On the Periphery: Marginalization in War and Culture

In Tim O'Brien's novel, The Things They Carried, the narrator (Tim O'Brien himself) discusses his difficult decision concerning his conscription into the army during the Vietnam. He talks about how he was so torn up inside, to the point to where he became sick inside. Eventually he becomes so distraught that he decides to run off to Canada. He ends up in the far north in Minnesota, right at the Canadian border. O'Brien is divided in sentiment; should he cross the border and start a new life in Canada, or should he return to his home and be drafted into the army? In this way, and many others, the war causes O'Brien to feel marginalized, in all meanings of the word. At he periphery of his country, O'Brien is made to feel insignificant and isolated, faced with a decision that will change his life either way.

This idea of marginalization is not only found in themes of war, but also in modern culture. Modest Mouse's song "World at Large" describes the same feelings as Tim O'Brien. The lyrics describe a person who is uncertain about life:

Ice-age heat, wave can't complain
If the world's at large, why should I remain?
Walked away to another plane

Just like O'Brien, the song describes concepts of isolation. While O'Brien's story about travelling to Minnesota may be more based in fiction than in fact, and the song as well, the emotions expressed in each are true; feelings of being isolated and sidelined.