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120 The Things They Carried Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien is a powerful and moving novel that explores the experiences of soldiers during the Vietnam War. The book delves into the physical and emotional burdens that soldiers carry with them, both on the battlefield and in their everyday lives. With its rich and complex themes, The Things They Carried provides a wealth of essay topics for readers to explore. Here are 120 essay topic ideas and examples to help you get started:

• Discuss the significance of the title "The Things They Carried" in the novel.
• Analyze the role of storytelling in The Things They Carried.
• Explore the theme of memory and trauma in the novel.
• Compare and contrast the different characters' experiences of war in the book.
• Discuss the theme of truth and fiction in The Things They Carried.
• Analyze the significance of the items that the soldiers carry with them.
• Explore the theme of guilt and responsibility in the novel.
• Discuss the role of women in The Things They Carried.
• Analyze the depiction of the Vietnam War in the novel.
• Discuss the theme of camaraderie and friendship in The Things They Carried.
• Explore the theme of fear and courage in the book.
• Analyze the portrayal of patriotism in The Things They Carried.
• Discuss the theme of love and loss in the novel.
• Compare and contrast the different narrative styles used in the book.
• Analyze the symbolism of the river in The Things They Carried.
• Discuss the theme of morality and ethics in the novel.
• Explore the theme of identity and self-discovery in The Things They Carried.
• Analyze the role of the Vietnam War in shaping the characters' lives.
• Discuss the theme of survival and resilience in the novel.
• Compare and contrast the different perspectives on war presented in the book.
• Analyze the portrayal of violence in The Things They Carried.
• Discuss the theme of memory and trauma in the novel.
• Explore the theme of masculinity in The Things They Carried.
• Analyze the portrayal of race and ethnicity in the book.
• Discuss the theme of power and authority in The Things They Carried.
• Explore the theme of truth and lies in the novel.
• Analyze the role of language and communication in The Things They Carried.
• Discuss the theme of art and creativity in the novel.
• Compare and contrast the different coping mechanisms used by the characters in the book.
• Analyze the role of religion and spirituality in The Things They Carried.
• Discuss the theme of loss and grief in the novel.
• Explore the theme of memory and nostalgia in The Things They Carried.
• Analyze the portrayal of home and family in the book.
• Discuss the theme of time and temporality in The Things They Carried.
• Compare and contrast the different perspectives on morality presented in the novel.
• Analyze the role of music and literature in The Things They Carried.
• Discuss the theme of redemption and forgiveness in the book.
• Explore the theme of leadership and authority in The Things They Carried.
• Analyze the portrayal of trauma and PTSD in the novel.
• Discuss the theme of heroism and sacrifice in The Things They Carried.
• Compare and contrast the different experiences of love and romance in the book.
• Analyze the role of memory and nostalgia in The Things They Carried.
• Discuss the theme of community and belonging in the novel.
• Explore the theme of alienation and isolation in The Things They Carried.
• Analyze the portrayal of truth and lies in the book.
• Discuss the theme of ethics and morality in The Things They Carried.
• Compare and contrast the different perspectives on war presented in the novel.
• Analyze the role of memory and trauma in The Things They Carried.
• Discuss the theme of power and authority in the book.
• Explore the theme of survival and resilience in The Things They Carried.
• Analyze the portrayal of violence in the novel.
• Discuss the theme of masculinity and femininity in The Things They Carried.

These essay topic ideas and examples are just a starting point for exploring the rich themes and complex characters in The Things They Carried. Whether you choose to focus on a specific character, theme, or narrative technique, there are countless ways to delve deeper into this powerful and thought-provoking novel. Happy writing!

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The Things They Carried

64 pages • 2 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Stories 1-3

Stories 4-6

Stories 7-9

Stories 10-13

Stories 14-16

Stories 17-19

Stories 20-22

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

The Things They Carried is made up of 22, tightly related short stories. Why do you think the author chose to break up his narrative into individual stories rather than writing a traditional novel?

In several stories throughout the book, the narrator says, “I’m forty-three years old, true, and I’m a writer now” (171). Why do you think the narrator repeats this phrase so often? Does it change the way you read the stories and if so, how?

As the men travel through the war zone, they encounter many helpful locals, such as the women who tries to warn them not to camp by the field and the old man who guides them through the minefields. Why does the author bother to include portraits of such characters? How do they affect the overall moral tone of the book?

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105 The Things They Carried Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on the things they carried, 🔎 easy the things they carried research paper topics, 🎓 most interesting the things they carried research titles, 💡 simple the things they carried essay ideas, ❓ the things they carried essay questions.

• Literary Analysis: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
• “Dulce et Decorum Est” and “The Things They Carried”: Compare & Contrast
• Freedom in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried
• “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien: Analysis
• The Role of Women in “The Things They Carried”
• The Things They Carried: The Main Characters and the Underlying Themes
• Symbolism in The Things They Carried
• ‘The Things They Carried’ by Tim O’Brien: Reflection The year O’Brien spent in the Vietnam War had a significant impact on his work, and his impressions have turned into the stories he wants to share with the readers.
• War Theme in O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” O’Brien’s short story The Things They Carried portrays war and its impact on young soldiers, their life dreams and expectations, hardship and fears.
• Truth & Myth in O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” It is argued that in “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brien uses the concepts of myth and truth to modify the readers’ perception of actual reality.
• Biography in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien O’Brien illustrates both a combat chronicle and an author’s autobiography. The lead character has endured conflict in Vietnam to be a father and an author at the age of 43.
• Burdens’ Impact in “The Things They Carried” by O’Brien Tim O’Brien’s short story “The things they carried” narrates the experiences of young American soldiers during and after the involvement in the Vietnam War.
• “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien The Things They Carried is a book that consists of fictional stories about soldiers’ experience during the war in Vietnam.
• The Truth in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” In his book “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brien described the events during his time in Vietnam during the war, revealing the truth about the war.
• “The Accident, Say Yes” & “The Things They Carried”: Comparison The paper reviews three short stories: Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”, Gao Xingjian’s “The Accident”, and Tobias Wolff’s “Say Yes”.
• Narration, Setting, and Terms in “The Things They Carried” The central idea of the story is to determine why different people carry items that they do, note physical objects and metaphysical ideas that the soldiers bring with them.
• Emotional Trauma in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien The physical belongings of the soldiers depicted in the book “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien represent their emotional states and priorities.
• The Motif of Baggage in “The Things They Carried” This paper aims to disclose the personal things the soldiers carried with them and discuss how they reflect the inner state of their owners in “The Things They Carried”.
• The Book “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien In his book “The Things They Carried”, Tim O’Brien addresses numerous sad experiences which one of the American platoons had to suffer in this war.
• Bravery in “The Things They Carried” by T. O’Brien It is worth noting that the book The Things They Carried is a series of stories about the life of American servicemen that was written in an ironic tone.
• Textual Analysis of “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien Review The Things They Carried is a literary work authored by Tim O’Brien. The book is set at a time when the American soldiers were engrossed in the war in Vietnam.
• The Novel “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien In his novel “The Things They Carried”, Tim O’Brien depicts the story of Cameron Sullivan, who was one of the many returnees from the Vietnam conflict.
• Lieutenant Cross in O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” This essay the character of O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried,” Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, by discussing his personality in the beginning and revealing the changes in his conduct.
• Cinematic Experience of Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” “The Things They Carried” emphasizes the importance of the narrative, and the setting for the visual context and their influence on the reader’s perception of the story.
• “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien: Bright Characters With Uneasy Fates Tim O’Brien wrote stories in his book “The Things They Carried” about the simple people who happened to be at the heart of the Vietnam conflict.
• The Short Story “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien The short story “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien explores the emotional and psychological struggles that soldiers go through on the battlefield.
• The Things They Carried: What Did They Carry? Tim O’Brien’s short story, “The Things They Carried,” begins as a highly literal enumeration of objects soldiers in Vietnam carry.
• “The Things They Carried” Stories by Tim O’Brien “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is a series of stories representing the memories of O’Brien himself unrelated to each other, without a chronological order of events.
• Andrew’s Choice in Brien’s “The Things They Carried” A war is one of the most dangerous things, people’s actions may lead to. And the most terrible fact is that people serve as the major reasons for wars.
• Literary Psychoanalysis: Medicine River and The Things They Carried The novel Medicine River by Thomas King and the collection of short stories The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien can be considered rather enlightening, in the psychological sense of this word.
• All About the Vietnam War in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
• Comparing the Content, Message, and Style of Writing Between One of “These Days” by Gabriela Garcia and “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien: How to Tell a War Story
• Analyzing the Story’s Craftsman in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”
• The Things They Carried: Argumentative Synthesis
• Burden, Love, and Sacrifice in “The Things They Carried”, a Short Story by Tim O’Brien
• Comparing Historical Data From “Grand Expectations” by James T. Patterson and Fictional Work “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien on Perspectives of the Vietnam War
• Considering “The Things They Carried”: Drawing Meaning From Symbols
• The Environment That Represents the Trauma of Tim O’Brien in “The Things They Carried”
• Comparing “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien and “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel
• Analyzing the Chapters Speaking of Courage and Notes in “The Things They Carried”
• Contrasting and Comparing “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien With “Luck” by Mark Twain
• The Guilt They Carried in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”
• Coping With the Reality of Death Depicted in Tim O’Brien’s Novel “The Things They Carried”
• Crossing the Border Between Civilian and Warrior in the “Odyssey” by Homer and “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
• The Eloquent Writing and Descriptive Language in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
• Death That Affects the Behavior of People in “The Things They Carried”
• Detailed Description and Realism in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”
• Feminist and New Historical Approach to “The Things They Carried”
• Physical Items as Emotional Scars in “The Things They Carried”
• Free Structure and Symbolism in “The Things They Carried”
• The Long Term Effects of War on People in the Books “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway and “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
• How “The Things They Carried” Challenges the Conventions of the Memoir Genre
• Jimmy Cross’ Inner Values in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
• Key Facts About “The Things They Carried”
• The Effects and Influence of Stress and Trauma in “Apocalypse Now” and “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
• Justifying the Inside Fear in “The Things They Carried”
• The Hero’s Journey Archetype in On the Rainy River in “The Things They Carried”, a Novel by Tim O’Brien
• Jimmy Cross’s Final Decision in O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”
• Kiowa, Death and the Vietnam War in the Novel “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
• Lieutenant Jimmy Cross: “The Things They Carried”
• Martha’s Presence and Absence: A Critical Analysis of the Role of Women in “The Things They Carried”
• The Internal and External Conflicts in “The Things They Carried”, a Book by Tim O’Brien
• Metafiction and Author’s Intention in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”
• Writing Tactics in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’ Brien
• Physical and Emotional Burdens Carried: “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
• The Shame and Guilt of Soldiers in “The Things They Carried”, a Short Story by Tim O’Brien
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Among the Soldiers Under LT. Jimmy Cross in “The Things They Carried”, a Novel by Tim O’Brien
• Current War Conflicts in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
• Gender Discrimination, Dehumanization, and Death in “The Things They Carried”, a Novel by Tim O’Brien
• Psychological, Physical, and Mental Burdens of the Troops in “The Things They Carried”
• Reality and Fiction Blurred in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
• The Positive and Negative Ways Soldiers Cope With War in the Novel “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
• Story Truth and Happening Truth in “The Things They Carried”
• Hope and Security in “The Things They Carried”
• The Soldiers Burden: Masculinity in “The Things They Carried”
• Primary and Secondary Things in “The Things They Carried”
• Symbolism and Pathetic Fallacy in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
• The Concept and Antilogy of Necessity in “The Things They Carried”
• Social Burdens, Individual Men: The Draft, Drug Use, and PTSD in “The Things They Carried”
• The Conflict Toward Conformity and Inward Questioning of Tim O’Brien in the Novel “The Things They Carried”
• What Does Weight Represent Literally and Figuratively in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”?
• Did “The Things They Carried” Actually Happen?
• What Makes “The Things They Carried” a Story?
• How Is “The Things They Carried” a Book About Storytelling as Much as It Is a Book About War?
• What Things Did They Carry in “The Things They Carried”?
• How Does O’Brien Create a Powerful Story in “The Things They Carried”?
• What Is the Main Point of “The Things They Carried”?
• Is “The Things They Carried” Fiction or Memoir?
• Why Is “The Things They Carried” Controversial?
• What Does the Ending of “The Things They Carried” Mean?
• How Does O’Brien Use Figurative Language to Enhance the Reader’s Experience in “The Things They Carried”?
• What Is the Main Conflict in “The Things They Carried”?
• Why Has “The Things They Carried” Been Banned?
• How Does Tim O’Brien Use Imagery in “The Things They Carried”?
• What Is O’Brien Arguing About the Truth of the World and Humanity in “The Things They Carried”?
• Does “The Things They Carried” Glorify War?
• What Does the Ghost Symbolize in “The Things They Carried”?
• How Is War Depicted in “The Things They Carried”?
• What Does “The Things They Carried” Say About Death?
• Does “The Things They Carried” Relate to the Vietnam War?
• What Is the Relationship Between Facts and Truths in “The Things They Carried”?
• Is “The Things They Carried” an Anti-war Story?
• What Roles Do the Women Play in “The Things They Carried”?
• How Is PTSD Shown in “The Things They Carried”?
• Why Should People Read “The Things They Carried”?

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These essay examples and topics on The Things They Carried were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on December 27, 2023 .

Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Trauma — The Things They Carried Theme Essay

The Things They Carried Theme Essay

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Published: Mar 5, 2024

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The Things They Carried

By tim o'brien, the things they carried essay questions.

Is the book told in first person or third person? How does this affect the seeming reliability of the narrative?

The Things They Carried is narrated, alternately, in third person and first person. The first person "I" narratives feel trustworthy and personal, but O'Brien warns the reader against this very pitfall. He writes that war stories should always be mistrusted, no matter who is telling them.

What is the role of shame in the soldiers' lives? Does shame propel them to heroism or stupidity?

Shame is the reason that Tim O'Brien decided to go to Vietnam. Many of the characters feel shame as a primary motivator, too. Not only does it lead them to war, but it keeps them there. It is the one thing that keeps them from shooting themselves in the foot so that they would be discharged from the army or some similar such act. But some characters, like Curt Lemon, think that shame impels them to heroism, not stupidity.

In "The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong how does gender seem to affect reactions to war?

Mary Anne is one of the few females featured in the book, and her experience seems to suggest that war is a great equalizer between the genders. When she arrives she is innocent, sexy, and very feminine. After the war "gets to her" she becomes a killer like the others.

The central topic of The Things They Carried is the Vietnam War, but the book is also about writing and storytelling. How would you describe O'Brien's conception of the role of fiction?

O'Brien writes that fiction serves a higher purpose than merely recounting what happened. He writes that a good war story makes you wonder "is it true?" It makes you care about the answer to that question. After having provoked that authentic feeling, it does not actually matter if the story is true or not. Fiction is as good as experience.

A reoccuring theme throughout the book is expressed by the title. What do the characters carry aside from physical objects?

The characters carry emotions like sadness and fear. Jimmy Cross carries responsibility for the lives of his men. O'Brien sets up a dichotomy between weight and lightness, with war always described in terms of weight, love in terms of lightness. His characters are condemned to carry the war for the rest of their lives.

What role does Kathleen play in this book? Does she make her father feel guilty?

Kathleen, O'Brien's daughter, is a stand-in for the reader. She listens to her father's stories just as the reader does. But because she is a character she can ask him questions, including whether or not he has ever killed anyone. O'Brien's makes a guilt-tinged decision whether or not to lie, or make up stories for his daughter.

Soldiers' tales are often an opportunity for the teller to swagger, to play the hero, to seem macho. How does O'Brien portray this macho culture?

Because O'Brien is so ambivalent toward the whole project of war, it is not surprising that this book disapproves of macho storytelling. Curt Lemon is the most macho character, a man who asks a dentist to pull out a perfectly good tooth to demonstrate that he is not a sissy. Lemon dies the most horrible death imaginable, but he is still the least likeable character in the book.

Read the dedication page of the book. How is it part of the narrative?

O'Brien dedicated his book to his characters, the men he served with in Vietnam. This exemplifies the uneasy position of the book with regard to fiction and non-fiction. The author insists it is a fictional account. But elements like the dedication continue to point to the reality of what happened in Vietnam.

O'Brien writes that a story is "like a kind of dreaming." How so?

O'Brien tells war stories partly so that he can relive them again and again. He argues that each time time one tells or reads a story one breathes life into the characters. When the story is over, they are dead again, he writes. For O'Brien, fiction also resembles dreamingbecause both are involuntary: he cannot help that his experiences haunt him.

What is the role of death in this book? Is it a release from a nightmarish life, or something to be feared?

O'Brien, the narrator, is a profoundly non-religious man. For him, death is the end of the story. The sense of senselessness pervading this book is rooted in two things: the Vietnam War seems to have no real cause or justification, and the young men killed there reach the end of their lives and effectively disappear. O'Brien's non-belief in the afterlife lends a special tinge of horror to the already horrifying events.

The Things They Carried Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Things They Carried is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

is this a war story, per se? if so who is the main character, and why?

This particular story is more about sexual longing than war. Mark Fossie seems to be the main character who wants to import his girlfriend.

What is it that Jimmy cross carries with him? What do they represent?

Jimmy always carries letters from Martha. His identity and hopes for the future are part of those letters.

How does Tim kill his first enemy

I think with a grenade.

Study Guide for The Things They Carried

The Things They Carried study guide contains a biography of Tim O'Brien, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Things They Carried
• The Things They Carried Summary
• Character List

Essays for The Things They Carried

The Things They Carried essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.

• Rationalizing the Fear Within
• Physical and Psychological Burdens
• Role of Kathleen and Linda in The Things They Carried
• Let’s Communicate: It’s Not About War
• Turning Over a New Leaf: Facing the Pressures of Society

Lesson Plan for The Things They Carried

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Things They Carried
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Things They Carried Bibliography

The Things They Carried - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” delves into the multifaceted experiences of soldiers during the Vietnam War, blurring the line between fiction and reality. Essays could explore the narrative structure of the collection, its metafictional elements, and the exploration of truth, memory, and storytelling. The discussions might extend to the examination of the physical and emotional burdens carried by the soldiers, and how these tangible and intangible weights reflect the broader societal and moral dilemmas of war. Additionally, essays could delve into the character dynamics, the portrayal of camaraderie, fear, and the coping mechanisms employed by the soldiers in the face of trauma and death. The discourse might also touch upon the broader themes of war, loss, and the human capacity for resilience and redemption as explored through the narrative. Furthermore, discussions might extend to the impact of “The Things They Carried” on the war literature genre, its contribution to the discourse on the Vietnam War, and its enduring relevance in understanding the complexities of war, memory, and the human experience. We have collected a large number of free essay examples about The Things They Carried you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Character Analysis of the Things they Carried

The author of "The Things They Carried" is Tim O'Brien. His full name is William Timothy O'Brien who was born in October 1946, in Minnesota, U.S. Tim was an American soldier in the Vietnam War. In many of his novels, he talked about Vietnam War. Tim is also best known for the story he wrote named "The Things They Carried." This story was Tim's experience in the Vietnam War. He's also best known for a blurring of fiction and non-fiction […]

The Things they Carried Truth

The Things They Carried is a war novel by Vietnam War veteran, Tim O’Brien. Like many Vietnam War novels, The Things They Carried is not a typical portrayal of war. Instead of glorifying war and praising the heroic actions of renowned soldiers, O’Brien explores a different aspect of war. In The Things They Carried, O’Brien uses subjective storytelling to show the overall theme of ambiguity in the Vietnam War. His stories, which paradoxically mix fact and fiction, are able to […]

The Soldiers in the Vietnam War in the Things they Carrie

In Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried", we are told a story about what the soldiers in the Vietnam War carried with them and in particular what First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried with him. The way the story is told gives a glimpse of each soldier's personality based on the items that they carried with them. First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries letters from a girl named Martha with whom he is infatuated. Although she did not send them as love […]

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The Things they Carried Literary Essay

Award-winning and best seller novel, The Things They Carried, changed the ways many viewed the Vietnam war of 1955. Throughout the novel, Tim O'Brien works to seamlessly blur the lines dividing reality and fiction. To achieve this, he uses strong figurative language and concrete facts to engage the reader's attention. The main way he does this is through his chosen title, The Things They Carried. The theme of the book is based around the title, allowing the reader to understand […]

Time of War in the Book “The Things they Carried”

Tim O'Brien's "The things they carried" is a story from the book "The Things They Carried" in which this individual story was written based on time of war. It is an incredible story that shows up in many different anthologies ways. The story comes in an authorial fictional statement on the Vietnam War were there's a lot of really fascinating things about it. The story is brilliant in many ways, it studies the nature of young men in a time […]

Ted Lavender “The Things they Carried” – a Character Analysis

Biography and Introduction: Tim O'Brien and "The Things They Carried" Tim O'Brien was born on October 1, 1946, in Austin, Minnesota. He attended Macalester College and earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science in 1968. During his college years, he was part of anti-war demonstrations; after graduating, he received a draft notice from the Army. Unhappy about being drafted, he feared embarrassment and ridicule if he ducked the draft as he saw everyone joining, and both of his parents had […]

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In our lives, we as humans encounter situations that force us to do things we are not enthusiastic, or even comfortable, about. One might opine that these situations are what define us as people; the way we choose to act in such situations can establish the type of person we are. Will we stand strong in the face of pressure from our peers, or will we give in? This is a decision that all must face in time. Yet, it […]

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As children, we are told to believe in Santa Claus, a jolly old man who delivers gifts to all the good girls and boys in one night. But as we grow, people allude to the fact that he isn't real. However, how could this be true when we sit on his lap and tell him what we want, then receive it just weeks later? Tim O'Brien is like our Santa Claus. We are told to believe him, then later figure […]

In the Book the Things they Carried Pictures how Men Face War

Baseball is known for being America’s pastime, where we often see players throw killer fastballs or hit a grand slam. However, we also witness displays of temper. Many players use different methods to express their emotions when they strike out. For example, some players chew tobacco to calm their nerves, while others vent their anger by throwing helmets on the ground. This isn't a new phenomenon; we constantly see different ways people deal with external conflict, and how these experiences […]

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The Things They Carried is a collection of Vietnam War stories written by Tim O'Brien, a Vietnam Veteran. The book seemed to have a 100% authentic aspect, that is until reading Good Form. The Man I killed and Ambush reveal a gory recount of killing a young man in My Khe while Good Form reveals the truth about the authenticity of the recollections. Each of these stories is interrelated in what they describe, however they each offer a unique perspective […]

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In the transformation of Tim O'Brien's influential work of fiction, "The Things They Carried," into a cinematic portrayal, it brought forth an emotive narrative to the cinematic realm, delving into the intricacies of warfare, recollection, and the essence of humanity. This adaptation sought not only to visualize the physical encumbrances borne by soldiers during the era of the Vietnam War but also to encapsulate the emotional and psychological burdens that define human existence under stress. The film stands as a […]

The Depths of Significance in “The Things they Carried”: a Distinct Scholarly Exploration

In the realm of literary achievement, Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" stands as a singular creation, weaving an intricate tapestry of human emotion against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. This literary marvel transcends conventional boundaries, offering a narrative experience unparalleled in its depth and complexity. Through meticulous craftsmanship and innovative storytelling, O'Brien crafts a work that is truly one-of-a-kind, inviting readers to embark on an unparalleled journey of introspection and revelation. At its core, "The Things They Carried" […]

Norman Bowker: Echoes of Unspoken Wounds in ‘The Things they Carried’

Norman Bowker, a figure etched into the fabric of Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," embodies the intricate web of emotional scars and unspoken burdens that war imposes on the human soul. Within the mosaic of memories and reflections that compose the narrative, Bowker emerges as a poignant character, a silent sentinel of the unseen turmoil that lingers long after the battlegrounds fade. Initially portrayed as a conscientious soldier, Bowker's evolution throughout the story mirrors the profound transformation wrought by […]

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Essay About The Things They Carried Contradictions are a natural part of everyday life, simple ones, and complicated contradictions, and it is normal to find them in our lives, and in novels. The author in the story, The Things They Carried, uses contradictions to explain how he is feeling throughout the war without directly saying it. These contradictions show the hidden messages that Tim O’Brien is trying to get across to the reader. These hidden messages are what help to create his story and give it a deeper meaning. Each one of these messages contributes greatly and helps to emphasize the overall theme of the story, which is that each person carries something with the whether we can see it or not. Some of these things that we carry with us are what can drag us down without anyone even knowing it. In the story “The Things They Carried” the author, Tim O’Brien sends his secret messages through the contradictions that he shares inside of each of his war stories. One of the contradictions that O’Brien uses in the story is how people like to believe that the reason behind a war is because people are fighting for what they believe in, but in reality, there is not much reason, and people do not even volunteer to do it. This is shown through all of the things that the soldiers carry throughout the war. “They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing—these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight.” (O’Brien, 23). This quote explains the trauma, stress, and guilt that the soldiers go through within the war. Each tangible and intangible item adds weight to the soldiers and makes the war even harder for them to get through. The reason for fighting in the war is lost as they can’t even remember what they believe in once they hear the first gunshot. O’Brien uses a contradiction, to show how “strong” many people may think that the soldiers in the war are, and how strong the war will make them. O’Brien tries to show how people think of how strong they are, and how no one is thinking of the simple fact that they are human. It is human instinct to talk about their problems instead of bottling them up inside. O’Brien shows how soldiers, like any normal human, need to express their feelings, or it can end up badly, and he shows this contradiction through Norman Bowker. In the story, Speaking of Courage, it states, “And then he would have talked about the medal he did not win and why he did not win it.” (O’Brien 135). Norman Bowker was begging anyone to talk to him, to listen to every problem that he had inside of him, and to tell how he lost his very best friend as he was actually trying to save him, but unfortunately, he could not find someone soon enough. This also shows how the war did not make Norman Bowker stronger, like some may think it would, but in fact, it broke him down completely, and that in itself is a contradiction. Another contradiction that he uses is how he tries to create the theme of a true war story all while making up each of the war stories. One of the stories he wrote titled “The Man I Killed” shows this as it talks about a man who has felt guilty for killing a man during the war. The story states, “Listen to me,' Kiowa said. 'You feel terrible, I know that.' Then he said, 'Okay, maybe I don't know.' (O’Brien 121). As shown in this quote and in this particular story, it seems as if O’Brien is trying to make the reader feel what the character is feeling. This is a contradiction because Tim O’Brien is using this made-up character to express his own true feelings through a story, about a fake character. He portrays this story as if he wants the readers to believe that the stories are actually true. O’Brien did not actually kill anyone, but yet he still felt guilty for all of the other people who died and for the families that were losing someone that they loved. For these reasons, he tried to make the readers feel what he was feeling, which perhaps is why although the story is not true, it truly is a true war story, because the feeling, to him, was all too real. Overall, in The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien uses different forms of contradictions, in order to make the reader feel exactly how he felt during the war, to let them temporarily put the weight that was on him onto the person reading his novel. Through the made-up/fictional characters and stories, he gave the reader the feeling of how war really is, and not how it is portrayed in movies and other novels, he gave the readers a one time experience of a true war story and helped the readers to understand that not all things are as they seem. 

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• The Things They Carried

Tim O'Brien

• Literature Notes
• Book Summary
• About The Things They Carried
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• On the Rainy River
• Enemies and Friends
• How to Tell a True War Story
• The Dentist
• Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong
• The Man I Killed and Ambush
• Speaking of Courage
• In the Field
• The Ghost Soldiers
• The Lives of the Dead
• Character Analysis
• Tim O'Brien
• Lt. Jimmy Cross
• Norman Bowker
• Mary Anne Bell
• Henry Dobbins
• Tim O'Brien Biography
• Critical Essays
• The Things They Carried in a Historical Context
• Narrative Structure in The Things They Carried
• Style and Storytelling in The Things They Carried
• The Things They Carried and Loss of Innocence
• The Things They Carried and Questions of Genre
• Full Glossary for The Things They Carried
• Essay Questions
• Practice Projects
• Cite this Literature Note

Summary and Analysis The Things They Carried

An unnamed narrator describes in third person the thoughts and actions of Jimmy Cross, the lieutenant of an Army unit on active combat duty in the Vietnam War. Lt. Cross is preoccupied by thoughts of Martha, a young woman he dated before he joined the Army. He thinks about letters she wrote him; he thinks about whether or not she is a virgin; he thinks about how much he loves her and wants her to love him. Her letters do not indicate that she feels the same way.

The narrator lists things that the soldiers carry with them, both tangible and intangible, such as Lt. Cross's picture of and feelings for Martha. Other members of the unit are introduced through descriptions of the things they carry, such as Henry Dobbins who carries extra food, Ted Lavender who carries tranquilizer pills, and Kiowa who carries a hunting hatchet. O'Brien introduces readers to the novel's primary characters by describing the articles that the soldiers carry. The level of detail O'Brien offers about the characters is expanded upon and illuminated in the chapters that follow, though O'Brien distills the essence of each characters' personality through the symbolic items each carries. Henry Dobbins carries a machine gun and his girlfriend's pantyhose. Dave Jensen carries soap, dental floss, foot powder, and vitamins. Mitchell Sanders carries condoms, brass knuckles, and the unit's radio. Norman Bowker carries a diary. Kiowa carries a volume of the New Testament and moccasins. Rat Kiley carries his medical kit, brandy, comic books, and M&M's candy. The narrator offers additional detail about selected items; for example, the poncho Ted Lavender carries will later be used by his fellow soldiers to carry his dead body.

This device is an example of the author and narrator embedding small details in the text that will be further explained later in the book. It is important to note, too, how the details are selective; they are recalled by a character, the unnamed narrator of the chapter. The details of what each man carries are funneled through the memory of this narrator.

O'Brien details at great length what all the men carry: standard gear, weapons, tear gas, explosives, ammunitions, entrenching tools, starlight scopes, grenades, flak jackets, boots, rations, and the Army newsletter. They also carry their grief, terror, love, and longing, with poise and dignity. O'Brien's extended catalog of items creates a picture in the reader's mind that grows incrementally. O'Brien's technique also allows each character to be introduced with a history and a unique place within the group of men.

Lt. Cross is singled out from the group, and O'Brien offers the most detail about his interior feelings and thoughts. Many of these soldiers "hump," or carry, photographs, and Lieutenant Cross has an action shot of Martha playing volleyball. He also carries memories of their date and regrets that he did not try to satisfy his desire to become intimate with her by tying her up and touching her knee. O'Brien stresses that Lt. Cross carries all these things, but in addition carries the lives of his men.

Even as O'Brien opens The Things They Carried, he sets forth the novel's primary themes of memory and imagination and the opportunity for mental escape that these powers offer. For example, as Lt. Cross moves through the rigorous daily motions of combat duty, his mind dwells on Martha. Importantly, as he thinks about Martha, he does not merely recall memories of her; instead he imagines what might be, such as "romantic camping trips" into the White Mountains in New Hampshire. O'Brien describes these longings of Lt. Cross as "pretending." Pretending is a form of storytelling, that is, telling stories to oneself. O'Brien underscores the importance of Lt. Cross's actions by emphasizing the artifacts — Martha's letters and photograph — and characterizes Lt. Cross as the carrier of these possessions as well as of his love for Martha.

O'Brien moves from employing the literary technique of describing the soldiers' physical artifacts to introducing the novel's primary characters. The minute details he provides about objects that individuals carry is telling, and particular attention should be paid to these details because they foreshadow the core narratives that comprise the novel. This technique of cataloging the things the soldiers carry also functions to create fuller composites of the characters, and by extension make the characters seem more real to readers.

This aesthetic of helping readers connect with his characters is O'Brien's primary objective in the novel, to make readers feel the story he presents as much as is physically and emotionally possible, as if it were real. Though the minutiae that O'Brien includes — for example the weight of a weapon, the weight of a radio, the weight of a grenade in ounces — seems superfluous, it is supposed to be accretive in his readers' imaginations so that they can begin to feel the physical weight of the burdens of war, as well as, eventually, the psychological and emotional burdens (so much as it is possible for a non-witness to war to perceive). O'Brien's attention to sensory detail also supports this primary objective of evoking a real response in the reader.

With Lavender's death, O'Brien creates a tension between the "actuality" of Lt. Cross's participation in battle and his interior, imagined fantasies that give him refuge. In burning Martha's letters and accepting blame for Lavender's death, Cross's conflicting trains of thought signal the reader to be cautious when deciding what is truth or fantasy and when assigning meaning to these stories. While he destroyed the physical accoutrements, the mementos of Martha, Lt. Cross continues to carry the memory of her with him. To that memory is also added the burden of grief and guilt. Despite this emotional burden, O'Brien, as he continues in the following chapter, begins to highlight the central question of the novel: Why people carry the things they do?

rucksack A kind of knapsack strapped over the shoulders.

foxhole A hole dug in the ground as a temporary protection for one or two soldiers against enemy gunfire or tanks.

perimeter A boundary strip where defenses are set up.

heat tabs Fuel pellets used for heating C rations.

C rations A canned ration used in the field in World War II.

R & R Rest and recuperation, leave.

Than Khe (also Khe Sahn) A major battle in the Tet Offensive, the siege lasted well over a month in the beginning of 1968. Khe Sahn was thought of as an important strategic location for both the Americans and the North Vietnamese. American forces were forced to withdraw from Khe Sahn.

SOP Abbreviation for standard operating procedure.

RTO Radio telephone operator who carried a lightweight infantry field radio.

grunt A U.S. infantryman.

hump To travel on foot, especially when carrying and transporting necessary supplies for field combat.

platoon A military unit composed of two or more squads or sections, normally under the command of a lieutenant: it is a subdivision of a company, troop, and so on.

medic A medical noncommissioned officer who gives first aid in combat; aidman; corpsman.

M-60 American-made machine gun.

PFC Abbreviation for Private First Class.

Spec 4 Specialist Rank, having no command function; soldier who carries out orders.

M-16 The standard American rifle used in Vietnam after 1966.

flak jacket A vestlike, bulletproof jacket worn by soldiers.

KIA Abbreviation for killed in action, to be killed in the line of duty.

chopper A helicopter.

dustoff Medical evacuation by helicopter.

Claymore antipersonnel mine An antipersonnel mine that scatters shrapnel in a particular, often fan-shaped, area when it explodes.

Starlight scope A night-vision telescope that enables a user to see in the dark.

tunnel complexes The use of tunnels by the Viet Cong as hiding places, caches for food and weapons, headquarter complexes and protection against air strikes and artillery fire was a characteristic of the Vietnam war.

The Stars and Stripes A newsletter-style publication produced for servicemen by the U.S. Army.

Bronze Star A U.S. military decoration awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement or service in combat not involving aerial flight.

Purple Heart A U.S. military decoration awarded to members of the armed forces wounded or killed in action by or against an enemy: established in 1782 and re-established in 1932.

entrenching tool A shovel-like tool, among its other uses, used to dig temporary fortifications such as foxholes.

zapped Killed.

freedom bird Any aircraft which returned servicemen to the U.S.

sin loi From Vietnamese, literally meaning excuse me, though servicemen came to understand the term as meaning too bad or tough luck.

Previous Character List

The Things They Carried

Tim o’brien, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Mortality and Death

The threat, even expectation, of death hangs over all of the soldiers in The Things They Carried . Even before he reaches Vietnam, Tim O'Brien (both the author of the collection and the frequent first person narrator) meditates on the inevitability of his death after he is drafted in "On The Rainy River," and considers dodging the draft and fleeing to Canada. The collection is haunted by the deaths of O'Brien's comrades—Ted Lavender, Curt Lemon…

Social Obligation

In The Things They Carried , O'Brien often focuses on how the men in his stories, even if they volunteered to fight, joined the army because of the unspoken pressure to fulfill their obligations as citizens and soldiers. These social obligations range from that of wider society (government, city/town) and narrows to the nuclear (family, friends, personal reflection). After being drafted in "On the Rainy River," Tim O'Brien runs from his hometown and ends up…

Within the stories in The Things They Carried the characters tell many stories to each other, and the question always asked of the storyteller is "What's the moral?" In "How to Tell a True War Story," Mitchell Sanders tells O'Brien about a company who has to lie dormant and watchful in the pitch-blackness over a village. They begin to have auditory hallucinations: champagne glasses clinking, music playing, a full chamber orchestra. They aren't supposed to…

Storytelling and Memory

Storytelling in The Things They Carried operates on multiple levels: at the level of the book itself, the stories within stories, and the reflections on the value of these stories both in the context of the war and then post-war. "The Lives of the Dead" speaks to O'Brien's belief that stories have the power to give an entire life to those who have passed on. He refers to his childhood love Linda who passed away…

Shame and Guilt

Shame and guilt are constant and often inextricable themes in The Things They Carried . Soldiers felt obligated to go to war for fear of embarrassing themselves, their families, and their towns if they fled. This embarrassment is bolstered by the guilt of not being "masculine" enough—not being brave, heroic, and patriotic enough. O'Brien reflects on how he thought he had a secret reserve of bravery and heroism stored away, waiting for the moment when…

O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”: Literary Analysis

Introduction, the things they carried: critical analysis and impressions.

The essay analyzes “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien. This collection of short stories is devoted to a platoon of American soldiers who fight in the Vietnam War. The book is a powerful blend of fact and fiction that leaves the reader with a lasting impression of fear, love, and gratitude for the novel’s components. When describing the tangibles, O’Brien incorporates weight and number to force the pressures of the soldiers onto the reader.

As the plot unfolds, O’Brien moves the reader through scenes of war, telling multiple stories of love, death, and friendships combining with a narrative. More specifically, O’Brien incorporates interruptions of himself talking to us like the reader is watching a movie, and he keeps pressing pause to explain a scene that we might not have fully grasped. In this paper, a literary analysis of “The Things They Carried” will be presented to reveal the significance of the act of “listening” to its reader.

O’Brien takes the reader through a series of repeated utterances as depicted through cyclic stories of love, war, and death vividly, engaging the reader into an active session of a movie-like scene. More importantly, several pauses are encountered throughout the story, as the author tries to explain some examples which the reader may not have otherwise understood.

Throughout the book, O’Brien tells the audience about war stories, in which some instances remain doubtful about their validity. As seen from the following quote, Tim’s war story makes the reader to render it invalid when he says the stories are mere imaginations: “The thing about a story is that you dream it as you tell it, hoping that others might then dream along with you…..memory and imagination and language combine to make spirits in the head….. There is the illusion of aliveness…” (O’Brien 230).

As O’Brien reveals to the reader various scenarios telling stories of death and friendship, warfare conditions, and love relationships, he incorporates disruption of himself talking to the audience as if they are watching a film. It is the author’s complex blend of fact and fiction, which takes the reader into an in-depth understanding of the underlying implication of “The Things They Carried” short stories. The analysis shows that the novel sounds more to a narrative than the story, where every twinge is factual beyond reality.

Particularly, O’Brien engrosses the reader into an active listening-like session through his utterances of vivid description of war scenarios, making the novel more involving than just mere storytelling. As seen from the quote, “If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste…then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie…” (O’Brien 68).

As has been noted, O’Brien presents severe events in fiction as a strategy to emphasize how dangerous the situation was during the time of the war. Concerning the novel’s title, the soldiers are brought out having a variety of objects and practices they carried in a foreign land they went for battle. As O’ Brien (82) utters “… It’s safe to say that in a true war story nothing is ever absolutely true… Sometimes war is beautiful, sometimes it’s horrible…” there appears to be pain and happiness in war.

Though this theme may seem confusing, it takes the reader into the inner revelation of how the soldiers were undergoing a blend of experiences in which some made them happy while others saddened them. As a result, most of the unfolding in this novel ends up engaging the reader into active listening scenarios, which facilitate a deeper understanding of the underlying issues.

As it is noted, O’Brien takes the readers through a story of his current self, which seems more a story than real experience. His frequent questioning of the definition of a “true story” and what truth implies in any story engages the reader into active sessions of listening to his utterances. At the same time, the author engages the reader into a description of the numerous deaths of his champions in a repetition manner.

For instance, O’Brien (129) describes the shape of the dead man’s eye more than five times in the previous chapters. A vivid account of the author’s remarks on various events through his repetition tendency to engage the reader into the active unfolding of his intentions to write the novel emerges as a film like presentation since it requires the close attention of his utterances. By so doing, O’Brien succeeds in engaging his audience into active sessions through his blend of literary devices to present various ideas.

Also, O’Brien seems to exaggerate in his vivid accounts of the experience the soldiers in the war. Through describing the war in various dimensions, the author leaves the readers feeling burdened with hardships and turmoil that his soldiers were undergoing, though some doubt about its actual existence remains an imminent issue to his audience.

As O’Brien (75) reveals, “…and the whole war is right there in that stare. It says everything you can’t ever say…” the warfare situation seems harsh and unbearable among the soldiers, since some end up being killed with others brutalized in various ways. Notably, the act of listening in most of the author’s utterances seems quite crucial in the sense that it provides the reader with a vivid account of the happenings presented in this novel.

While describing the tangibles, O’Brien describes the entire scenario of how each character was armed with a variety of objects as they set for the war. It is the force and the weight of the flamboyant explanation of the setting to the war by the soldiers that engage the reader into more active participation in the entire scene.

For instance, “…every third or fourth person carried a Claymore antipersonnel mine – 3.5 pounds with its firing device…they carried fragmentation of grenades – 14 ounces each…they all carried at least one M-18 colored smoke grenade – 24 ounces…” (O’Brien 7).

Quite significantly, the use of repetition in this extract seems to engross the reader into a more precise account of the actual setting of the soldiers into the war. This leaves the reader into active listening of the utterances of the author as he tries to bring into attention how much the soldiers were prepared for the war.

This essay analyzes Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried.” This collection of short stories is devoted to a platoon of American soldiers who fight in the Vietnam War. In summary, the act of listening in this book is quite crucial in the sense that it provides the reader with a more profound revelation of the utterances presented by O’Brien. More so, close following of the stories told by the author through the act of listening unveils the real nature of the scenes despite seeming like a blend of fiction and reality. On this basis, therefore, O’Brien succeeds in facilitating activeness among his audience through his use of language and various rhetorical devices to present his ideas uniquely.

O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried . New York: Broadway Publisher, 1998.

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Bibliography

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