Five - Enemies and Friends

As these two chapters are outrageously short and pretty closely related, I have made the official decision to simply lump the two together. The last line of the chapter "Enemies" made me laugh, actually, which I suppose sounds a little odd, as the chapter itself was pretty grotesque...I don't know, it just struck me as mildly humorous. I think what O'Brien is trying to say through these two chapters is pretty much a summary of the Truths of Friendship that can be read in about two minutes. Ninety seconds if reading excites you.

-Friends fight. Generally, it's over a stupid thing like a missing jackknife or (slightly more likely) "some girl." However, O'Brien is merely saying that disagreements will often arise between two friends (although Strunk and Jensen weren't exactly friends at the time of the argument), but usually these little disagreements lead into the second truth.

-Friends forgive. Usually, the terms of the forgiveness don't actually need to be as extreme as in this little story, in which Jensen takes a pistol and "used it like a hammer to break his own nose" (p. 60). Usually the two move on and put the past behind them.

-Friends listen. Even though Strunk and Jensen drew up a pact to kill the other in the case of a mutilating injury, Jensen listens to Strunk's pleas and doesn't kill him. Of course, one could argue that they never really meant to go through with it, but deep down I think they really meant it. So that really means a lot for Jensen to go back on his word for his friend. Granted, this example for understanding is a little extreme, but O'Brien is able to easily demonstrate the level of understanding required in friendship.

-Friends die. Strunk dies and leaves Jensen behind. This, sadly is the last truth of friendship, and is generally the hardest to cope with. O'Brien demonstrates this aspect of friendship with the death of Strunk; however, he also shows the necessary part that comes afterwards, in which Jensen moves on and is "relieved of an enormous weight" (p. 63).

These people are friends. They understand the Truths of Friendship.