what does Tim think is the purpose of stories is?

Tim believes that stories can save living people, and bring dead people back to life. He's still dreaming about all the now-dead people he's known throughout his life. He remembers the body of a Vietnamese man, the only body they can find after they destroy an entire village. This happened when Tim had only been in the war for four days, and he was not ready for what happened: the other men in his platoon all shook the man's hand, talking to him as if he was alive. They let their sense of humor protect them from what had happened. Tim couldn't do it, even though Dave Jensen kept pushing him to. Later, Kiowa came to him and told him that he was right not to shake the man's hand. Tim argued that it wasn't brave to stand up to the other men: it was cowardice in the face of death. He avoided the dead man because he was afraid of him. He was reminded of his first date.