In “The Things They Carried,” Tim O'Brien uses various techniques of postmodernism and metafiction to achieve distinct rhetorical goals. By using these techniques, help readers understand what O'Brien is thinking about as he writes. That's why this book is what it is. That O'Brien complements his distinct rhetorical goals further adds to the complexity and thought-provoking capacity of "The Things They Carried." O'Brien uses postmodernism throughout the novel to give readers greater insight. Postmodernism is a narrative technique used by authors to primarily explain reality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Postmodernism also consists of paradoxes and fragmentation. Many times in the novel, O'Brien tells us something, whether it's a short sentence or a long story, and then says that none of it was true. This goes hand in hand with one of the themes of the novel. This theme is reality and is based on perspective. Many times O'Brien will talk about how a story may have added things that aren't true, but as long as it gets the point across that the speaker wants, then it's fine. A clear example of this is found on page 152 where O'Brien states: "Sometimes you start with an incident that actually happened, like the night in the shit camp, and go on to make up incidents that didn't actually happen, but which however they help to clarify and explain.” This shows how he uses this technique to further enhance the reader's understanding of the point and theme O'Brien wants to convey ". The paradox used is that between courage and cowardice. O'Brien, tells a story of when he was young and how he was an anti-war advocate. He was later drafted. His immediate reaction was that he was in disbelief. He states that he did not he knew what to do and that the idea of ​​escaping to Canada also crossed his mind. He says he doesn't want to escape, but he doesn't want to go to Vietnam either. O'Brien states on page 244 that he believes going to war still makes him a coward. «I survived, but it's not a happy ending. I was a coward. I went to war'. Here too there is a paradox. The paradox is that most people view going to war as an act of courage and courage, but he believes that going to war actually made him a coward. O'Brien uses fragmentation throughout the novel to connect readers to his experiences and emotions. Fragmentation is used especially in the “Spin” chapter. For example, O'Brien shares the story of Private Curt Lemon's death in snippets to show all the true emotions he felt at that moment. This helps readers understand the respect and love that two fellow soldiers had for each other. This is O'Brien's way of manipulating readers' emotions. O'Brien's use of postmodernism makes readers truly develop and understand emotions. O'Brien's use of metafiction is present throughout the novel. O'Brien reminds readers that the stories he tells are fiction, but some parts are true. Metafiction is also when the author directly addresses readers and reminds them that the novel is a work of fiction. He consistently uses metanarrative, whether it's a long story or even a short sentence. Tim O'Brien uses metafiction to speak to the audience in the first person, changing perspectives. He does this to show the soldiers' true feelings. O'Brien says: “You can tell a real war story if it involves you. If you don't care about obscenity, you don't care about the truth; if you're not interested in it..