Perception is the most important aspect of what we call truth, in the vast majority of situations, especially in The Things They Carried. Perception is responsible for emotion. This is apparent in the differing responses to the story of the water buffalo and Curt Lemon's death. Furthermore, O'Brien's conveyance of emotion in his stories constructs an emotional reality that is just as valuable and, often, just as accurate as what may have actually occurred during his time in Vietnam. Actual occurrence is synonymous with what was perceived to occur by all those involved in the occurrence. Emotional reality creates accuracy through human interactions and often involves a single perception that may appear more accurate. O'Brien's stories anchor in the author's perceptions and their lack of factual truth grants them freedom to be emotionally true and immunity from alternate perceptions of other soldiers. Perceptions also mature and develop. O'Brien's daughter can be representative of the stories, always evolving and growing with new experiences. Changes in perception effectively manipulate past events because only current perceptions are important in reflecting or explaining events in the past. Therefore, it is very hard to “pin down certain truths”(158). This solidifies the significance of emotional truth because emotional truth does not have to rely on certain events. It is the product of great storytelling.
Very interesting take on the "truth" of this book. Perception is definitely one of the defining factors in storytelling. And I like how you point out that perception of the present is the only one that truly matters because it can change the perception of the past and, in turn, change the story. Emotions are the only factor in storytelling that blur all the rules. The are more lasting than any factual circumstances in a story and "carry" the most value in the end.
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