a thesis statement for the things they carried

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The Things They Carried Thesis Statements and Essay Topics

Below you will find four outstanding thesis statements / paper topics for “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brian can be used as essay starters. All four incorporate at least one of the themes found in “The Things They Carried” and are broad enough so that it will be easy to find textual support, yet narrow enough to provide a focused clear thesis statement. These thesis statements offer a short summary of “The Things They Carried” in terms of different elements that could be important in an essay. You are, of course, free to add your own analysis and understanding of the plot or themes to them. Using the essay topics below in conjunction with the list of important quotes from “The Things They Carried” on our quotes page, you should have no trouble connecting with the text and writing an excellent essay.

Topic #1: The things they carried

There is a list given for each soldier of the items he carried. Some of the items can be physically touched. Other items can only be felt or described. For each soldier, the items and emotions he carries are significant. Describe how the choice of items relates to each character. Include arguments where applicable about how the items affect others and each soldier’s survival. Determine which items hold the most value.

Topic #2: Kiowa

Kiowa is one of the many soldiers who is killed. His death is described in three of the stories. Explore the reasons why Kiowa’s death stands out to so many of the other soldiers. Why is it that so many of them claim responsibility and guilt for his loss of life? Illustrate what actions could have been taken to avoid Kiowa’s death and the guilt on the minds of so many soldiers.

Topic #3: Common themes

Although the stories are written and compiled by O’Brien and are labeled as fiction, O’Brien draws on his own experiences during the Vietnam War and the experiences of others. Many of the stories share common themes such as love, loss, regret of things left behind and left undone, violence, and dissatisfaction. The soldiers that survive come home severely changed by their experiences. Trace a common thread throughout the stories and relay how it is significant.

Topic #4: Controversy surrounding the Vietnam War

There was much controversy surrounding the Vietnam War. Soldiers were sent to kill the bad guys, only to learn that they were often firing on women and children. Throughout the stories, the soldiers reveal how disillusioned they became during and after the time they spent fighting. Choose one or two of the stories and examine the disillusionment that is described. What elements and events contribute to this disappointment in the military and the United States.

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“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien: Analysis

Published in 1990, “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is a semi-autobiographical novel that draws on the author’s experiences in the Vietnam War.

Introduction: “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Table of Contents

Published in 1990, “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is a semi-autobiographical novel that draws on the author’s experiences in the Vietnam War. The story follows a platoon of American soldiers grappling with the physical and emotional challenges of war. Through evocative descriptions of the soldiers’ gear and internal struggles, O’Brien crafts a haunting and introspective narrative that delves into the complexities of human nature under duress. Hailed as a classic of contemporary American literature, “The Things They Carried” is lauded for its poignant portrayal of war’s human cost and its innovative blurring of factual and fictional elements.

Main Events in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his platoon carry various physical and emotional burdens as they navigate the realities of war in Vietnam.
Cross obsesses over his unrequited love for Martha, a college student back home, and realizes he needs to focus on his duties as a leader.
The platoon comes under enemy fire and suffers casualties, including Ted Lavender, a young soldier who had been heavily medicated to cope with the stress of war.
The platoon burns down a village and kills a water buffalo, further revealing the moral ambiguity and psychological toll of war.
O’Brien introduces the concept of “story truth,” exploring the role of memory and imagination in shaping individual and collective experiences of war.
Kiowa, one of Cross’s closest companions, is killed in action, and the soldiers are forced to grapple with the fragility of life and the weight of loss.
O’Brien reflects on the power of storytelling to convey emotional truths and provide a sense of catharsis for those who have experienced trauma.
The soldiers participate in a night patrol and encounter a young Vietnamese soldier, further highlighting the complexities and human costs of war.
The platoon is sent on a mission to retrieve the body of a soldier who has been killed, prompting reflections on the value and meaning of sacrifice.
The story ends with Cross burning the letters and photographs he had carried with him, symbolizing his commitment to moving on and living in the present.

Literary Devices in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Allusion : A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work. Example: The title “The Things They Carried” alludes to the physical and emotional burdens borne by soldiers, resonating with the broader literary theme of characters facing hardship.
Ambiguity : The presence of multiple meanings or interpretations within a text. Example: Whether the killing of the baby water buffalo was an act of cruelty or mercy is left ambiguous, highlighting the moral complexities of war.
Foreshadowing : A hint or clue about what will happen later in the story. Example: Ted Lavender’s unnecessary death, so early in the narrative, subtly foreshadows the tragedies awaiting other members of the platoon.
Hyperbole : An exaggeration used for emphasis or effect. Example: Describing the soldiers’ load as “humping…at least 20 pounds” doesn’t refer to literal weight but conveys the overwhelming burdens they bear.
Imagery : Descriptive language that appeals to the senses, creating a vivid mental picture. Example: O’Brien’s evocative details of the Vietnamese landscape (“sun-filled paddies…tall, swaying grass”) transport the reader into the soldiers’ environment.
Irony : A situation that is the opposite of what is expected, often for humorous or poignant effect. Example: Jimmy Cross’s preoccupation with his unrequited love for Martha ironically distracts him from the deadly serious reality of leading his men.
Metaphor : A comparison between two things without using “like” or “as.” Example: O’Brien compares the emotional weight the soldiers carry to literal objects like “clamshells on their backs.”
Motif : A recurring element or image that contributes to the overall theme. Example: The recurring descriptions of the physical things the soldiers carry highlight the theme of how war’s burdens extend far beyond mere equipment.
Onomatopoeia : The use of words that sound like what they describe. Example: O’Brien uses “whoosh” and “whap” to mimic the sounds of gunfire, bringing the reader closer to the battlefield experience.
Personification : Giving human qualities to non-human things. Example: O’Brien refers to the land itself as “the enemy,” making war an overwhelming, inescapable force.
Repetition : Repeating a word, phrase, or sentence for emphasis. Example: The repetitive listing of everything the soldiers carry emphasizes the overwhelming nature of their combined physical and emotional burdens.
Simile : A comparison using “like” or “as.” Example: The soldiers’ movement through a field is likened to “the wind against wheat,” highlighting their vulnerability.
Symbolism : The use of objects, images, or actions to represent abstract ideas. Example: The young Vietnamese soldier killed on the trail symbolizes the human cost of war on both sides of the conflict.
Tone : The author’s attitude towards the subject matter. Example: O’Brien’s tone shifts between wistful, melancholy, and starkly realistic, mirroring the soldiers’ emotional experiences.
Verisimilitude : The appearance of being true or real. Example: O’Brien’s blending of actual events with invented stories creates a sense of verisimilitude, making the emotional impact of the narrative even more powerful.

Characterization in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Absolutely! Here’s a characterization analysis for some of the key figures in “The Things They Carried,” along with specific supporting references from the story:

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross

Conflict: Torn between his duty as a leader and his obsessive love for Martha, a girl back home who represents an idealized escape (“letters were full of love” – ‘Love’).
Motivation: Desperately seeks a sense of normalcy and control amidst the chaos of war, clinging to the illusion of Martha as a lifeline.
Evolution: The death of Ted Lavender forces him to confront his misplaced priorities (“He hated himself” – ‘Love’). His burning of Martha’s letters symbolizes a shift towards commitment to the present and his responsibility to his men.

Tim O’Brien (the narrator)

Meta-character: O’Brien blurs the lines between the author and a fictionalized version of himself within the narrative.
Role: Serves as both a participant in the events and a reflective storyteller examining the nature of memory and truth (“And in the end, really, there’s nothing much to say about a true war story…” – ‘Good Form’).
Motivation: Seeks to process his own war trauma through storytelling, exploring the emotional truths often obscured in factual accounts.
Morality and Compassion: Represents a grounding force of decency amidst war’s dehumanizing effects. (“Kiowa, who was a devout Baptist, carried an illustrated New Testament…” – ‘The Things They Carried’).
Symbolic Death: His sinking into the ‘muck’ after a mortar attack exemplifies the senseless loss of innocence in war.
Impact: Kiowa’s death leaves a void in the platoon, symbolizing the erosion of compassion and morality necessary for survival in conflict.

Norman Bowker

Invisible Wounds: Embodies the lingering psychological trauma of war even after returning home. His lack of tangible injuries underscores this. (“…the ache in his heart was worse than any belly wound” – ‘Speaking of Courage’).
Cyclic Narrative: His story, told in ‘Speaking of Courage’, highlights the suffocating impact of unprocessed trauma.
Symbolism: His eventual suicide tragically emphasizes what can happen when the ‘weight’ of memory and experience becomes unbearable.
Medic’s Perspective: Rat offers a glimpse into the physical and emotional toll of treating horrific injuries (“…Rat Kiley was crying” – ‘Friends’).
Dark Humor: His tendency towards exaggeration and grim jokes serves as a coping mechanism for the relentless suffering he witnesses.
Breaking Point: The shooting of his own foot, while self-inflicted, signifies the psychological breaking point a medic can reach in the war’s intensity.

Additional Notes:

Nuance: O’Brien depicts his characters with complexity; no one is purely “good” or “bad.” They are humanized by their flaws and moments of vulnerability.
The Power of What’s Carried: Each soldier’s physical and emotional burdens define their experiences. These burdens are often unique, leading to both camaraderie and a sense of isolation.

Major Themes in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Writing style in “the things they carried” by tim o’brien.

Blurring Fact and Fiction: O’Brien merges personal experiences with invented elements, challenging the notion of absolute truth in war narratives. This creates his unique notion of “story-truth” ( ‘How to Tell a True War Story’).
Visceral and Introspective: O’Brien combines vivid descriptions of the war’s physical realities with reflections on soldiers’ inner emotional turmoil, creating a deeply affecting portrayal of their experiences.
Repetition: Repeated phrases and descriptions, like the listing of the things the soldiers carry, emphasize both the physical weight and the psychological toll of war.
Imagery: O’Brien’s powerful sensory descriptions bring the Vietnamese landscape, the soldiers’ equipment, and moments of violence to life, immersing the reader in the story’s world.
Metaphor and Symbolism: Comparisons like intangible burdens to “humps” and “clamshells” ( ‘The Things They Carried’) deepen the portrayal of the soldiers’ emotional weight. Objects like Kiowa’s New Testament symbolize hope and faith amidst despair.
Honesty and Authenticity: Despite his fictionalizations, O’Brien aims to convey the emotional core of war’s impact, admitting the impossibility of a purely objective account (‘Good Form’).

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Questions and thesis statements about “the things they carried” by tim o’brien.

Question 1: How does O’Brien’s blurring of fact and fiction impact the reader’s understanding of war and its emotional consequences?

Thesis Statement: In “The Things They Carried,” O’Brien’s blending of personal experience with invented elements destabilizes traditional war narratives, emphasizing the subjective nature of memory and highlighting the emotional resonance of “story-truth” over factual accounts.

Question 2: How does the motif of physical burdens symbolize the psychological toll of war in “The Things They Carried”?

Thesis Statement: O’Brien’s detailed catalogs of the soldiers’ equipment evolve into powerful metaphors for intangible burdens like fear, grief, and guilt, demonstrating the interwoven nature of physical and psychological hardship faced by soldiers in combat.

Question 3: In what ways does O’Brien challenge traditional notions of heroism in his portrayal of the soldiers in “The Things They Carried”?

Thesis Statement: “The Things They Carried” subverts conventional depictions of battlefield valor by emphasizing the quiet courage of endurance, the moral complexities of survival, and the vulnerability hidden within the facade of stoic soldiers.

Question 4: How does “The Things They Carried” function as a form of trauma narrative, and what does it reveal about the lasting psychological impact of war?

Thesis Statement: Through fragmented narratives, metafictional reflections, and depictions of the soldiers’ coping mechanisms, “The Things They Carried” reveals the profound and often unresolved legacy of trauma carried by those who have experienced the horrors of war.

Question 5: To what extent does O’Brien’s portrayal of the Vietnamese people and culture in “The Things They Carried” perpetuate or challenge colonialist perspectives?

Thesis Statement: “The Things They Carried” offers a limited and often stereotyped view of the Vietnamese experience. A postcolonial analysis examines how this portrayal reinforces or subverts power dynamics and contributes to the otherizing of the Vietnamese people in the American war narrative.

Short Question-Answer “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Suggested readings: “the things they carried” by tim o’brien, scholarly articles.

Bar-Yosef, Eitan. “War and Truth: ‘The Things They Carried’ from the Postmodern/Trauma Perspective.” Style , vol. 35, no. 4, 2001, pp. 645-664.
Briggum, Sue, et al. “‘You’d Have to Carry a List’: Tim O’Brien and the Vietnam War Story.” Mosaic: An Interdisciplinary Critical Journal , vol. 46, no. 4, 2013, pp. 147-62.
Heberle, Mark A. A Trauma Artist: Tim O’Brien and the Fiction of Vietnam . University of Iowa Press,‌ 2001.
Calloway, Catherine. Tim O’Brien and the Vietnam War: Rewriting the World . Twayne, 1996.
McDaniel, Tim. The Limits of a Vietnam War Literature: Stories by Tim O’Brien . Susquehanna University Press, 1996.
Searle, William. Tim O’Brien . Twayne Publishers, 1991.
SparkNotes: “The Things They Carried” Summary & Analysis. [invalid URL removed]
LitCharts: “The Things They Carried” https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-things-they-carried
The Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University: Tim O’Brien collection (includes manuscript drafts, letters, and other archival materials relating to the author and his work). [invalid URL removed]

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe
“The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams
“Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison
“A Small, Good Thing” by Raymond Carver

Literary Theory and Criticism

Home › Literature › Analysis of Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried

Analysis of Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on May 26, 2021

In the short story cycle The Things They Carried (1990), Tim O’Brien cemented his reputation as one of the most powerful chroniclers of the Vietnam War, joining the conversation alongside Philip Caputo ( A Rumor of War ), Michael Herr ( Dispatches ), David Halberstam ( The Best and the Brightest ), and the poet Bruce Weigl ( Song of Napalm ), among others. Comprising 22 pieces—some little more than vignettes, others more “traditional” stories—the collection details the experiences of the soldier Tim O’Brien, who returns to his native Minnesota after a tour of duty in Vietnam. In his subsequent role as author, O’Brien records his recollections in a false memoir of sorts as a way of reconstructing the war’s elusive “truth.” O’Brien’s goal in The Things They Carried, he tells Michael Coffey, “was to write something utterly convincing but without any rules as to what’s real and what’s made up. I forced myself to try to invent a new form. I had never invented form before” (60).

“In the Field” follows Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his platoon of 17 remaining men as they search a Vietnamese muck field for Kiowa, a lost comrade. Cross, who figures prominently in several of the book’s pieces—including the eponymous “The Things They Carried,” the collection’s most anthologized story—feels tremendous guilt over Kiowa’s death, not the least because the previous evening, just before an ambush, Cross refused to disobey orders and to move his men to higher, and therefore safer, ground. Kiowa, buried when a fellow soldier inadvertently gave away the platoon’s position to the enemy, was a popular soldier. Out of respect for their fallen comrade, the men dutifully wade through waist-deep sewage searching for his remains; they sustain themselves with a morbid sense of humor, making light of the situation in order to quell their fear of random, sudden death at the hands of a faceless enemy. Cross quickly realizes that he is ill suited for the military, having been shipped to Vietnam after joining the officer training corps in college only to be with friends and to collect a few college credits. “[Cross] did not care one way or the other about the war,” O’Brien intones, “and he had no desire to command, and even after all these months in the bush, all the days and nights, even then he did not know enough to keep his men out of a shit field” (168).

a thesis statement for the things they carried

Tim O’Brien/The Austin Chronicle

War is a great leveler in O’Brien’s fiction. In the field where Cross and his men search for Kiowa, “The filth seemed to erase identities, transforming the men into identical copies of a single soldier, which was exactly how Jimmy Cross had been trained to treat them, as interchangeable units of command” (163). The young lieutenant, however, suspends his humanity only with great difficulty. Ruminating on Kiowa’s death, he imagines writing a letter to the soldier’s father before deciding that “no apologies were necessary, because in fact it was one of those freak things, and the war was full of freaks, and nothing could ever change it anyway” (176). Cross’s rationalization may absolve him (at least in part) of his guilt over Kiowa’s death, though it is also a tacit admission of his lack of control over the war’s daily life-and-death struggles. Cross’s desire to organize the details of Kiowa’s death in his own mind is an extension of O’Brien’s attempt in The Things They Carried to construct a coherent narrative that finds the essential truth of war (a notion that the author confirms in the ironically titled “How to Tell a True War Story” which acts as an interpretive key to his recollections).

Upon the discovery of Kiowa’s body, the men properly mourn the loss of their fellow soldier, though “they also felt a kind of giddiness, a secret joy, because they were alive, and because even the rain was preferable to being sucked under a shit field, and because it was all a matter of luck and happenstance” (175). Cross, yearning for war’s end, imagines himself on a golf course in his New Jersey hometown, free of the burden of leading men to their deaths. O’Brien examines the onus of responsibility often, and in the related story “Field Trip,” which details the author’s return to Vietnam two decades later to the field where Kiowa died, O’Brien finds a world barely recognizable as the one he left behind. “The field remains, but in a form much different from what O’Brien remembers, smaller now, and full of light,” Patrick A. Smith writes of O’Brien’s visit. “The air is soundless, the ghosts are missing, and the farmers who now tend the field go back to work after stealing a curious glance in his direction. The war is absent, except in O’Brien’s memory” (107). But it is memory, O’Brien makes clear, that supersedes experience and haunts soldiers long after the shooting has stopped.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Coffey, Michael. “Tim O’Brien: Inventing a New Form Helps the Author Talk about War, Memory, and Storytelling.” Publishers Weekly, 16 February 1990, pp. 60–61. O’Brien, Tim. “In the Field.” In The Things They Carried. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990. Smith, Patrick A. Tim O’Brien: A Critical Companion. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2005.

Thesis For The Things They Carried

Love and War In Tim O’Brien’s story called “The Things They Carried” he writes about how a group of soldiers, who are in Vietnamese, are caring items that are important to them. Lieutenant Cross carries letters from Martha because he loves her. While he is day dreaming of Martha instead of watching out for his team, Lavender gets shots and dies. Cross feels guilty about Lavenders death because he was thinking about Martha; so he burns everything she gave him and he keeps himself and the rest of the soldiers on point. Two external conflicts that readers see are American soldiers fighting against Vietnam soldiers and American soldiers battling nature. Readers see how this story take place during a war against American vs. Vietnamese and how a group of American soldiers fight through the weather and Vietnamese soldiers to stay alive. An internal conflict that readers could see in Cross is guilt . He blames himself for the death of Lavender because he was concentrated on Martha. O’Brien wrote this story in third person point of view and is complete omniscient. The narrator is unknown never revealing who he is. The thoughts readers can see are the thoughts of Lieutenant Cross, and Kiowa. This story takes place in the jungle of Vietnam. Readers see how a group of army is unfamiliar with the jungle and that frightens them. They each carry closely specific items that are meaningful …show more content…

She gave it to him as “a token of her truest feeling for him” (13). This pebble to him represents friendship that they share. He thinks of their friendship as “Sun and waves and gentle winds all love and lightness” (S7) (13). The sun and waves represents how happy he is to have her as a friend. When he thinks of her picking up the pebble from the sand he felt the departure of (S8) “where things came together but also separated (13)” The sand represents separation they may be in yet he feels her

Symbolism in "The Things They Carried" Essay

The symbols in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” are essential to understanding the soldiers and their lives during the Vietnam War. At the opening of the story, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross would dig into his foxhole and read the letters while imagining romance with Martha; however, at the end of the story after the death of Ted Lavender, he “crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha’s letters” (402). The inner feelings of Cross would be mistakenly ignored without the help of symbols throughout his travel through Vietnam. O’Brien uses the emotional and physical weight carried by the soldiers as a representation of their personalities and how they prefer to cope with the war. The

The Things They Carried Jimmy Cross Character Analysis

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was a character with many layers that he never actually showed. He had emotions that he kept inside him, and he was never truly focused on the war. He rarely talked to the other soldiers about how he felt about the war. Cross was burdened with responsibility and guilt. He blamed himself for the death of his soldiers, and he blamed himself for Martha not loving him the way he loved her. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is a important character that is seriously affected by the war, and has conflicted

Essay about The Things they Carried Symbolism

Tim O’Brien writes about both the physical objects they carry as well as their emotional burdens. The objects that these soldiers carry serve as a symbolism for what they are carrying in their hearts and minds. The soldiers carry items varying from pantyhose, medicine, tanning oil, and pictures. Jimmy Cross is an inexperienced sophomore in college, he signs up for the Reserve Officers Training Camp because his friends are doing the course. Jimmy Cross doesn’t want anything to do with the war or anything to do with being a leader. The item that Jimmy Cross carries with him are pictures of his classmate named Martha.

Symbolism in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried Essays

1 Works Cited

Written by author Tim O’Brien after his own experience in Vietnam, “The Things They Carried” is a short story that introduces the reader to the experiences of soldiers away at war. O’Brien uses potent metaphors with a third person narrator to shape each character. In doing so, the reader is able to sympathize with the internal and external struggles the men endure. These symbolic comparisons often give even the smallest details great literary weight, due to their dual meanings. The symbolism in “The Things They Carried” guides the reader through the complex development of characters by establishing their humanity during the inhumane circumstance of war, articulating what the men need for emotional and spiritual survival, and by revealing

The Burdens of Lt. Jimmy Cross in Tim O'Brien's Story The Things They Carried

One of the most overlooked aspects in the life of a soldier is the weight of the things they carry. In Tim O'Brien's story, "The Things They Carried," O'Brien details the plight of Vietnam soldiers along with how they shoulder the numerous burdens placed upon them. Literally, the heavy supplies weigh down each soldier -- but the physical load imposed on each soldier symbolizes the psychological baggage a soldier carries during war. Though O'Brien lists the things each soldier carries, the focal point centers around the leader, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, and his roles in the war. Lt. Cross has multiple burdens, but his emotional baggage is

Imagination As A Killer : Tim O ' Brien 's The Things They Carried

In Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”, O’Brien created several allusions that each character endured during the Vietnam War. Throughout the story were vast representations of the things soldiers carried both mentally and physically. The things they carried symbolized their individual roles internally and externally. In addition to symbolism, imagination was a focal theme that stood out amongst the characters. This particular theme played a role as the silent killer amongst Lt. Cross and the platoon both individually and collectively as a group. The theme of imagination created an in depth look of how the war was perceived through each character which helped emphasize their thoughts from an emotional stand point of being young men out at war.

The Things They Carried Essay

The text, The Things They Carried', is an excellent example which reveals how individuals are changed for the worse through their first hand experience of war. Following the lives of the men both during and after the war in a series of short stories, the impact of the war is accurately portrayed, and provides a rare insight into the guilt stricken minds of soldiers. The Things They Carried' shows the impact of the war in its many forms: the suicide of an ex-soldier upon his return home; the lessening sanity of a medic as the constant death surrounds him; the trauma and guilt of all the soldiers after seeing their friends die, and feeling as if they could have saved them; and the deaths of the soldiers, the most negative impact a war

Rhetorical Analysis of the Things They Carried

At the same time, O’Brien struggles with destructiveness of the conflicting images of violence and peace in death through the juxtaposition of the imagery of the dead man. While “his one eye was shut, the other eye was a star-shaped hole.” The dead man has one shut eye that resembles a peaceful sleep, while the other side is obliterated by the grenade into a star-shaped hole. The image of the star-shaped hole in the dead soldier’s eye represents the hopes that he once had when he was alive: “He hoped the Americans would go away. Soon, he hoped. He kept hoping and hoping, always” (119). Furthermore, “his right cheek was smooth and hairless,” an image of untouched innocence that contrasts with his left cheek, which was “peeled back in three ragged strips,” destroyed by the violence O’Brien inflicts upon it. The juxtaposition of the butterfly that settles on his chin and the fatal wound on his neck, “open to the spinal cord…blood…thick and shiny” illustrate the complexity and ambiguity of the unnaturalness of war, depicted by the image of the dead man’s wrung neck, contrasted with the ironic peace and naturalism of death in the image of the fragile butterfly. These select images are also those that O’Brien chooses to fixate upon and develop throughout the chapter as he struggles to comprehend the moral implications of his actions. The innocence of the “slim, dead, almost dainty young man” is further reinforced when O’Brien describes his wrists as “wrists of a

War and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in The Things They Carried by Tim Obrien

2 Works Cited

In the first chapter in the book, titled The Things They Carried, Jimmy Cross is one of the many examples throughout the novel in where a soldier has a way to escape from the realities of war. Cross, who is a lieutenant in his company, carries two photographs of a girl named Martha whom he truly loves and wishes nothing else but to be with her in the end. Along with the photographs, he carries letters from Martha herself as well as her good-luck pebble in his mouth. Martha’s letters has a huge impact on Cross’s escape on reality because those letters do not mention war at all but for him to stay safe. All of these items comforts Cross and eventually reminisce about the times when he was back home with Martha away from any war. He relives a moment when he was with Martha at the movies, and then remembers that he touched her knee but Martha did not approve and pushed his hands away. Now while he’s in Vietnam, he does nothing but fantasizes taking her to her bed, tying her up, and touching that one knee knee all night long.

Good And Evil In Tim OBrien's The Things They Carried

In the short story “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien there is a tragic event that leads a character looking for change that can bring them a greater good from the situation. The protagonist Lt. Cross is in the Vietnam War and right before one of his men Ted Lavender is killed, Cross allows himself to be distracted by the thoughts of his love Martha, who sends him photographs and writes letters that never mention the war. The tragic death of Ted Lavender brings Cross to realize Martha is not the priority, his men are. He knows he has to forget about Martha and so he does this by, “Burning Martha’s letters. Then he burned the two photographs.” (O’Brien 349). By burning the letters and the two photographs, he is breaking the emotional attachment and cycle to Martha so that he can better himself and his men. Lt. Cross has been experiencing the pain internally and now taking responsibility for the death of one of his men he has finally realizing what he is doing and uses this pain to grow.

Essay about The Things They Carried Literary Analysis

Tim O’Brien brings the characters and stories to life in The Things They Carried. He uses a writing style that brings stories to life by posing questions between the relationship of reality and fiction (Calloway 249). This is called metafiction and it exposes the truth through the literary experience. Tim O’Brien uses metafiction to make the characters and stories in The Things They Carried realistically evocative of the Vietnam War.

The Things They Carried By Tim O ' Brien

Love is a powerful force, and Lieutenant Cross sometimes gets lost in his musings while thinking of Martha. O’Brien writes: “His mind wandered. He had difficulty keeping his attention on the war. On occasion he would yell at his men to spread out the column, to keep their eyes open, but then he would slip away into daydreams, just pretending, walking barefoot along the Jersey shore, with Martha, carrying nothing.” Like any sane person in his situation, Lieutenant Cross wants to escape – to anywhere else but the war. The war brings terrible experiences – fear, death, hunger, and pain beyond imagination. The only way that Lieutenant Cross can endure these things is by escaping to an imaginary life with Martha. Although to her, he is little more than a friend, to Lieutenant Cross, Martha represents innocence, perfection, and a world free from war.

Character Analysis: Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried

One of the main characters in the short story “The Things They Carried”, written by Tim O’Brien, is a twenty-four year old Lieutenant named Jimmy Cross. Jimmy is the assigned leader of his infantry unit in the Vietnam War, but does not assume his role accordingly. Instead, he’s constantly daydreaming, along with obsessing, over his letters and gifts from Martha. Martha is a student at Mount Sebastian College in New Jersey, Jimmy’s home state. He believes that he is in love with Martha, although she shows no signs of loving him. This obsession is a fantasy that he uses to escape from reality, as well as, take his mind off of the war that surrounds him, in Vietnam. The rest of the men in his squad have items that they carry too, as a way

Essay on The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is a short story written about the Vietnam War. The title has two meanings. The first is their duties and equipment for the war. The second, the emotional sorrows they were put through while at war. Their wants and needs, the constant worry of death were just a few of the emotional baggage they carried. During the Vietnam War, like all wars, there were hard times. Being a soldier wasn’t easy. Soldiers always see death, whether it be another soldier or an enemy. In “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brien explores the motivation of solders in the Vietnam War to understand their role in combat, to stay in good health, and accept the death of a fellow soldier.

The Vietnam War in The Things They Carried by Tim O´brien Essay

The first story O’Brien decides to tell us is the story of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Cross represents a young and inexperienced soldier who went to war for all of the wrong reasons. He deals with the savagery of the Vietnam War through letters and pictures sent from the woman he loves back home, Martha. Cross carries physical objects, pictures, letters, as well as memories from his time spent back home with Martha before signing up for war. At one point in the story after describing a date between him and Martha, he mentions how “he should’ve carried her up the stairs to her room and tied her to the bed and touched that left knee all night long.” (5) His thoughts of Martha are enough to help distract him from the brutal realities taking place in the war. However, his distraction becomes too much, and it ends up resulting in the death of one of his fellow squad members, Ted Lavender. He carries regret for the death of Lavender, and years later confesses his guilt to O’Brien, and that he has never forgiven himself for his death. Despite his long-lived regret, Cross finds comfort in his thoughts of Martha, and hopes one day she will return his love.

Tim O'Brien

Literature Notes
Book Summary
About The Things They Carried
Character List
Summary and Analysis
On the Rainy River
Enemies and Friends
How to Tell a True War Story
The Dentist
Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong
The Man I Killed and Ambush
Speaking of Courage
In the Field
The Ghost Soldiers
The Lives of the Dead
Character Analysis
Tim O'Brien
Lt. Jimmy Cross
Norman Bowker
Mary Anne Bell
Henry Dobbins
Tim O'Brien Biography
Critical Essays
The Things They Carried in a Historical Context
Narrative Structure in The Things They Carried
Style and Storytelling in The Things They Carried
The Things They Carried and Loss of Innocence
The Things They Carried and Questions of Genre
Full Glossary for The Things They Carried
Essay Questions
Practice Projects
Cite this Literature Note

Summary and Analysis The Things They Carried

An unnamed narrator describes in third person the thoughts and actions of Jimmy Cross, the lieutenant of an Army unit on active combat duty in the Vietnam War. Lt. Cross is preoccupied by thoughts of Martha, a young woman he dated before he joined the Army. He thinks about letters she wrote him; he thinks about whether or not she is a virgin; he thinks about how much he loves her and wants her to love him. Her letters do not indicate that she feels the same way.

The narrator lists things that the soldiers carry with them, both tangible and intangible, such as Lt. Cross's picture of and feelings for Martha. Other members of the unit are introduced through descriptions of the things they carry, such as Henry Dobbins who carries extra food, Ted Lavender who carries tranquilizer pills, and Kiowa who carries a hunting hatchet. O'Brien introduces readers to the novel's primary characters by describing the articles that the soldiers carry. The level of detail O'Brien offers about the characters is expanded upon and illuminated in the chapters that follow, though O'Brien distills the essence of each characters' personality through the symbolic items each carries. Henry Dobbins carries a machine gun and his girlfriend's pantyhose. Dave Jensen carries soap, dental floss, foot powder, and vitamins. Mitchell Sanders carries condoms, brass knuckles, and the unit's radio. Norman Bowker carries a diary. Kiowa carries a volume of the New Testament and moccasins. Rat Kiley carries his medical kit, brandy, comic books, and M&M's candy. The narrator offers additional detail about selected items; for example, the poncho Ted Lavender carries will later be used by his fellow soldiers to carry his dead body.

This device is an example of the author and narrator embedding small details in the text that will be further explained later in the book. It is important to note, too, how the details are selective; they are recalled by a character, the unnamed narrator of the chapter. The details of what each man carries are funneled through the memory of this narrator.

O'Brien details at great length what all the men carry: standard gear, weapons, tear gas, explosives, ammunitions, entrenching tools, starlight scopes, grenades, flak jackets, boots, rations, and the Army newsletter. They also carry their grief, terror, love, and longing, with poise and dignity. O'Brien's extended catalog of items creates a picture in the reader's mind that grows incrementally. O'Brien's technique also allows each character to be introduced with a history and a unique place within the group of men.

Lt. Cross is singled out from the group, and O'Brien offers the most detail about his interior feelings and thoughts. Many of these soldiers "hump," or carry, photographs, and Lieutenant Cross has an action shot of Martha playing volleyball. He also carries memories of their date and regrets that he did not try to satisfy his desire to become intimate with her by tying her up and touching her knee. O'Brien stresses that Lt. Cross carries all these things, but in addition carries the lives of his men.

Even as O'Brien opens The Things They Carried, he sets forth the novel's primary themes of memory and imagination and the opportunity for mental escape that these powers offer. For example, as Lt. Cross moves through the rigorous daily motions of combat duty, his mind dwells on Martha. Importantly, as he thinks about Martha, he does not merely recall memories of her; instead he imagines what might be, such as "romantic camping trips" into the White Mountains in New Hampshire. O'Brien describes these longings of Lt. Cross as "pretending." Pretending is a form of storytelling, that is, telling stories to oneself. O'Brien underscores the importance of Lt. Cross's actions by emphasizing the artifacts — Martha's letters and photograph — and characterizes Lt. Cross as the carrier of these possessions as well as of his love for Martha.

O'Brien moves from employing the literary technique of describing the soldiers' physical artifacts to introducing the novel's primary characters. The minute details he provides about objects that individuals carry is telling, and particular attention should be paid to these details because they foreshadow the core narratives that comprise the novel. This technique of cataloging the things the soldiers carry also functions to create fuller composites of the characters, and by extension make the characters seem more real to readers.

This aesthetic of helping readers connect with his characters is O'Brien's primary objective in the novel, to make readers feel the story he presents as much as is physically and emotionally possible, as if it were real. Though the minutiae that O'Brien includes — for example the weight of a weapon, the weight of a radio, the weight of a grenade in ounces — seems superfluous, it is supposed to be accretive in his readers' imaginations so that they can begin to feel the physical weight of the burdens of war, as well as, eventually, the psychological and emotional burdens (so much as it is possible for a non-witness to war to perceive). O'Brien's attention to sensory detail also supports this primary objective of evoking a real response in the reader.

With Lavender's death, O'Brien creates a tension between the "actuality" of Lt. Cross's participation in battle and his interior, imagined fantasies that give him refuge. In burning Martha's letters and accepting blame for Lavender's death, Cross's conflicting trains of thought signal the reader to be cautious when deciding what is truth or fantasy and when assigning meaning to these stories. While he destroyed the physical accoutrements, the mementos of Martha, Lt. Cross continues to carry the memory of her with him. To that memory is also added the burden of grief and guilt. Despite this emotional burden, O'Brien, as he continues in the following chapter, begins to highlight the central question of the novel: Why people carry the things they do?

rucksack A kind of knapsack strapped over the shoulders.

foxhole A hole dug in the ground as a temporary protection for one or two soldiers against enemy gunfire or tanks.

perimeter A boundary strip where defenses are set up.

heat tabs Fuel pellets used for heating C rations.

C rations A canned ration used in the field in World War II.

R & R Rest and recuperation, leave.

Than Khe (also Khe Sahn) A major battle in the Tet Offensive, the siege lasted well over a month in the beginning of 1968. Khe Sahn was thought of as an important strategic location for both the Americans and the North Vietnamese. American forces were forced to withdraw from Khe Sahn.

SOP Abbreviation for standard operating procedure.

RTO Radio telephone operator who carried a lightweight infantry field radio.

grunt A U.S. infantryman.

hump To travel on foot, especially when carrying and transporting necessary supplies for field combat.

platoon A military unit composed of two or more squads or sections, normally under the command of a lieutenant: it is a subdivision of a company, troop, and so on.

medic A medical noncommissioned officer who gives first aid in combat; aidman; corpsman.

M-60 American-made machine gun.

PFC Abbreviation for Private First Class.

Spec 4 Specialist Rank, having no command function; soldier who carries out orders.

M-16 The standard American rifle used in Vietnam after 1966.

flak jacket A vestlike, bulletproof jacket worn by soldiers.

KIA Abbreviation for killed in action, to be killed in the line of duty.

chopper A helicopter.

dustoff Medical evacuation by helicopter.

Claymore antipersonnel mine An antipersonnel mine that scatters shrapnel in a particular, often fan-shaped, area when it explodes.

Starlight scope A night-vision telescope that enables a user to see in the dark.

tunnel complexes The use of tunnels by the Viet Cong as hiding places, caches for food and weapons, headquarter complexes and protection against air strikes and artillery fire was a characteristic of the Vietnam war.

The Stars and Stripes A newsletter-style publication produced for servicemen by the U.S. Army.

Bronze Star A U.S. military decoration awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement or service in combat not involving aerial flight.

Purple Heart A U.S. military decoration awarded to members of the armed forces wounded or killed in action by or against an enemy: established in 1782 and re-established in 1932.

entrenching tool A shovel-like tool, among its other uses, used to dig temporary fortifications such as foxholes.

zapped Killed.

freedom bird Any aircraft which returned servicemen to the U.S.

sin loi From Vietnamese, literally meaning excuse me, though servicemen came to understand the term as meaning too bad or tough luck.

Previous Character List

The Things They Carried - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” delves into the multifaceted experiences of soldiers during the Vietnam War, blurring the line between fiction and reality. Essays could explore the narrative structure of the collection, its metafictional elements, and the exploration of truth, memory, and storytelling. The discussions might extend to the examination of the physical and emotional burdens carried by the soldiers, and how these tangible and intangible weights reflect the broader societal and moral dilemmas of war. Additionally, essays could delve into the character dynamics, the portrayal of camaraderie, fear, and the coping mechanisms employed by the soldiers in the face of trauma and death. The discourse might also touch upon the broader themes of war, loss, and the human capacity for resilience and redemption as explored through the narrative. Furthermore, discussions might extend to the impact of “The Things They Carried” on the war literature genre, its contribution to the discourse on the Vietnam War, and its enduring relevance in understanding the complexities of war, memory, and the human experience. We have collected a large number of free essay examples about The Things They Carried you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Character Analysis of the Things they Carried

The author of "The Things They Carried" is Tim O'Brien. His full name is William Timothy O'Brien who was born in October 1946, in Minnesota, U.S. Tim was an American soldier in the Vietnam War. In many of his novels, he talked about Vietnam War. Tim is also best known for the story he wrote named "The Things They Carried." This story was Tim's experience in the Vietnam War. He's also best known for a blurring of fiction and non-fiction […]

The Things they Carried Truth

The Things They Carried is a war novel by Vietnam War veteran, Tim O’Brien. Like many Vietnam War novels, The Things They Carried is not a typical portrayal of war. Instead of glorifying war and praising the heroic actions of renowned soldiers, O’Brien explores a different aspect of war. In The Things They Carried, O’Brien uses subjective storytelling to show the overall theme of ambiguity in the Vietnam War. His stories, which paradoxically mix fact and fiction, are able to […]

The Soldiers in the Vietnam War in the Things they Carrie

In Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried", we are told a story about what the soldiers in the Vietnam War carried with them and in particular what First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried with him. The way the story is told gives a glimpse of each soldier's personality based on the items that they carried with them. First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries letters from a girl named Martha with whom he is infatuated. Although she did not send them as love […]

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The Things they Carried Literary Essay

Award-winning and best seller novel, The Things They Carried, changed the ways many viewed the Vietnam war of 1955. Throughout the novel, Tim O'Brien works to seamlessly blur the lines dividing reality and fiction. To achieve this, he uses strong figurative language and concrete facts to engage the reader's attention. The main way he does this is through his chosen title, The Things They Carried. The theme of the book is based around the title, allowing the reader to understand […]

Time of War in the Book “The Things they Carried”

Tim O'Brien's "The things they carried" is a story from the book "The Things They Carried" in which this individual story was written based on time of war. It is an incredible story that shows up in many different anthologies ways. The story comes in an authorial fictional statement on the Vietnam War were there's a lot of really fascinating things about it. The story is brilliant in many ways, it studies the nature of young men in a time […]

Ted Lavender “The Things they Carried” – a Character Analysis

Biography and Introduction: Tim O'Brien and "The Things They Carried" Tim O'Brien was born on October 1, 1946, in Austin, Minnesota. He attended Macalester College and earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science in 1968. During his college years, he was part of anti-war demonstrations; after graduating, he received a draft notice from the Army. Unhappy about being drafted, he feared embarrassment and ridicule if he ducked the draft as he saw everyone joining, and both of his parents had […]

The Conflict Toward Conformity and Inward Questioning of Tim O’Brien in the Novel, the Things they Carried

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As children, we are told to believe in Santa Claus, a jolly old man who delivers gifts to all the good girls and boys in one night. But as we grow, people allude to the fact that he isn't real. However, how could this be true when we sit on his lap and tell him what we want, then receive it just weeks later? Tim O'Brien is like our Santa Claus. We are told to believe him, then later figure […]

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Baseball is known for being America’s pastime, where we often see players throw killer fastballs or hit a grand slam. However, we also witness displays of temper. Many players use different methods to express their emotions when they strike out. For example, some players chew tobacco to calm their nerves, while others vent their anger by throwing helmets on the ground. This isn't a new phenomenon; we constantly see different ways people deal with external conflict, and how these experiences […]

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The Things They Carried is a collection of Vietnam War stories written by Tim O'Brien, a Vietnam Veteran. The book seemed to have a 100% authentic aspect, that is until reading Good Form. The Man I killed and Ambush reveal a gory recount of killing a young man in My Khe while Good Form reveals the truth about the authenticity of the recollections. Each of these stories is interrelated in what they describe, however they each offer a unique perspective […]

The Emotional Weight of ‘The Things they Carried’: a Film Adaptation Insight

In the transformation of Tim O'Brien's influential work of fiction, "The Things They Carried," into a cinematic portrayal, it brought forth an emotive narrative to the cinematic realm, delving into the intricacies of warfare, recollection, and the essence of humanity. This adaptation sought not only to visualize the physical encumbrances borne by soldiers during the era of the Vietnam War but also to encapsulate the emotional and psychological burdens that define human existence under stress. The film stands as a […]

The Depths of Significance in “The Things they Carried”: a Distinct Scholarly Exploration

In the realm of literary achievement, Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" stands as a singular creation, weaving an intricate tapestry of human emotion against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. This literary marvel transcends conventional boundaries, offering a narrative experience unparalleled in its depth and complexity. Through meticulous craftsmanship and innovative storytelling, O'Brien crafts a work that is truly one-of-a-kind, inviting readers to embark on an unparalleled journey of introspection and revelation. At its core, "The Things They Carried" […]

Norman Bowker: Echoes of Unspoken Wounds in ‘The Things they Carried’

Norman Bowker, a figure etched into the fabric of Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," embodies the intricate web of emotional scars and unspoken burdens that war imposes on the human soul. Within the mosaic of memories and reflections that compose the narrative, Bowker emerges as a poignant character, a silent sentinel of the unseen turmoil that lingers long after the battlegrounds fade. Initially portrayed as a conscientious soldier, Bowker's evolution throughout the story mirrors the profound transformation wrought by […]

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Essay About The Things They Carried Contradictions are a natural part of everyday life, simple ones, and complicated contradictions, and it is normal to find them in our lives, and in novels. The author in the story, The Things They Carried, uses contradictions to explain how he is feeling throughout the war without directly saying it. These contradictions show the hidden messages that Tim O’Brien is trying to get across to the reader. These hidden messages are what help to create his story and give it a deeper meaning. Each one of these messages contributes greatly and helps to emphasize the overall theme of the story, which is that each person carries something with the whether we can see it or not. Some of these things that we carry with us are what can drag us down without anyone even knowing it. In the story “The Things They Carried” the author, Tim O’Brien sends his secret messages through the contradictions that he shares inside of each of his war stories. One of the contradictions that O’Brien uses in the story is how people like to believe that the reason behind a war is because people are fighting for what they believe in, but in reality, there is not much reason, and people do not even volunteer to do it. This is shown through all of the things that the soldiers carry throughout the war. “They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing—these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight.” (O’Brien, 23). This quote explains the trauma, stress, and guilt that the soldiers go through within the war. Each tangible and intangible item adds weight to the soldiers and makes the war even harder for them to get through. The reason for fighting in the war is lost as they can’t even remember what they believe in once they hear the first gunshot. O’Brien uses a contradiction, to show how “strong” many people may think that the soldiers in the war are, and how strong the war will make them. O’Brien tries to show how people think of how strong they are, and how no one is thinking of the simple fact that they are human. It is human instinct to talk about their problems instead of bottling them up inside. O’Brien shows how soldiers, like any normal human, need to express their feelings, or it can end up badly, and he shows this contradiction through Norman Bowker. In the story, Speaking of Courage, it states, “And then he would have talked about the medal he did not win and why he did not win it.” (O’Brien 135). Norman Bowker was begging anyone to talk to him, to listen to every problem that he had inside of him, and to tell how he lost his very best friend as he was actually trying to save him, but unfortunately, he could not find someone soon enough. This also shows how the war did not make Norman Bowker stronger, like some may think it would, but in fact, it broke him down completely, and that in itself is a contradiction. Another contradiction that he uses is how he tries to create the theme of a true war story all while making up each of the war stories. One of the stories he wrote titled “The Man I Killed” shows this as it talks about a man who has felt guilty for killing a man during the war. The story states, “Listen to me,' Kiowa said. 'You feel terrible, I know that.' Then he said, 'Okay, maybe I don't know.' (O’Brien 121). As shown in this quote and in this particular story, it seems as if O’Brien is trying to make the reader feel what the character is feeling. This is a contradiction because Tim O’Brien is using this made-up character to express his own true feelings through a story, about a fake character. He portrays this story as if he wants the readers to believe that the stories are actually true. O’Brien did not actually kill anyone, but yet he still felt guilty for all of the other people who died and for the families that were losing someone that they loved. For these reasons, he tried to make the readers feel what he was feeling, which perhaps is why although the story is not true, it truly is a true war story, because the feeling, to him, was all too real. Overall, in The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien uses different forms of contradictions, in order to make the reader feel exactly how he felt during the war, to let them temporarily put the weight that was on him onto the person reading his novel. Through the made-up/fictional characters and stories, he gave the reader the feeling of how war really is, and not how it is portrayed in movies and other novels, he gave the readers a one time experience of a true war story and helped the readers to understand that not all things are as they seem.

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The Things They Carried

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In the novel, The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien, delinqency is an epitome of an emotional burden in which Tim O'Brien used to divulge how it affected the main characters, LT Jimmy Cross, Tim O'Brien, and Norman Bowker.

We do not usually deal with the writing aspect of your papers on this forum. Still, your thesis sounds good though you should check your grammar.

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“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien: A War Memoir Essay

“The Things They Carried” is a short story written by Tim O’Brien to present to the readers his own autobiography and a war memoir. O’Brien complicates the narration by creating the protagonist who actually shares his real name. The story is about a platoon of soldiers from the American soil fighting in the Vietnam War.

The title of the story “The Things They Carried” is effective for it describes the soldiers and the kind of valuables they brought along in their missions. This is evidenced by the introduction of the story where Tim O’Brien gives a detailed description of the main characters and what they carry from the physical items to emotional ones as well. This paper will focus on the title of the story “The Things They Carried” and how it acts as a guide to the meaning of the story.

Through the use of literary techniques, the author gives detailed accounts of the tangible and intangible things which the soldiers take with them and which most of the times burden them. Each of the soldier’s possessions defines the kind of people they really are. The things that the soldiers carry depend on several factors like their constitutions, priorities, missions, necessity, and sometimes superstition.

The narrator says “they carried malaria tablets, love letters, 28 pound mine detectors, dope, illustrated bibles, and each other.” If the soldiers happen to arrive home safely and sound, “they carried unrelenting images of a nightmarish war” (O’Brien, 2009). The title of the story fits well with its meaning as evidenced by the first point of view of the narrator when describing the things they carry.

Jimmy Cross the Lieutenant of the company carries letters written by his girlfriend Martha everywhere he goes. Even though the girl has not given Jimmy a sign or an indication of love, he still carries the letters as a reminder of his love for her. Jimmy’s backpack carries each letter written by Martha and his mouth carries “her good luck charm” (O’Brien, 2009).

After marching the whole day, Jimmy would sit down, unwrap the letters and fantasize that Martha will one day come to her senses and returning his love. Apart from the letters, Jimmy does carry Martha’s photographs to serve as a memory of her. It was only once that he got the chance to go on a movie date with Martha.

During the movie, he had touched her knee and the look she gave him made Jimmy withdraw his hand fast. O’Brien explains that, while on mission, Jimmy wishes that “he had carried her upstairs, tied her to the bed, and touched her knee the whole night” (2009).

The description of the physical items carried by the men on their day to day events give the story a meaning. The narrator O’Brien makes it possible for the reader to realize this; he explains the physical items as mosquito repellants, chewing gums, and pocket knives among others (2009).

Henry Dobbins one of the platoon members carries a large machine gun and extra rations of food to nourish his huge body. At the same time, Dobbins superstitious nature makes him carry and tie the pantyhose of his girlfriend around the neck. Ted Lavender who is ever nervous carries tranquilizers and marijuana to use when he need to calm down. Kiowa who is a religious man carries the New Testament Bible given to him by his father in all missions. The things that these men carry are highly determined by the kind of necessities they have.

One Dave Jensen is a very hygienic man and as a result, he carries his tooth brush wherever he goes together with dental floss and bar soaps stolen from Sydney, Australia. As a matter of necessity, the men are required to carry important items like wrist watches, mosquito repellants, can openers, heat tabs, pocket knives, lighters, sewing kits, matches, salt, cigarettes, water, food rations, and Military payment Certificates among other items.

Steel helmets and camouflage covers are equally a necessity which each man has to carry. For clothing, the men would carry fatigue trousers and jackets, boots, socks, and foot powder to protect them against foot diseases. While Mitchell Sanders carries condoms, Norman Bowker carries his diary, and Rat Kiley values his comic books and carries them everywhere.

According to O’Brien, the land is full of booby traps, therefore it is a necessity for every man to carry “steel centered, nylon covered flak jacket” (2009).

With the cold nights, it is a requirement that the men carry plastic ponchos which are green in color, to use as raincoats during the monsoons or makeshift tent or even a groundsheet. All these items are universal and essential as evidenced by Ted Lavender’s situation after he is shot; using the poncho, the men wrap him well and carry him across the paddies to the chopper which takes him away for treatment.

Depending on psychology and topography, the men carry the right kind of weapons and enough ammunition. According to the type of mission, the men carry varied weapons to suit the varied situations. They carry M-14S, shotguns, Simonov carbines, bayonets, Smith and Wesson handguns, and silencers among the many types of weapons.

In most situations, Lee Strunk carries his slingshot which he calls “the weapon of last resort” (O’Brien, 2009). Kiowa would carry the hatchet which his grandfather was fond of using and Mitchell Sanders carries brass knuckles. Each man is required to carry grenades; the grenades could be smoke grenades, white phosphoric grenades or tear gas grenades.

Tim O’Brien explains that “they carried all they could bear, and then some; including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried” (O’Brien, 2009).

The things they carry also vary with the kind of mission to attend; on a mountainous mission, the men carry machetes, tarps, mosquito nets, and bug juice. On night and ambush missions, each man carries the most valued item in their lives. The title the things they carried gives meaning to the entire story as evidenced by the stuff the soldiers carry.

Superstition plays a role in the things the men carry; Jimmy Cross does not leave his good luck charm in the form of a pebble given to him by Martha. Dave Jenson carries along a rabbit foot and Norman Bowker carries the thumb given to him by Mitchell Sanders.

The men carry stationary, pens and pencils, safety pins, signal flares, razor blades, candles, fingernail clippers, trip flares, wire, hats, statuettes of the Buddha, and so much more.In conclusion, the things the men carry change after Ted Lavender’s death. With Lieutenant Jimmy Cross blaming himself for fantasizing about Martha instead of saving Ted, he burns everything that reminds him of her.

The title of the story gives its meaning; of all the things the men carry, the greatest burden is their emotions. They carry loads of desires, memories, and fears as well. To show the seriousness of the intangible burden, the lieutenant Jimmy Cross says “it is very sad the things the men carried inside” (O’Brien, 2009).

O’Brien, T. (2009). The things they carried: A work of fiction . Boston: Houghton Mifflin

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . ""The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien: A War Memoir." March 15, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-things-they-carried-essay/.

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Thesis For The Things They Carried

The True Weight of War “The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien, brings to light the psychological impact of what soldiers go through during times of war. We learn that the effects of traumatic events weigh heavier on the minds of men than all of the provisions and equipment they shouldered. Wartime truly tests the human body and and mind, to the point where some men return home completely destroyed. Some soldiers have been driven to the point of mentally altering reality in order to survive day to day. An indefinite number of men became numb to the deaths of their comrades, and yet secretly desired to die and bring a conclusion to their misery. Over all, this story allows us to observe changes within the mentalities of army officers. First, the trauma of living in a war zone can add a significant amount of intangible weight into someone’s life. In “The Things They Carried,” we discover that Cross’s men “carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die (443).” Given that the majority of humans have experienced some form of trauma, we can understand how some men were driven to suicide and others into …show more content…

In the case of Ted Lavender, once he was pronounced dead the men stripped him of his things while waiting for the chopper to pick up his body, and sat “smoking the dead man 's dope (436).” Furthermore, when they drew numbers to determine who scouted out the tunnels, they “always felt the luck of the draw” when they escaped the duty (438). This is because they feared death, but were always embarrassed to admit it. For the soldiers, dishonor was worse than anything else they faced. “They crawled into tunnels and… advanced under fire,” and refused to give up and simply “fall to the ground” all to save their own pride (443). Their drive to live on during battle did not come from courage, but their fear to be known as cowards

Summary Of The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

In Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, the reader receives insight as to what soldiers experienced during the Vietnam War and what thoughts consumed their minds in those times of hardship and heartache. As Americans, we typically picture military men and women as emotionally and physically strong, while in reality, that may not be the case. They deal with more emotional and physical trauma than we come to understand. People who carry physical or emotional burdens tend to seek some kind of release or do something to feel relieved of their burdens. O’Brien uses stories about the men in his platoon to depict how soldiers are bound by their own emotional weights, and each have a different way of trying to release themselves from those tensions.

The Things They Carried Rhetorical Analysis

Hussein Alkhafaji 3/28/23 Paper 3 English Composition II Professor: Samuel Myung Tim O'Brien's short story The Things They Carried is engaging and thought-provoking, and it gives insight on the deep emotional toll that combat has on soldiers. O'Brien uses a complex and purposeful storytelling technique that enables the reader to feel the psychological loads that the troops in the story are bearing. Because the narrative is told from the first-person perspective, the reader and the characters feel particularly close to one another. Instead of solely emphasizing the characters' tangible possessions, the narrative method focuses on their emotional states as well as the broader concepts of memory and trauma. O'Brien creates a vivid and engaging universe through the use of strong imagery and thorough descriptions that takes the reader closer to the experiences of the soldiers..

How Is The Theme Of Weight Presented In The Things They Carried

For example, O’Brien describes the physical weight of the items soldiers carry, such as guns, ammunition, and grenades. However, he also describes the emotional weight of the war, writing, “They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing – these were intangible yet had their own mass and specific gravity” (O’Brien 21). This quote illustrates how the soldiers, not only carry physical objects, but also the emotional weight of their experiences in the war. Furthermore, this story depicts “the weight of burdens that press on soldiers in the field and how they handle those burdens” (Farrell).

Soldier From The War Returning By Thomas Childers Summary

During the Battle of the Bulge, soldiers fought in “grueling physical and psychological conditions” that led to persistent struggles after the war with remembering these conditions (Intro: Battle of the Bulge). Many veterans refer to the immediate effects of returning as the “shock of peace” (Childers). However, despite these widespread mental health problems, there were few psychiatrists to treat these soldiers as well as a “cultural ethos” that discouraged discussing emotions, especially among men (Childers). When soldiers returned home, they often had difficulty with finances.

All Quiet On The Western Front Dehumanization Essay

The book All Quiet on the Western Front takes place during World War I. The author, Erich Maria Remarque, describes how dehumanizing war can be for soldiers who give their life to serve their country and protect it. Remarque specifically describes the hardships of a German soldier Paul during the war. Through Remarque’s story we learn that war affects relationships, thought processes, natural instincts and many more functions of a soldier. We learn over the course of this book that all soldiers change through war.

Juxtaposition In All Quiet On The Western Front

Millions of people have gone through life-altering experiences in their time in World War I. In Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul Bäumer, a 19-year-old German soldier, narrates his personal memoirs of this war. He describes the mental change and suffering he goes through as he is forced to mature from a young boy to a soldier in order to survive, leaving him permanently scarred from the throes of war. By employing juxtaposition to contrast Paul’s mindset, before and after the war, Remarque demonstrates how the mental health of the World War I soldiers is damaged because of the abrupt loss of their youth, leaving them in a state of survival and mental instability.

War Wounds That Time Alone Can T Heal Analysis

In Jane Brody’s alarming article, “War Wounds That Time Alone Can’t Heal” Brody describes the intense and devastating pain some soldiers go through on a daily basis. These soldiers come home from a tragic time during war or, have vivid memories of unimaginable sufferings they began to experience in the battle field. As a result these soldiers suffer from, “emotional agony and self-destructive aftermath of moral injury…” (Brody). Moral injury has caused much emotional and physical pain for men and women from the war.

All Quiet On The Western Front Effects Of War Essay

Throughout the ages, wars have wreaked havoc and caused great destruction that lead to the loss of millions of lives. However, wars also have an immensely destructive effect on the individual soldier. In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, one is able to see exactly to what extent soldiers suffered during World War 1 as well as the effect that war had on them. In this essay I will explain the effect that war has on young soldiers by referring to the loss of innocence of young soldiers, the disillusionment of the soldiers and the debasement of soldiers to animalistic men. Many soldiers entered World War 1 as innocent young boys, but as they experienced the full effect of the war they consequently lost their innocence.

Coping Mechanisms In The Things They Carried And Tim O Brien

Combat is one of those incidents, where the best and the worst of people will be shown. The effects from combat could last minutes to a lifetime and will define people for the rest of their lives. To overcome the effects, people must have coping mechanisms. In the book, The Things They Carried, a platoon of soldiers is followed in their quest to survive the Vietnam War. The soldiers developed coping mechanisms to deal with stress so they can function normally and survive the war.

PTSD In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

Dangerous and intense situations typically lead to certain devastating consequences to a persons both emotional and physical health. As result of these experiences, there is often not only exterior injuries, but also the non visual psychological damage that is just as hard, if not harder, to resolve. One commonality throughout all wars is this unseen casualty known as PTSD, or post traumatic stress disorder. Tim O’Brien, veteran of the Vietnam war, demonstrates how PTSD affects soldiers in countless ways in his novel The Things They Carried. He uses fictional but lovable characters that readers can easily relate to, intensifying their emotional engagement in the book.

Adversity In Unbroken

War and its affinities have various emotional effects on different individuals, whether facing adversity within the war or when experiencing the psychological aftermath. Some people cave under the pressure when put in a situation where there is minimal hope or optimism. Two characters that experience

Emotional Burdens In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

When the author expresses the feelings within Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’s troops we see their individual personalities. When the author used characterization, symbolism, and tone, they truly brought out the theme of physical and emotional burdens throughout “The Things They

Silent Scream In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

“Silent Scream” In war conditions, sometimes soldiers are forced to do what they don’t want to do. This action, sometimes makes them feel guilty even if they weren’t. In the novel, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, the author emphasizes that the things soldiers carry in war, the people they killed, the soldier’s feelings, psychology, and the moral of what they have done cannot be all of the soldier’s responsibilities. Soldiers fear that they would be excluded from the society, and they’d be accused from all the wildness of the war because of what they have done.

In November of 1955, the United States entered arguably one of the most horrific and violent wars in history. The Vietnam War is documented as having claimed about 58,000 American lives and more than 3 million Vietnamese lives. Soldiers and innocent civilians alike were brutally slain and tortured. The atrocities of such a war are near incomprehensible to those who didn’t experience it firsthand. For this reason, Tim O’Brien, Vietnam War veteran, tries to bring to light the true horrors of war in his fiction novel The Things They Carried.

PTSD In The Things They Carried Essay

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in The Things They Carried During the turbulent times of the Vietnam War, thousands of young men entered the warzone and came face-to-face with unimaginable scenes of death, destruction, and turmoil. While some perished in the dense Asian jungles, others returned to American soil and were forced to confront their lingering combat trauma. Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried provides distinct instances of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and reveals the psychological trauma felt by soldiers in the Vietnam War. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD for short, is the most common mental illness affecting soldiers both on and off the battlefield.

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The Things They Carried Essay Examples and Literary Analysis
The Things They Carried Essay Topics and Outline Examples Essay Title 1: Truth and Fiction in "The Things They Carried" Thesis Statement: Tim O'Brien blurs the lines between truth and fiction in "The Things They Carried" to convey the emotional and psychological truths of war experiences, demonstrating the power of storytelling as a coping mechanism.
The Things They Carried Thesis Statements and Essay Topics
Topic #1: The things they carried. There is a list given for each soldier of the items he carried. Some of the items can be physically touched. Other items can only be felt or described. For each soldier, the items and emotions he carries are significant. Describe how the choice of items relates to each character.
83 The Things They Carried Essay Topics, Questions, & Examples
The Things They Carried: Thesis Statement Examples. The Thing They Carried presents an exciting and rare combination of fiction and nonfiction. The distinction between "story truth" and "happening truth" presented in the short story Good Form highlights the theme of truth vs. reality that is one of the key in the book.
"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien: Analysis
Thesis Statement: "The Things They Carried" offers a limited and often stereotyped view of the Vietnamese experience. A postcolonial analysis examines how this portrayal reinforces or subverts power dynamics and contributes to the otherizing of the Vietnamese people in the American war narrative.
The Things They Carried
For The Things They Carried, this kind of thesis statement might look something like the following: "The Things They Carried offers a unique and important view of the consequences of war because ...
What is a good thesis for The Things They Carried?
A good thesis for the book would be the following: " The Things They Carried explores the dynamic between soldiers and the controversial ethics of their wartime actions as they examine the ...
Analysis of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried
Analysis of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on May 26, 2021. In the short story cycle The Things They Carried (1990), Tim O'Brien cemented his reputation as one of the most powerful chroniclers of the Vietnam War, joining the conversation alongside Philip Caputo (A Rumor of War), Michael Herr (Dispatches), David Halberstam (The Best and the Brightest), and the ...
"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
The Things They Carried. At the beginning of the story, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross cannot let go of his past life, which does not allow him to focus entirely on the combat. According to O'Brien, "Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried letters from a girl named Martha" (1). Cross recalls his love for Martha, which was unrequited, but still, he keeps ...
"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien Essay
Conclusion. This essay analyzes Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried". It is a compelling short story of the Vietnam War. In summary, war is its central theme, as shown in numerous researches. This paper on "The Things They Carried" aims to connect O'Brien's biography with the main issue of the plot. In the story, different ...
Thesis Statements For The Things They Carried
The flashlight made it happen. Dumb and dangerous. And as a result his friend Kiowa was dead. (O'Brien, The Thing They Carried 191) Norman Bowker found Kiowa. He was under two feet of water. Nothing showed except the heel of a boot. (O'Brien, The Thing They Carried 191) Beside him, a few steps to the left, the young soldier was still ...
Thesis For The Things They Carried
Thesis For The Things They Carried. In Tim O'Brien's story called "The Things They Carried" he writes about how a group of soldiers, who are in Vietnamese, are caring items that are important to them. Lieutenant Cross carries letters from Martha because he loves her. While he is day dreaming of Martha instead of watching out for his ...
The Things They Carried: Summary & Analysis
Use this CliffsNotes The Things They Carried Study Guide today to ace your next test! Get free homework help on Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried: book summary, chapter summary and analysis, quotes, essays, and character analysis courtesy of CliffsNotes. In The Things They Carried, protagonist "Tim O'Brien," a writer and Vietnam War veteran, works through his memories of his war service to ...
The Things They Carried: Themes
The " [t]hings" of the title that O'Brien's characters carry are both literal and figurative. While they all carry heavy physical loads, they also all carry heavy emotional loads, composed of grief, terror, love, and longing. Each man's physical burden underscores his emotional burden. Henry Dobbins, for example, carries his ...
Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried Critical Analysis Essay
The Things They Carried is an extraordinarily comprehensive and graphic account of the Vietnam War that paints startlingly realistic imagery of the conflict. O'Brien describes each platoon member's emblems, talismans, and totems for varied reasons. He also takes the audience through his friends' numerous deep and diverse experiences and ...
O'Brien's "The Things They Carried": Literary Analysis
The essay analyzes "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. This collection of short stories is devoted to a platoon of American soldiers who fight in the Vietnam War. The book is a powerful blend of fact and fiction that leaves the reader with a lasting impression of fear, love, and gratitude for the novel's components.
The Things They Carried
13 essay samples found. Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" delves into the multifaceted experiences of soldiers during the Vietnam War, blurring the line between fiction and reality. Essays could explore the narrative structure of the collection, its metafictional elements, and the exploration of truth, memory, and storytelling.
The Things They Carried
A summary of "The Lives of the Dead" in Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of The Things They Carried and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
The Things They Carried
Get an answer for 'How can one create a specific thesis statement about Jimmy Cross's guilt in "The Things They Carried"?' and find homework help for other The Things They Carried questions at ...
The things they carried outline essay
Thesis Statement: Throughout The Things They Carried O'Brien emphasizes that death doesn't truly mean you aren't alive. Introduction: Tim O'Brien conveyed a mysterious way of writing throughout the book. Throughout The Things They Carried O'Brien emphasizes that death doesn't truly mean you aren't alive. Ted Lavendar, Nick Lemon, and Norman Bowker are the three characters that I ...
Is this a good thesis statement?
Is this a good thesis statement? In the novel, The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien, delinqency is an epitome of an emotional burden in which Tim O'Brien used to divulge how it affected the main characters, LT Jimmy Cross, Tim O'Brien, and Norman Bowker. Asked by Meena E #434833 9 years ago 4/11/2015 2:08 PM. Last updated by Aslan 9 years ...
"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien: A War Memoir Essay
Exclusively available on IvyPanda. "The Things They Carried" is a short story written by Tim O'Brien to present to the readers his own autobiography and a war memoir. O'Brien complicates the narration by creating the protagonist who actually shares his real name. The story is about a platoon of soldiers from the American soil fighting ...
Thesis For The Things They Carried
Thesis For The Things They Carried. 999 Words4 Pages. The True Weight of War "The Things They Carried," by Tim O'Brien, brings to light the psychological impact of what soldiers go through during times of war. We learn that the effects of traumatic events weigh heavier on the minds of men than all of the provisions and equipment they ...
PDF THE THINGS THEY CARRIED
THESIS ABSTRACT THE THINGS THEY CARRIED: CONCEPTIONS OF WRITING TRANSFER IN COMPOSITION STUDIES Elizabeth Mary Hollis Master of Arts, August 10, 2009 Bachelor of Arts, English 56 Typed Pages Directed by Kevin Roozen This thesis will look at a body of scholarship that dominates both short and long-

The Things They Carried Thesis Statements and Essay Topics

“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien: Analysis

Introduction: “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Main Events in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Literary Devices in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Characterization in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross

Tim O’Brien (the narrator)

Norman Bowker

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“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien: A War Memoir Essay

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