Tim Obrien's novel, “The Thing's They Carried,” centers on the belief that storytelling can save our lives. When stories are told we look for meaning within the stories. Stories affect people in many different ways, and sometimes trying to tell an entire story doesn't always tell the truth. He uses storytelling to deal with the loss and grief he encountered during the Vietnam War. Although he shares his post-war stories, he challenges his readers to decide which stories are actually considered true war stories. Sharing and telling stories were outlets for soldiers. O'Brien would describe a true war story as one with no morals. A true war story is one in which the reader can make his stomach believe (page 74). The stories the soldiers told were ways to keep them balanced and to find a moral obligation to the war. O'Brien's stories are ways to reflect on the memories of the men who fought and experienced death together. In his story, "How to Tell a True War Story," he talks about the death of Rat Kiley's best friend, Curt Lemon. He says that sometimes in war stories it becomes difficult to distinguish between what the soldier's story shares in order to portray the story more realistically. “Go slow. Just go where the spirit takes you,” Kiowa tells Tim (p.120). At this very moment, no one understands what he is feeling. He doesn't use any words to describe his emotions. While this story may or may not be true, we have ability to experience O'Brien's feeling in shock. In this regard, this man's death still haunts him. Creating an imaginary life of the soldier was a way to hide the remorse he felt after the man's death story had the strength to cause O'Brien the shame and guilt he still feels afterwards