The Things They CARRIED

Author

Author Author: Tim O’ Brien Born 1946 Inspired by his own father’s written accounts of battles like Iwo Jima and Okinawa during WWII. O’Brien also became a soldier when he was drafted to fight in the Vietnam

Author Author O’Brien strongly opposed the war in Vietnam, but fought bravely We was wounded in battle and returned home with numerous honors. These include: Bronze Star of valor Combat Infantry Badge Purple Heart

General Informaton

General Information General Information The Things They Carried is a sequence of interrelated stories about different soldiers fighting in Vietnam It is viewed as one of the foremost works of literature concerning the Vietnam war.

General Information General Information The narrative is a mix of O’Brien’s personal experiences and fiction The main character in the story is named Tim O’Brien The protagonist Tim O’Brien is a fictional character. There are elements linked to the real O’Brien, but other aspects are unique to the character The most clear example of the difference between the real and fictional O’Brien is that the author never killed a man in battle

Literary Focus

Literary Focus Literary Focus Type of Work Genre Setting (time) Setting (place) Collection of interconnected short stories War stories; coming-of-age stories; memory stories Shifts between the Vietnam War in the late 1960s and the narrator’s immediate past, twenty years after the war  Vietnam and Massachusetts

Literary Focus Literary Focus Narrator Point of View Tim O’Brien (the character)   Uses a mix of 1st person and 3rd person The effect is one of being able to take the reader into emotional situations through 1st person narrative and distance the reader from situations through the 3rd person perspective

Literary Focus Literary Focus Tone Foreshadowing An introspective tone that relies on a self-conscious examination of human nature and human interactions The deaths of several characters are mentioned prior to the description of their deaths. This foreshadowing adds a sense of dread and suspense to the novel

Literary Focus Literary Focus Conflict Symbolism Tim O’Brien and the other soldiers struggle with the effects—both immediate and long-term—of the Vietnam War. The seemingly insignificant items the men carry with them are symbolic of the important small details, the overlooked instances of both joy and regret, that dominate human existence

Themes and Focus Themes and Focus Emotional Baggage: Perception: the grief, guilt, fear, love, and memories each man carries with him into war and from war dominates the narrative Perception: the pressures society places on people weigh heavily on the backs of the soldiers O’Brien’s character specifically reports to war because of the fear of disapproval more than any feelings of patriotism

Themes and Focus Themes and Focus Courage and Manhood: The doubts, baggage and fears of perception all play into the ideas of what is true courage and what determines manhood With perspective and experience these definitions change and alter throughout the novel

Summary

Summary and Plot Overview The main character O’Brien catalogs the different things the other soldiers in his fighting company brought to war These “things” can be intangible items such as guilt or fear They can also be tangible items such as matches, morphine, M-16 rifles, and even M&M candy!

Summary and Plot Overview In the section “Lost” Lieutenant Jimmy Cross deals with his feelings over a college crush and guilt over his perceived shortcomings in battle “On the Rainy River” details the events that led to O’Brien coming to Vietnam

Summary and Plot Overview “The Dentist” details a visit from Alpha Company member Curt Lemon to the dentist “Friends” detail a pact made between friends regarding injury in battle

Summary and Plot Overview Within each of these stories is often a common thread: men dealing with loss and guilt These emotions are “things they carry” well after they are done fighting in battle

Characters

Character Analysis Character Analysis The protagonist and narrator Enters the war a scared young man afraid of the shame that dodging the war would bring him As a middle-aged man he struggles to cope with his painful memories and emotional baggage He is conflicted over his own personal beliefs and those of his country and family Character Analysis Tim O’Brien

Character Analysis Character Analysis Other Characters Jimmy Cross: An immature college student who signs up for the reserves because of his friends Mitchell Sanders: Loyal and pragmatic individual who doesn’t believe war teaches lessons or truths Kiowa A Baptist and a Native American, who brings a perspective different from that of his fellow soldiers