The Things They Carried Essays

Warzone Reading the short story “The Things they carried,” by Tim O Brien, creates a mesmerizing image of a war zone. It describes the tough war times for American soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War. The story is a literary portrayal of the material and mental pressures on the soldiers, who strive to survive physically and mentally in the war. “The things they carried” talks about how heavily equipped are American Soldiers, and how a group of them carried numerous tools and weapons as war

Baggage Claim: Opposite of Loneliness The story “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’ Brien approaches the topic of how the weight of both tangible and intangible baggage affects people’s performance. This story explains that emotional and physical baggage is a burden that if not dealt with could be lethal. O’Brien begins the story with the First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross speaking about his knickknacks that Martha, a friend from back home in America, has sent him including letters, photographs, and a

The Allegorical Portrayal of Vietnam as the Antagonist in The Things They Carried War stories old and modern alike are often characterized by morality. Embellished with sensory detail and loaded with emotion, they appeal to a higher moral purpose that concludes with an uplifting message, effectively restoring one’s faith in humanity and the glimmer hope that accompanies the grim reality of war. However, in The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien argues the exact opposite. He warns of stories seeming

There are times when things can be characterized by one specific quality. An entity can be black or white with no gray space in between. However, war is a different story. To those involved in a war, it can be far more enigmatic than one may assume. In The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, the author’s structural choices convey the subjectivity of truth during the war. Tim O’Brien uses juxtaposition in order to prove the point that war is neither black nor white; but rather something of a more

be fought so men became soldiers freely or because they were drafted. In the story “Things They Carried”, soldiers are faced head on with the Vietnam War. Tim O’Brien shows how the men carry the weight of physical objects through out the war. The men bog themselves

In the story, The Things They Carried, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is a man who is in two forms of war, one that is in Vietnam, and one that is mental. Lieutenant Cross carried many things while in war. Lieutenant Cross did not just carry equipment, he also “carried the common secret of cowardice barley restrained, the instinct to run or freeze or hide, and in many respects this was the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down, it required perfect balance and posture” (O’Brien, 1198).

in his short story “The Things They Carried,” using personal experiences from his time serving in the Vietnam War. Jimmy Cross, the main character who did not believe in the war, was drafted in June 1968. Being commissioned to a foreign territory to fight for your life and the freedoms of others is a life changing experience. Soldiers often bring items from home that give them hope of motivation to survive in order to return home. The short story “The Things They Carried” gives an insight on what

result of violence in wars lead soldiers having PTSD, depression, and guilt. In The Things They Carried the soldiers felt obligated to enter the war because they were fearful of violence, ashamed for not being brave, guilty, and courageous for defending their nation. In the late 60s, Tim O’Brien had been drafted to go to war in Vietnam. When he got drafted he didn’t want to go

Question 1 response- Some of the non-tangible things in The Things They Carried are grief, terror, and responsibility. Although all characters showed examples of each I am going to point out a few specific ones. A good example of responsibility is Lieutenant Jimmy Cross who carries the responsibilities of the soldiers’ lives and to protect them every day. He leads his soldiers and gets through difficulties no matter the circumstance. He also carries the guilt of the death of Ted Lavender and Kiowas

the population does not consider the long term effects war may have on soldiers. Most movies portray soldiers as emotionless killing machines and leave out the lifelong psychological effects war can have on a person. Tim O’Brien’s book The Things They Carried is a look into the mind of a soldier in the middle of war. In the book, we learn of First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, a soldier who is carrying the guilt