The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien

About the Author ► Born Oct. 1, 1946 in MN ► His father fought in WWII  Inspired O’Brien to become a writer ► Attended Macalester College in MN ► Spent college attending peace vigils and war protests against Vietnam War ► Received his draft notice 2 weeks after graduating college at age 21 ► Served in Quang Ngai Province for a year ► He was wounded and returned home with a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star for Valor, and a Combat Infantry Badge

Context ► Has been heralded as one of the finest volumes of fiction about the Vietnam War ► The work gained attention and wide acclaim not only for its subject matter but also for its honesty and specificity, its discussion of fact and fiction, and its commentary on memory and on the act of storytelling itself. Much of the material in the work has been drawn from O’Brien’s experiences. ► O’Brien inserts himself into his stories—in order to anchor his narratives to a larger world, but also because he is unable to escape the often terrifying memories of his war experience.

► The protagonist, who is named Tim O’Brien, begins by describing an event that occurred in the middle of his Vietnam experience. ► The Things They Carried catalogs the variety of things his fellow soldiers in the Alpha Company brought on their missions. Several of these things are intangible, including guilt and fear, while others are specific physical objects, including matches, morphine, M-16 rifles, and M&M’s candy.

Alpha Company ► Tim O’Brien—narrator and protagonist; pacifist; relates stories to deal with guilt ► Lt. Jimmy Cross—leader; preoccupied with unrequited love (Martha); wracked with guilt ► Mitchell Sanders—likeable character; father figure ► Kiowa--O’Brien’s closest friend and a model of quiet, rational morality ► Norman Bowker--embodies the damage that the war can do to a soldier long after the war is over ► Henry Dobbins—platoon’s machine gunner/gentle giant ► Bob “Rat” Kiley— (19), platoon’s medic;

► Curt Lemon—childish and careless (represents the immaturity of many soldiers) ► Other soldiers in Alpha Company:  Ted Lavender  Lee Strunk  Dave Jensen  Azar  Bobby Jorgenson

Other Characters ► Elroy Berdahl--proprietor of the Tip Top Lodge on the Rainy River near the Canadian border ► Kathleen—O’Brien’s fictional daughter ► Mark Fossie—a medic in Rat Kiley’s previous assignment  Mary Anne Bell—high school sweetheart ► Linda—O’Brien’s first love

Themes ► Physical and Emotional Burdens ► Fear of Shame as Motivation ► The Subjection of Truth to Storytelling ► Ambiguous Morality ► Loneliness and Isolation

Symbols ► The Dead Young Vietnamese Soldier ► Linda ► Kathleen Tim O’Brien in Vietnam

“How to Tell a True War Story” “In any war story, but especially a true one, it’s difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen. What seems to happen becomes its own happening and has to be told that way. The angles of vision are skewed…. The pictures get jumbled; you tend to miss a lot. And then afterward, when you go to tell about it, there is always that surreal seemingness, which makes the story seem untrue, but which in fact represents the hard and exact truth as it seemed (71).