PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE

Purpose and Audience - How to tell a true war story by Tim O'Brien

Purpose and Audience - How to tell a true war story by Tim O'Brien

“How to Tell a True War Story” is not a story in the traditional sense. It does not follow a straight, chronological path from start to finish. Rather, it is a collection of small stories interspersed with instructions about “true” war stories.

The story opens with the words, “This is true.” The narrator then goes on to tell the story of his friend Rat Kiley, who writes a letter to the sister of his ...