A Love Story In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carrie

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“It wasn’t a war story. It was a love story.” (81) Tim O’Brien may have only used this line to refer to his untrue story about Curt Lemon’s death, but in reality, these two simple sentences can be applied to his entire novel, The Things They Carried. The novel showcases many of the essential character components of that of a typical “love story”, making the novel a perfect example of a love story. Linda acts as the love interest who will never be with the hero because of a difficult circumstance, or in this case, her brain tumor that ultimately brings about her untimely death. Elroy portrays the person that manages to get the hero back on his feet after a tragic occurrence takes something that he loves. Finally, Lieutenant Cross is the hero’s friend who can sympathize with the hero (in this case, Cross understands what not being with one’s love is like). In fact, it is crucial that the novel be interpreted as a love story rather than a love story. War stories give the reader a reading experience centered on the brutality and effects of the war on its soldiers, while love stories focus more on the interesting and unique relationships between a protagonist and somebody else. Without having the novel be interpreted as a love story, the story won’t make its necessary connections with the reader that keep the reader entertained and attentive. Linda was the unrequited first love of O’Brien, and in traditional love stories, there tends to be a character that had a short, blissful relationship with the hero before a tragic incident tore them apart. O’Brien writes this of his young love: “We were in love. Nine years old, yes, but it was real love, and now we were alone on those front steps” (211). This single moment right here is the blissful moment between the hero and his true love before the crumbling of the relationship. In love stories, the characters that are in love seem to be perfect and everything in their worlds seem complete, and then suddenly, it’s all taken away. “Right then I started to cry. After a moment Linda stopped and carried her water bucket over to the curb and asked why I was so sad. ‘Well, God,’ I said, ‘you’re dead’” (225). Linda’s death is the unfortunate incident that broke our lovers apart. Our hero pulls it together and tries to manage a straight face, but, as any human who just lost true love would, he lets the idea that he needs to be strong go and he allows himself to grieve. Any traditional love story requires an example of unrequited love between the hero and another person, and that certainly applies to this apparent “war story” with O’Brien and Linda. In every love story, there is an awful instance that causes the main character to lose something that he loves; in this book, Elroy is the occurrence that brings our hero back on his feet. “He was a witness, like God, or like the gods, who look on in absolute silence as we live our lives, as we make our choices or fail to make them” (57). Elroy had such an incredible effect on O’Brien- O’Brien goes as far as to call him “a God-like witness”. Elroy is crucial to the story, as without him, our hero would’ve completely lost his way, and the brilliant love story that we have here would never have taken place. “When I told him I’d be leaving, the old man nodded as if he already knew. He …show more content…
Linda symbolizes the first love of the protagonist that had a lovely relationship with him until everything fell apart because of an unfortunate episode. Elroy symbolizes the hero’s savior, without whom the hero would’ve completely lost his way. Finally, Lieutenant Cross symbolizes our protagonist’s friend who shares a special bond of sympathy with the hero. The Things They Carried was never meant to be considered a war story, despite the fact that the book is labeled as a “Vietnam War Story”. Without realizing that the novel is in reality a love story that just simply has the underlying seriousness of a typical love story, this brilliantly-written piece of literature cannot be correctly

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