Why The Things They Carried Should Be Banned

The iconic novel, The Things They Carried is perceived as a war book, but truth of the matter is that it’s more than that. The Things They Carried is about burdens we carry as part of life. It blends truth and fiction to tell you about the Vietnam War. This book besides the fact that it was a Pulitzer Prize finalist has been banned across the country. One of reasons for banning the book The Things They Carried was the graphic description of the war. That same reason is also why readers enjoy the book so much, it brings life to the characters and setting which creates a realization for us readers. The entire story presents foreshadowing, flashbacks, and symbolism. The title The Things They Carried is symbolism itself. All the characters are going through feeling the grief and guilt of the war. Despite the fact that some readers won’t be able to comprehend the moral of the story if they don’t have similar experiences, almost every person who reads this story can relate this to their own lives. Everyone feels grief and guilt some way or another, you can also feel stress or pressure as the soldiers felt. …show more content…
Supporters of the book argued that it was an important aspect of the story. The language used in the story truly showcases what the war is which was violent, messy and intense. The school board members walked into a war themselves trying to fight to ban the book. People petitioned against the ban of the book. More than 1,000 people fought for several hours about which books should be banned and whether or not The Things They Carried should be in that group. Overall the book was decided to stay in school libraries and be a classroom