass you when it is being told, it should never be about war itself, and it should be hard to believe and if you do believe it you should be skeptical. He said that it is difficult for the person telling the story because they do not know what happened from what they think that happened. A war story should never end, because it is something that the person is dealing with for the rest of their lives. Song of Roland meets none of these qualifications. It is more about the narrative of what happened to Roland and his men. Also, about making Roland the hero in the situation even though his pride and attitude is what got his men killed.