Ok! So I am going to copy/paste it here:
"Although The Things They Carried is supposedly about the Vietnam War, the final story focuses not on the war but on an episode from O’Brien’s childhood. What is O’Brien’s purpose in ending his collection of stories this way?"
This is better than you think it is! It looks like you are allowed to have a personal opinion or reflection on this work. I might make it even MORE personal than you did. Here is what I was thinking:
The Things They Carried is purported to be about the Vietnam War. However, the final story focuses only on an episode from O’Brien’s childhood. He NEVER mentions the war at all! Why would O’Brien end his otherwise terrific collection of stories this way? I felt as if he changed the subject without giving his readers any warning!
KM
