Although there is much despair in the texts, there is also cause for hope

In Malouf’s Fly Away Peter and O’Brien The Things They Carried, the fact of despair and hope is heavily associated within both novels, particularly amongst the military men and their journey through war. As the soldiers adapt to the different types of horrific war environments, many individuals experience epiphanies of facing mortality in the near future, causing them to be pessimistic and believing that all hope is lost. However, both novels shed light on the feeling of trust through the discovery of one’s true self in war and desire for continuities outside of war, as soldiers ponder and envision their normal lives.

Both The Things They Carried and Fly Away Peter manifests that although death will eventually be met, there is still hope for continuity for those of the deceased. Particularly for The Things They Carried, O’Brien depicts that the process of storytelling can link the post-war present back to the war-self, encouraging the retelling of stories to be used as a motive for remembrance. O’Brien strongly connotes that "the thing about remembering is that you don't forget”, suggesting that even though one’s existence may no longer be present, the power of sharing stories brings their soul back into reality. In contrast, Malouf’s Fly Away Peter exposes the hope for resurrection when life comes to an end. Symbolically, the waves “build, hang and fall, one after the other in decades”, not only representing life's eternity but also is a reflection of Jim Saddler’s “ground tilting” life. The waves rise and fall, suggesting the peak and downfall of Jim’s sublimed life, where the forces of the universe “tilt” the universe so that Jim is unable to have it. The two novels are persistent on depicting the abruptness of death, however expresses that there is still promise to form relations between life and death itself, making it obvious that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Malouf’s Fly Away Peter and O’Brien’s The Things They Carried discuss the hopelessness of pressurising men to enlist to war through patriotic pride and boasting, which allows hope as those being pressured to enlist will truly understand morality through war. In Fly Away Peter, social pressure is enforced through Jim’s father of wanting to touch the event of war through Jim, suggesting that his father is entitled to let his son be “among the recent dead”. This depicts that he is willing to risk a loved one’s life so that he is able to satisfy his selfish need of wanting to have contact with the war. In doing so, Jim ultimately grapples with the notion of being labelled as a “coward” if he fails to enlist but accepts his fate as war could perhaps bring out the best in him. Similarly in O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, the idea of cowardice is also explored whilst O’Brien lets his shame and fear win over his principles, particularly when he lacks the bravery to escape and run away from war. The notion of O’Brien being a “coward” suggests that he awaits “survival, but it's not a happy ending”, implying that O’Brien understands that there will be an outcome that will not be in his favour. Despite this, the journey of war ironically makes O’Brien “more alive than when you're almost dead”, triggering the sense of bravery, especially within every soldier that experiences the hardships during combat. Therefore, both novels intend to encourage that hope is achieved by having the courage to attend war through social pressure.

Henceforth, The Things They Carried and Fly Away Peter suggest that despair and hope can be present in the form of environment. In Fly Away Peter, characters experience the separation between the peaceful world of the sanctuary and the hectic world of war. By juxtapositioning the relationship of Imogen, Ashley and Jim, representing a serene and tranquil world, Malouf intends to establish a home-like environment with the sanctuary and enforces the “despair created by war”, particularly its destructive nature and the effect it has on the world. In contrast, O’Brien’s The Things They Carried promotes the mysteriousness of war as it allows soldiers to feel courage and terror at the same time. Although “war is hell”, Jim develops the courage as he conquers all things through war, despite its complexity. All in all, both The Things They Carried and Fly Away Peter show that one’s spirit can be determined by their setting and atmosphere, whether it be at a place of contentment or apprehension.

Both texts demonstrate that despair and hope can be experienced in different forms, even in cases of ending one’s existence. Malouf and O’Brien both wish to give insight into the optimistic perspective of every condition, especially through times when experiencing burden from individuals around you and also from the environment. By achieving a cause of hope, one has to first experience desperation.