Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

Many people assume that when someone is physically gone, they are gone forever. In the chapter “The Lives of the Dead” in The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien the author demonstrates that people can, in fact, live on after death through people's thoughts, emotions and imagination with the motif of storytelling.

In the book, The Things They Carried, by Tim O'brien, the title of the first chapter perfectly mimics the name of the book itself. The author talks about the many items soldier’s carried with them into the Vietnam War, as well as the effects they had on his many teammates. Each new chapter, though, gives new insight as to what they carried around with them besides physical objects. Despite palpable things in which they were required to have, young men would find themselves bearing the heavy weight of responsibility and emotional trauma that came with them. In order to cope with these endeavors, soldier’s would also bring with them something to help, whether it was simply the knowledge of God, or a reason for fighting. O’brien’s stories give

Everywhere I go, I carry with me a tangible piece of my past as both a reminder of who I was, as well as who I have become. Although it seems trivial, this item is my beanie. In an effort to reestablish my image as I entered middle school I grew out my hair started to wear a beanie to school every day. After reaching the end of my middle school experience, I cut my hair (mostly out of desperation in the summer heat). Although my hair was gone, the beanie seemed to stick around. I believe this is because it takes me back to a simpler time in my life, but also serves as a reminder of how much I’ve grown and matured since then. I have no regrets, and it is fully my decision to carry this item, but it brings me comfort because of who I was back then versus who I am now. It only weighs a few ounces, and it weighs down my heart about as much as it weighs down my head: not much.

Tim O'Brien's novel, "The Things They Carried" is based upon a platoon of soldiers in Vietnam, in which as the title hint's at, focuses on the items and more emotional parts of being a soldier. These items range from the essentials of being a solider, ranging from food, water, shovels etc. To the more personal and individualistic items, with examples ranging from the more common, love letters, holding a bible and pictures of loved ones, or to the more "unique" (or odd) items chosen, such as pantyhose, a thumb and even moccasins. Whether or not these items appear weird or generic to us is irrelevant, behind those items is a deep sentimental meaning to that item to that soldier or person, which is exactly what we will be looking into for "The

As Patrick Rothfuss said in the book, The Name of the Wind, “Words can light fires in the eyes of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts.” Throughout the novel, The Things They Carried, author Tim O’Brien uses not only words, but also strategies of language to make the readers feel that they too are interwoven in the fabric of war where O’Brien once found himself, the Vietnam War. His flawless execution of these techniques is so notable that the New York Times called the novel “ . . . A book that matters not only to the reader interested in Vietnam, but to anyone interested in the craft of writing as well.” However, making the most considerable impact is O’Brien’s use of language elements to reveal the universal moral truths about

The Things They Carried written by Tim O’Brien was published in New York in 1990. O’Brien’s use of storytelling helps the reader to understand the raw and fascinating complexity of life in Vietnam as an American soldier. Tim O’Brien, born in Minnesota in 1946 was drafted at age 22, just 2 weeks after earning his bachelor's degree in government and politics.

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, is a series of tales about the war in Vietnam. The stories express the hardships the men of Alpha Company faced while in the war and also their feelings towards this brutal war. Tim O’Brien did a phenomenal job of recreating the scenes of the war in the readers mind, making the reader feel as if they were a member of the company. Not only is this novel telling stories of the Vietnam War, but it also expresses the emotions of pure sadness, fear, and anger of each individual soldier.

Imagine for the rest of your life having to live with the burden of watching not only a fellow soldier, but a friend, die knowing there was nothing you could do about it. The novel The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien describes the encumbrances that many of the soldiers in the Vietnam War had to face, and remember for their entire life if they survived. The Things They Carried goes into detail about the relentless days they spent in Vietnam at War by telling stories of a platoon that the author was in. These stories explain the life changing burdens soldiers have to carry at war and for their entire lives.

America is a country revolved around war. The patriotism of Americans has composed multiple wars since 1775, henceforth we are currently at war with Afghanistan. It is a fact that as years proceed, the views of veterans and society have changed towards the idea of going to war. The vicious wars have not only changed those who fight it, but those who watch it as well. The novel, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien gives a vivid explanation of how the war, and the experiences of these brave soldiers took place. As we are still at war with Afghanistan since 2001, the comparison and contrast between both wars endure. The 10 year war with Vietnam and the 14 year continuing war with Afghanistan not only compare and contrast with the political

In Tim O'Brien's greatest work of fiction, The Things They Carried, many soldiers at the front of the Vietnam War were paralyzed by the war psychologically and physically for many years. The soldiers were left emotionally and mentally unstable for the rest of their life after the war.

The Things They Carried is a brutally honest novel about, not the Vietnam war itself, but about a veterans experiences with it. The war itself is merely a setting, taking a backseat to the characters who are coping with things ranging from love, fear, and, most importantly to this book, loss. The novel is somewhat reminiscent of an anthology, with each chapter usually surrounding a new story that O’Brien experienced or heard about. This haphazard way of storytelling reflects the war itself, and the way these soldiers had no idea where they would be the following day, if they were even still alive. O’Brien also consistently questions the honesty of the stories his fellow soldiers told, as well as the stories he himself is telling the readers. This, once again, may be to evoke feelings of deceit and fear, not knowing if anything being

In the story “The Things They Carried” Tim O’Brien explores the themes of the emotional and physical objects soldiers in Vietnam carried along with them on their marches. Some men carried more ammunition because they were scared, others carried letters from their loved ones. Lieutenant Cross, who is perceived to be the protagonist of the story carries the responsibility of his platoon. He spends most of his days fantasizing about a girl he loves from back home, Martha and it’s not until Ted Lavender is shot in the head that he now has to carry the grief of being responsible for his death. Meanwhile, a fellow member of the platoon, Kiowa, admires the lieutenant's capacity for grief, since his emotional response to Lavender’s death is just surprise.

“I think it's important to have closure in any relationship that ends-from a romantic relationship to a friendship. You should always have a sense of clarity at the end and know why it began and why it ended. You need that in your life to move cleanly into your next phase,” (Jennifer Aniston). The best teachers are those experiences which challenge us. If people work to understand these relationships, they will gain great knowledge. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie is a girl who goes through life clueless of what love means and struggles to find its true purpose. In the novel The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, O’Brien tells his stories about the Vietnam War and talks about those he has lost in the

Lots of people go through experiences that change their lives because they served their country and went to war. The soldiers go through many traumatic events while serving that make them undergo changes. In the book The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, has characters who set a great example as to how their life changes during and after the war.

Uncertainties of pursuits that you may not return from, and living through constant life or death