Linear Cenotaph vs Nonlinear Narrative
Linear cenotaphs portray the victims of war in order of death and do not include a corpse in their design. Nonlinear narratives, such as The Things They Carried, tell stories in order of amplitude of impact and portray soldiers as they were, rather than how they died. Linear cenotaphs do a better job of creating an equal memorial for all soldiers and are places designated to mourn; however, nonlinear narratives are more accurate. The order of stories in a nonlinear narrative increases the accuracy because it shows events in order of influence on the war. While most people want to see all soldiers created equally, this is simply not the case. It is far more accurate to acknowledge that some soldiers were more important than others, and some soldiers made more of an impact on others. Likewise, many people don't want to contemplate the horrors of war, but that doesn't mean they didn't happen. Nonlinear narratives show these horrors in a way linear cenotaphs do not. They