The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien Essay

In the novel, “The Things They Carried”, Tim O’Brien remembers, reflects, and shares the tangible and intangible items he and his comrades carried throughout their time at war. O’Brien also reflects on other items he carries through his daily life, such as memories, stress, and his daughter. What people carry with them is a glimpse into their mind, soul, and heart. It helps define who they are as a person and their possible future. I carry tangible and intangible items constantly through my…

Death leaves a lasting impact on people all over the world. Death changes the way we value life and the death of a loved one affects the way we prevail as a person. In the novel, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien the death of the narrator’s childhood sweetheart Linda leaves a lasting impact on his state of mind during the war; meanwhile the narrator struggles with the aspect of death and the ability to make light of it which stems from the death of Linda. Linda’s death illuminates the fact…

“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien explores the thin line between sane and insane as soldiers walk through a war-torn Vietnam, feeling their love and longing- for some- turn to hatred and guilt, and calling into question one lieutenant’s priorities and the value of the burdens his men bear. While it is hard to determine the exact point of view in this story, the point of view is still very important to it. The point of view lends to itself a closeness, an intimacy within the story, in such…

sacrificed out of their fierce determination to protect their country, but many feel as though their actions are not recognized. In The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, O’Brien tells a story of how one of the men in his platoon, Norman Bowker, went home to only his house and car, and was desperately seeking comfort as he was naturally scarred from the horrors of war. O’Brien explains how hard it was for him to go from a full life of opportunity to the war, and so when he came back, the…

Unknown Soldiers”). People perceived the men in Vietnam as the soldiers and the women behind them supporting them. One could perceive the chapter in the novel “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” as being similar to the quoted nurses circumstances (O’Brien…

Victory at Any Cost “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” ~Vince Lombardi These influential words explain why humans choose to fight. Whether a board game, a sports competition, or something as serious as war, the drive to win fuels our existence. Since the beginning of human society men have competed to exert control over their neighbors, and this innate need for power will keep war from becoming outdated. In 1865, war was viewed by President Abraham Lincoln as the will of God…

They are many themes in the novel The Things They Carried but some major themes are guilt and blame, courage, and innocence. The first theme, guilt and blame, is shown throughout the whole book. In the chapter In The Field, Mitchell Sanders states, “Ten billion places we could've set up last night, the man picks a latrine." (In The Field/pg 158). Mitchell Sanders is blaming Jimmy Cross for the death of Kiowa since he picked the location of where they were going to sleep. In the chapter The Man I…

impossible, through whatever approaches, to recreate any history that can only live in people’s memories, because even those memories can never be intact and unbroken. However, this limit is actually where the power of art lies. In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien distinguishes two realities, i.e. the “story-truth” and “happening-truth” in retelling his experiences in the Vietnam War. What is experienced in the happening-truth can only be re-felt through the creation of a fictional…

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien is a collection of stories devoted to the events taking place in Vietnam. The first story of the same name The Things They Carried is an introduction to the context of the whole book. In this specific story, the author presents the main characters of the book with the help of different items they carry with them through these events. What author used as a stylistic device is the fact that things the characters carry actually become symbolical and even…

The sadness, misery, and looming inevitability of death causes a burden on our hearts. However, there are things that protect us and carry us forward. “To carry something was to hump it, as when Lieutenant Jimmy Cross humped his love for Martha up the hills and through the swamps” (O’Brien, 2009, p. 3). Jimmy Cross had someone he loved. Someone who may not of loved him back, but at the very least wrote to him often. Ralph Murphy humped something…