The wars don't end when you sign peace treaties or when the years go by. They will echo on until I'm gone and all the widows and orphans are gone.
Tim O'BrienRead
War is a fundamental aspect of human existence. It's good to know what war entails and what the human sacrifice is.
Interpretation
What this quote means
War is an inherent part of humanity, and understanding its implications is crucial.
In this quote, Tim O'Brien emphasizes that war is deeply intertwined with human nature and existence. By acknowledging the realities of war, including the sacrifices it demands, we can grasp the profound and often painful truths about humanity's struggles and choices throughout history.
Themes
WarHuman ExistenceSacrificeUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on remembrance day to highlight the importance of understanding the sacrifices made in wars.
More from Tim O'Brien
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Place is so important to me. The Midwest is like a ghost in my life. It's present as I look out the window now. I see Texas, but if I close my eyes and look out the same window, I'm back in my hometown in Worthington, Minnesota, and I cherish those values and that diction.
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It was my view then, and still is, that you don't make war without knowing why. Knowledge of course, is always imperfect, but it seemed to me that when a nation goes to war it must have reasonable confidence in the justice and imperative of its cause. You can't fix your mistakes. Once people are dead, you can't make them undead.
Tim O'BrienRead
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