The Things They Carried Spin Analysis

Afterword to The Things They Carried, Spin
Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried, has been reviewed as an excellent work of fiction that “clearly demonstrated” O’Brien’s “unique artistic vision” (The Things They Carried). The section of the novel titled Spin is one that the author has put a great deal of effort into allowing the reader to easily visualize what Vietnam was like for him. O’Brien’s recollection of Vietnam is given in such a way that the audience feels as if they are right there with him having a conversation and telling old war stories. It can be concluded that the amount of detail he put into this section is what truly gives this book its descriptive tone and feel.
There were several patterns that I found while writing annotations for the section Spin. …show more content…
The story is given through the viewpoint of O’Brien’s war memories. Each soldier has their own little story and description about them. He jumps around through time and plotlines to deliver his fragmented memories. The war is cruel and ruthless to the ones out in it. While telling each person’s story, he explains how different soldiers tended to cope with fear and stress. The details provided make the characters, that were already introduced, much more real and different from one another. The reader is provided the opportunity to connect with the characters within the novel when the author does this. The characters are all given human features that many can relate to and root for or dislike. O’Brien’s greatest accomplishment while writing this section was how he found a way through descriptive, imperative details to inform his readers of how the American frontline troops had to deal with all of the stress and dangers that accompany