In the Chapter "Spin" Tim O'Brian addresses how war wasn't always just chaotic and violent. War also had a side of beauty and peacefulness about it.
"I remember Norman Bowker and Henry Dobbins playing checkers every evening before dark. It was a ritual for them. They Would dig a foxhole and get the board out and play long, silent games as the sky went from pink to purple. The rest of us would sometimes stop by to watch. there was something restful about it, something orderly and reassuring. There were red checkers and black checkers. The playing field was laid out in strict grid, no tunnels or mountains or jungles. You knew where you stood. You knew the score. The pieces were out on the board, the enemy was visible, you could watch the tactics unfolding into larger strategies. There was a winner and a loser. There were rules." Pg 31
This excerpt from The Things They Carried explains how even during a time of chaos and destruction Norman, Henry and other soldiers can find peace and relaxation in little activities making this experience better than it should have been.
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