Important Quotes From The Things They Carried

“In its intransitive form, to hump meant to walk, or to march, but it implied burdens far beyond intransitive.” This quote by author Tim O’Brien explains the effect each character from his story, “The Things They Carried” felt during the Vietnam War. O'Brien uses the items to provide a glimpse into each character’s desires throughout the war. The men carried items for necessity, superstition, and by rank. Not only did O’Brien describe the physical items and burdens these men endure, he also explains the emotional aspects that come along with war. O’Brien also uses the reasons why each man carries the item to illustrate the dramatic character change war can have on an individual. These descriptions lead to the theme of “The Things They Carried”, which is that war is a heavy burden for someone to carry, emotionally and physically. Each character carries items to aid in dealing with the tragic war experiences facing them each day. For example, one of the soldiers Dave Jensen carries a toothbrush, dental floss, and multiple hotel-sized bars of soap. This could possibly tie into the feeling of being unclean or amount of tremendous guilt from killing other human beings. …show more content…
The different items listed throughout the story explain the escape that each man feels they have to make it to get through the harsh realities of war. O’Brien also uses the items to show changes in the character’s morals and personalities. For instance, after the death of Lavender, Jimmy Cross feels this trembling guilt and ultimately comes to the conclusion that he must remove love from his life. Not only does O’Brien show the change in the character by the items listed, he also illustrates how war can have a tremendously negative effect on a person. The things these men carry throughout this story show the powerful effect war has on young men, emotionally and