Literary Techniques in “The Things They Carried” Essay

A literary technique is a device employed in literature to add depth to a writer’s work. These techniques can be obvious, such as the technique of rhyme in a poem, or subtle, such as juxtaposition, which can go unnoticed by the reader. In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien uses many such techniques to provide more depth to his book. Four literary techniques used by Tim O’Brien are symbolism, pathetic fallacy, irony, and juxtaposition. One literary technique prominent in The Things They Carried, particularly in the story by the same name, is symbolism. Throughout this story, O’Brien mentions all the things that the soldiers carry with them, both physical and emotional. However, the physical items that the men carried is more than just equipment- they are symbols that represent various facets of each soldier’s personality. For example, â€Å"Rat Kiley carried†¦ morphine and plasma and malaria tablets and surgical tape†¦ and all the things a medic must carry, including M&M’s for especially bad wounds† (O’Brien 5). The fact that Kiley carried medical necessities shows that he is a good paramedic devoted to doing his job well, but the M&M’s represent something different- Kiley’s optimistic and kind outlook on the war and life in general. Conversely, the tranquilizers carried by Ted Lavender represent his terror of the fighting in the war and his inability to face reality, rather choosing to escape from it by taking drugs. This is an effective technique because, by using these symbols, O’Brien can let the reader figure out for him/herself deeper aspects of certain characters’ personalities without actually stating them outright. Another literary device Tim O’Brien employs is pathetic fallacy, or nature mirroring humans’ emotions. In the story Speaking of Courage, Norman Bowker attempts to save Kiowa’s life but fails. He becomes depressed and remorseful about what he should have been able to accomplish. For a long time afterward, Bowker struggles with the fact that he was â€Å"braver than he ever thought possible, but†¦ not so brave as he wanted to be† (153); he is overcome with sadness and guilt. This is reflected in the weather at the time of Kiowa’s death. The soldiers were camping out in a field along the Song Tra Bong, and â€Å"the rain kept getting worse. And by midnight the field turned into soup† (145). The rain emulates the emotions of the weary and despondent soldiers. Pathetic fallacy is a very useful technique because it helps to provide the tone for the story. If the story was a sad one but the weather was bright and sunny, the tone of the story would be wrong, and vice versa. In Speaking of Courage, the fact that it was raining during the main event of the story helps the reader gain and understanding of just how bleak and dismal the events that occurred were. Irony, or a discrepancy between expectation and reality, is another literary technique used by Tim O’Brien in The Things They Carried. Many of the titles of the stories contain irony themselves. For example, Speaking of Courage is more centred on the themes of failure and the inability to be courageous than it is about courage. The story Love is not, as it would seem, about mutual love, but rather unrequited love. Field Trip, an expression with a usually very positive connotation, is a story about a visit to a battleground where many lives had been lost. The Story How to Tell a True War Story also contains much irony within it. The main point of this story is that a true war story cannot be told because the simple act of telling it makes it untrue. The title of this story is ironic- O’Brien makes the reader think that he wants to instruct them how to tell a true war story, but the reader soon finds out O’Brien’s real intention- that telling a true war story is impossible. Another ironic idea within this story is the idea that war can be beautiful. â€Å"You hate it, yes, but your eyes do not. Like a forest fire, like cancer under a microscope, any battle†¦ has†¦ a powerful, implacable beauty† (81). This catches the reader off-guard because of how greatly it contrasts with the view of war we have been previously given. He continues to say that, â€Å"a true war story will tell the truth about this, though the truth is ugly† (81). This is very ironic because although the actual event may be beautiful, if a true story is told about it, the story is ugly. This adds to O’Brien’s point that telling a story, even a true one, can only take away from the truth of the event. Using irony, O’Brien can present his message in a creative an interesting way, and this helps the readers understand his point better. Another technique used by Tim O’Brien is juxtaposition. The story The Lives of the Dead seems to be a bit of a non-sequitur to the rest of the book, however, O’Brien has put it where it is for a reason. The point of The Things They Carried is not simply to tell stories about the Vietnam War- the lesson goes deeper than that. It comes to teach that war is about more than just fighting- it is about the connection between life and death. It is about learning to detach oneself from death. It is about the sacredness and fragility of life. It is about so many things that many people never have to experience. But the Vietnam War is not O’Brien’s first time coming into contact with these kinds of issues. As a child, he had a beloved friend named Linda who died of cancer. Linda’s death was a major part of his growing up process. As a child, he already had to learn to distance himself from her death, saying, â€Å"It didn’t seem real†¦ the girl lying in the white casket wasn’t Linda† (241). And although he did not realize it at the time, her death helped him to deal with all the deaths he encountered in the war. For example, when Curt Lemon dies, O’Brien refuses to see his body as a friend who died. Instead he says, â€Å"his body was not really a body, but rather one small bit of waste in the midst of a much wider wastage† (238). The lessons that O’Brien learned as a child are very relevant and linked to his experiences in the Vietnam War, which is why he chooses to include The Lives of the Dead. But this is not the only message that O’Brien wants us to take out of the inclusion The Lives of the Dead in The Things They Carried- he wants to convey that even though something that happens in one’s life may seem horrible and meaningless, it may become of use to him or her later in life, and it may help him or her to get through an otherwise unmanageable time. O’Brien wants his reader to know that everything in life comes for a purpose. Throughout The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien makes use of many different literary techniques. In the story The Things They Carried, O’Brien uses symbolism. In Speaking of Courage, the literary technique is pathetic fallacy. Irony is used in How to Tell a True War Story, among others, and juxtaposition is used in the story The Lives of the Dead. It can be seen that literary techniques have a simple but powerful effect in The Things They Carried.

Throwaway Confidential Informants Essay

The article, â€Å"The Throwaways†, by Sarah Stillman, is an account of confidential informants being used as inexpensive and off the record pawns in the drug war. A confidential informant is a person who has been caught for a crime, usually illegal narcotics, and has been offered to have their slate wiped clean or their punishment reduced if they help bust a higher up criminal. The police treat these informants as if they are nothing else but a tool to catch the criminals at the top of the food chain. The police do not stop to think that the informants are often productive people in society, even if they decide to partake drug use. I have a close friend who was asked to be an informant after being busted with just a small amount of marijuana. I strongly advised against this for his safety, and my friend instead had to spend nearly four thousand dollars on a lawyer. It is unjust and immoral for police officers to use these people with no formal guarantee that their charges will be dropped, as well as putting them in extremely dangerous situations. â€Å"The Throwaways† is an article about four young confidential informants who had their lives cut short because they decided to cooperate with law enforcement and help bust drug dealers. Every single informant’s fate led 6 feet underground. Rachel Hoffman was a twenty-three year old girl who had plans to go to culinary school and open a new type of rehabilitation center. Rachel was found dead the next day fifty miles from where the cops were supposed to be tracking her every move. Lebron Gaither testified against a man in court and was then ordered to try and buy narcotics from the same man he had just testified against; he was tortured, shot with a handgun as well as a shotgun, ran over by a car, and then dragged by a chain into the woods. Shelly Hilliard was caught with a half ounce of pot, threatened with prison, and agreed to be an informant. Hilliard’s body was found on fire beneath a mattress on a service road. The last informant in the article, Jeremy Mclean, agreed to be an informant because he did not want to bring disgrace to his family name. The police continued to make Jeremy bust drug dealers until he helped lead to the arrest of a heroin trafficker. The officers said that the heroin trafficker, William Vance Reagan, Jr., was harmless and not to worry. Reagan shot Jeremy in the back of the neck 3 times and once in the face. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole (Stillman). Narcotics officers use informants  as a disposable tool to get to people, or places that they cannot get to alone. According to the article, over eighty percent of drug busts involve informants (Stillman 38). There are usually no contracts and the informants have to trust that the officers will keep their word. I think that this is insane and it endangers the lives of mostly young people who have their entire life ahead of them. At the time, the opportunity to be a confidential informant and having all of their charges dropped seems like a better option than time in jail or huge fines. It is too dangerous to bust a drug dealer. The word would get out that they got arrested, and the informant would be the number one suspect. I have a close friend who was smoking pot at a Wiz Khalifa concert in his car before going in, because he had been told that there were cops inside and that the security guards searched you before you went in. While smoking he saw two men walking up by his car, one a big strong white man and the other a smaller African American man. As they walked past his car, he took a sip of his drink because his throat burned slightly from the smoke. The two men saw him do this, pointed at his car and walked off. My friend felt that something was wrong because of the way they pointed at the car, so he got out to go into the concert. The next thing he knew, both of those men had chased him down and were interrogating him about what he had been drinking. He did not look stoned, because he had put in eye drops and said he wasn’t drinking anything but a coke. The men pulled out their badges and fifteen other cops circled around him. They reached in his pocket, took out his keys and unlawfully searched his car, because he had been seen drinking a coke. When they found marijuana in the car, they were surprised. They didn’t read him his Miranda rights nor have probable cause to search the car. The smaller African American man asked my friend to step aside and asked him if he knew where he could get an ounce or more of pot. He said yes and then he offered for him to be an informant, he gave him his number and said to call him J. The man said that this is how it would go down if he agreed; J would give my friend money and he would walk in and buy a gram of pot, walk out and give J the marijuana. Then a couple days later he would have to introduce J to the dealers and they would both buy some marijuana. Then J would attempt to get over an ounce of pot. After a couple weeks passed, the police would come to the dealer’s house and arrest him. My friend could have had his charges dropped completely. Although he could have  also ended up like Jeremy and perform more sting operations, or even worse dead. There are no contracts, it is completely based on the cop’s word and that is a huge problem. You never know what could set a person off and make them mad enough to kill you. For example; in a neighborhood near mine a drug dealer shot and killed four teenagers because they did not pay him for two grams of weed worth forty dollars. I think that using confidential informants at all should be outlawed due to the excessive risk in every situation, but I am very biased because of my friend. The current law regarding informants requires special training for the officers, t he informant’s age and emotional state to be considered, and for the level of risk to be taken into account. (Stillman 47) There are still no real guidelines, just certain things that the officers must consider. There either needs to be much more strict guidelines, such as the informant must be a legal adult, or the use of confidential informants should be made completely illegal. The tragic stories that are presented in this article should be enough for anyone with a conscience to know that the use of informants is wrong. The police use informants as a cheap way to bust dealers by scaring the people into cooperating. I have a personal experience in my life that impacts my opinion on the use of informants. My friend could have been killed while doing the law enforcement’s dirty work, because he decided to smoke a small amount of marijuana. The decision to become a confidential informant should not be one of the last decisions a person must make in his or her life. It should be completely illegal for trained police officers to endanger the lives of citizens by offering them to be an informant. I believe police officers should protect and serve, that means not aiding the deaths of ordinary people. Works Cited Stillman, Sarah. â€Å"Re: The Throwaways.† New Yorker. N.p., 17 Sept. 2012. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. . â€Å"Marijuana-arrests.com.† Marijuana-arrests.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2012.

Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles Essays - Eagles, Bald Eagle

Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles Eagle is the common name for a number of diurnal birds of prey, some of which are the largest members of their family which also includes kites, hawks, buzzards, and certain vultures. The name eagle is somewhat loosely applied, as several of the groups are not particularly closely related to one another, and some birds called hawks are larger than some called eagles. The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) and the Golden Eagle (Aquila Chrysaetos) are two eagles that have several of the same characteristics and have several different ones as well. The Bald Eagle is the only eagle species living strictly in North America, and has a presence in every state in the US except Hawaii. Young (immature) Bald Eagles are light gray when hatched, and turn dark brown before leaving the nest at about 12 weeks of age. During their third and fourth years, Bald Eagles have a mottled brown and white color under their wings and on their head, tail and breast. The distinctive white head and tail feathers do not appear until they are 4 to 5 years old. Bald Eagles range from about 29-42 inches long, and can weigh between 7-16 pounds, and have a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet. This makes them one of the largest birds in North America. Bald Eagles residing in the northern US are larger than those that reside in the south. They have a life span of up to 30-40 years in the wild and longer in captivity. Bald Eagles are monogamous and remain faithful to their mate until death. Females lay one to three eggs annually, and the incubation period is approxim! ately 35 days. Only about 50% of Eagles hatched survive the first year. Strong endangered species and environmental protection laws, as well as active private, state and federal conservation efforts have brought back the USA's Bald Eagle population from the edge of extinction. There are now about 4500 nesting pairs and 20,000 total birds in the lower 48 states, and there are over 35,000 Bald Eagles in Alaska. America's Bald Eagles are back in strong numbers today, but they are still a "threatened" species in the lower 48 states. Breeding season last from November to April. Bald eagles mate for life and use the same nest each year. They build a huge nest (aerie) of sticks and twigs in a tree, or on rocky cliffs and average in size of 2 feet deep and 5 feet across. The nest takes weeks to construct and is increased yearly. Eventually some nests reach sizes of more than 10 feet wide and can weigh several tons. Bald Eagles feed primarily on fish, but also eat small animals (ducks,! coots, muskrats, turtles, rabbits, snakes, etc.) and occasional carrion (dead animals). Eagles swoop down to seize fish in their talons and carry it off, but can only lift about half of their weight. Bald Eagles can even swim to shore with a heavy fish using their strong wings as paddles. However, it is also possible that they can drown if the fish weighs too much. The Golden Eagle is a large brown and golden colored eagle that can be found in a variety of habitats in the western North America region including mountainous areas, canyons, shrub-land and grasslands. The Golden Eagle can also be found in Europe, Asia and northern Africa. The breeding range in North America includes north central Mexico, the western United States as far east as the Dakotas, Kansas and Texas, also Alaska, and across northern Canada. This bird of prey can weigh up to 15 pounds and can have a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet and a length of 30-40 inches. Females are often more noticeably larger than males as is true with most birds of prey. Young (immature) Eagles have a patch of white on the tail, and the adult tail is gray and brown. The Golden Eagle also builds large their nest out of sticks and twigs in a tree or on a cliff. The female lays 1-4 eggs (usually 2) and often does most of the incubation. The males provide most of the food while the females feed and tend! the

Revolt of the masses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Revolt of the masses - Essay Example According to the Revolt of the Masses by Jose Ortega the masses has been described in detailed to mean a multitude that is considered through the numbers. He accounts for the masses as a collection of numbers that are discriminative against the minority. He depicts on a new sociological order that he referred to as the masses, which he also says is not a just an ordinary person and is not associated with any particular caste or class. The description he gives to the masses is that they are those people who are products of historical development of the European nations, those who were born for the first time in Europe.According to the description of Ortega to the masses is not enjoyable as he describes them as those who cannot be described by any discipline.The description Ortega gives to the masses is that they posses no quality that can be related to excellence and as he borrows from Goethe, he describes them as ‘to live as one pleases is plebian’.He assets that the mas s man demands more than what is suppose to be accorded to them and have a feeling that it is their right to have it when only a century ago,a group of people considered minority considered that a privilege. The contribution of Ortega in this case shows that he concluded that the nineteenths century provided grounds for the development of a unique lot that would constitutes a dominant social force come the twentieth century.This he said was not going to be a conduit for the development of aristocratic culture that had been the culture for a number the entire millennium. Who are the minorities? Contrary to the masses, Ortega had a different consideration for the minorities whom he described as those with qualifications unlike the masses whom he considered not to be qualified. Ortega considers the minorities to be the most progressive people in the society and who endeavors to create stability in the way socio-political issues are managed. Whereas the masses are ignorant about what the y should demand for, the minorities consider those that are demanded by the masses to be privileges (Gasset 111). The minorities are conscious of very many things in the societal set up and are perceived to be progressive in their dealings, which is pure contrary to the masses. The minority are considered to be better that the masses because they are more qualified, they use their qualification to rationalize issues and are involved in transcending the culture of totalitarianism and authoritarianism. The minority have dedicated their efforts to ensure that there is ne order in the society that allows for justice for all, a system that will provide a level field for dealing with all people irrelevant of the societal status. These qualities were depicted by Ortega and decided to consider the minority as the most preferred people against the masses that seems to be mindful about themselves. Conclusion and assessment of Ortega’s View A careful read of Ortega’s literature w ould give one a sense of understanding of what the mass man is, Ortega describes the mass man as one who is self centered and do not have a feeling of the rest, they do not want to appreciates other culture or see them prosper and knowledgeable on anything. They are very discriminative on everything the minority does; a classical example that can be related in this case is the presence of the Jews in Germany, the Jews were considered the minorities in and faced the most brutal discrimination in the world. Under the leadership of Adolf Hitler who also was a staunch Nazi sympathizer, most of the Jews in Germany were persecuted in millions and one incidence that can be quoted in this case is the holocaust incidence in which million of the people were killed. Ortega’s views in the Revolt of the Masses clearly explained the aggression tendency of the masses towards the minority. Ortega explanation of the masses was later manifested in Europe when the minorities were discriminated against,

What does it mean to adhere to a monotheistic theology in Judaism, Essay

What does it mean to adhere to a monotheistic theology in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, other than a basic belief in a unique and singular agent pre-existent and uncreated deity. Compare and contrast - Essay Example Additionally, the differences and similarities in the three religions portray the varied way in which each approach the concept of monotheism as the discussion below portrays. Al the three religions believe in the existence of God, a supernatural being who created the earth and therefore controls all the activities. The three religions contend in the position and role of God. Such is therefore a paramount similarity in the three religions thus upholding the values of monotheism as discussed earlier. The religions present God as the all-knowing and ever present but just and fair being who accords everyone space and time to act independently thus enjoy life on earth. The doctrines of the religions uphold and respect the position of God whose works and manifestations occur at varied levels. Another equally important similarity of the three religions is the existence of canons that detest sin. The religions have holy books that records and outline the position of God thus providing the adherents with a systematic way of interacting with God at varied levels. Christians have a bible while the Muslims have the holy Quran. Such are essential books that outline the relationship between God and humans besides providing the specific religious values. In the three religions, God provide a list of testaments that guide human behavior. Through the commandments, God doe not only influence the interaction among humans but also between humans and Himself. Christianity introduces a concept of the holy trinity. While the religion remains monotheist, it has the position of two other important beings who enjoy God’s glory. He three thus appears as one. The Holy Spirit is part of the holy trinity, this refers to the spirit that guides the adherents of the faith on a daily basis, Jesus Christ is the son of God who came down to earth to share

Breast Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Breast Cancer - Essay Example When transcription is not sufficiently balanced, it becomes detrimental to the cell and can cause cancer (Cox & Goding, 1991). It is therefore important to secure a comprehensive understanding of transcription because efforts to carry out corrections to the process can be implemented in instances when issues in the process are apparent. Discussed specifically, the first stage of the transcription process, is seen when the RNA Polymerase-Promoter Complex would bind to the promoter gene in the DNA (Mukakami, et.al., 2001). Such binding also leads to the initiation of the RNA polymerase. The sigma protein has to be present in order for the promoter enzyme to work. Particular sequences on the non-coding strand of the DNA are considered as a signal which would start the unwinding process (Mukakami, et.al., 2001). When the process has been started, the RNA polymerase elongation enzyme then takes over and the second stage of the transcription process manifests. ... f the transcription process or the termination stage the uracil triphosphate or the UTP is added to the RNA through a pairing with the adenine (A) nucleotide on the template DNA strand (Gnatt, et.al., 2001). A phosphodiester bond is then formed and the RNA chain is stretched to 10 nucleotides; the excess diphosphate is expected to dissociate (Gnatt, et.al., 2001). A recent study in embryonic stem cells has revealed a transcription control mechanism that is pervasive and regulated by the gene c-Myc which causes cancer. This study has also discovered a pausing step in the transcription process which regulates the expression of about 80% of genes in mammal cells (Medical News, 2010). The long-accepted perception is that DNA-binding transcription factors include the RNA polymerase Pol II to promoters in order to start off the transcription process. Researchers now claim that additional factors for promoters stop transcription as soon as it begins its process (Medical News, 2010). This means that even as the normal cell processes are being carried out transcription already has faulty qualities. There is a need to engage the transcription process - and this can be a function of factor c-Myc. The pause-release role of the c-Myc is relevant in transcription because over-expression of c-Myc is seen in different tumors and the c-Myc's failure to releas e transcriptional pausing is associated with the increase of cancer cells (Medical News, 2010). These results from various studies are however, still not definitive. I am now interested in investigating the relationship of the over-expression of c-Myc in causing tumors, or more particularly, breast cancer. I propose that c-Myc has a major role in causing tumors, including breast cancer.

Assigment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assigment - Essay Example In addition, some companies have reviewed their policies in order to embrace changes that have occurred in relation to changes of gender roles. The attitude and behavior of how men and females are expected to act within the society has been changing tremendously, and some have a positive effect towards development of the society while others generate negative effects to the society (Lindsey 120). Traditionally, females were expected to earn less than males in society, but it is no longer an issue in the society today. Gender roles are learnt through the socialization process. The way a child is brought by the parent determines what roles the child will learn from the parents. Usually, children learn through examples from the parents and view their parents as their role models. Through this process, the children acquire gender roles. In addition, other institutions such as schools help in learning of the gender roles. Majority of males are not able to deal with the changes that occur in the society. Several changes have occurred regarding biological, education, parenting and genetic factors. As gender roles change, they have created new opportunities for females. Males face a huge dilemma trying to adjust to the changing gender roles. Take, for example, some males are not capable of adjusting when they find out that their wives earn more money than they earn. Men should be capable of embracing change whenever there is an adjustment of conventional gender roles (Lindsey 119). Because of the changing conventional gender roles, females have encountered many opportunities that open up from this change. These opportunities usually come with a price making some things take a slower change. Women no longer face discrimination in the workplace, which they used to face before because of adoption of new gender roles. However, though gender roles are changing, there are some things, which a female is always associated with, and there are those things,

Christian and Bible Fundamentalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Christian and Bible Fundamentalism - Essay Example Christian and biblical fundamentalism refers to aspects based on ideologies that oppose the other theories that explain the nature. Scientific theories have been developed to explain the origin of life and the earth. Christian and Bible fundamentalists believe that the earth was created in seven, twenty-four hour days. In addition, they believe that the other theories that explain the origin of the earth are based on false ideologies. They focus on the creation account contained in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament of the Bible. They oppose biological theories of life and consider the people who formulate them as being directed by the evil. Christian fundamentalists argue based on the literal interpretation of the Bible. In this essay, Christian and Bible fundamentalism will be analyzed in detail. Fundamentalism refers to the total adherence to the values and doctrines of Christianity with respect to the literal interpretation of the Bible (Barrett & Kurian 45). Fundamentalism developed from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, when the Protestant movement strictly opposed the application of Christian doctrines to the current theories of science and philosophy. Fundamentalism has resulted in social and economic problems. The development of Christian fundamentalism was accelerated by the Protestant movements in different countries. The aspect of fundamentalism developed from the United Kingdom and the United States of America in the 20th century. Christian and Bible fundamentalism started with the development of the social Gospel which was associated with the name of Walter Rauschenbusch in the United Kingdom (Gifford 2).

Write a 1,000-word essay about the value and limitations of the

Write a 1,000-word about the value and limitations of the document in understanding American foreign policy-making and US relations with China (both Natio - Essay Example It reflects some clear thinking in the US State Department in its understanding of issues related to China. Broadly put, the proposed policy aims to build a calibrated relationship with China but at the same time have a strong upper hand in this relationship. This paper provides a wider perspective to the ‘draft document’ and contextualizes the policy of the US government towards China to the prevailing national and international political scenarios of the time. The proposed policy rightly aims to assist the Chinese people by providing them with food stocks. The ‘Great Leap Forward’ beginning 1958 which was about simultaneous development of agricultural and industrial sectors, turned out to be a major economic disaster for China, leaving, by some estimates around 20 million dead. Providing China with much needed food relief and other humanitarian aid such as medical information and advanced warnings about natural disasters, in this scenario, would have indeed helped Chinese people (if not the Chinese Government) warm up to the Americans. What the proposed policy fails to take into account is that China has always been a ‘closed’ State. Even in 2008, in an era of internet and mobile phones, the Chinese people are largely dependent on government filtered sources of information (Jonathan Zittrain and Benjamin Edelman). Attempting to influence opinions of Chinese people in the 1960s would have only been tougher. By attempting to reward the Japanese and Indians, the proposed policy rightly aims to strengthen the nuclear capabilities, albeit for peaceful purposes, of China’s neighbours, and in turn, build a perception that China’s military capabilities are neither unique nor so strong as to push the smaller neighbours into China’s fold. The US strategy of containment of China is envisages the willingness of the smaller players such as Japan or larger ones such as India to become a pawn in