The Things They Carried Passage Analysis Essay

A literary technique is a device employed in literature to add depth to a writer’s work. These techniques can be obvious, such as the technique of rhyme in a poem, or subtle, such as juxtaposition, which can go unnoticed by the reader. In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien uses many such techniques to provide more depth to his book. Four literary techniques used by Tim O’Brien are symbolism, pathetic fallacy, irony, and juxtaposition.

In Tim O’Brien’s book, The Things They Carried, he discusses the many things American troops carried such as supplies and personal belongings. Another thing the troops carried were the emotional burdens of their lives. In this essay, I will discuss how the first chapter “The Things They Carried” relates to the chapter called “Love.” I will mainly examine Jimmy Cross’s fascination with a woman named Martha. Next, I will discuss three different sources that give O’Brien’s book context.

The Things They Carried Writing Prompt What do you carry on the regular basis? Could it be a pencil, your favorite book, or a lucky charm bracelet? One thing for sure is that if you had to go off to war, that isn’t the only thing you’ll carry with you, instead you’ll think twice about it.

Many may question the true meaning of love. However, there is not an exact description. According to Merriam-Webster, The full definition of love is “a (1): strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties-maternal love for a child (2): attraction based on sexual desire: affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3): affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests”. Love played a role in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried. First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is the platoon leader. While stationed in the Vietnam, Lieutenant Cross was infatuated with Martha. He used his memory and imagination to escape from the scenes from the war.

Throughout The Things They Carried, O'Brien includes not only cursing to describe events and people, but also diction. The use of this element allows the reader to focus and engage with the setting and things happening in this book, as most stories were set in the Vietnam War. Like this passage says, "To carry something was to hump it". All soldiers humped something, whether it was a memory or a good luck charm, they all did it. When everyday war language such as the word "humped" or any profanity is spoken in the novel, the reader is able to get a feel for their backgrounds and the relationships that these men are building, whether they are good or bad. It also reveals ones character traits and personality.

For countless of people today, the Vietnam war is just something from the past, but for Tim O’Brien, the Vietnam War will endlessly be with him. This one year in Vietnam changes the lives of this platoon from emotional pain, physical pain, as well as muscle pain will commence to cloud their vision. The weight of the things that they carried takes great effect on them that they have to continue to endure on this one year trip in Vietnam and remember these memories for the rest of their lives..

“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is a short story written about the Vietnam War. The title has two meanings. The first is their duties and equipment for the war. The second, the emotional sorrows they were put through while at war. Their wants and needs, the constant worry of death were just a few of the emotional baggage they carried. During the Vietnam War, like all wars, there were hard times. Being a soldier wasn’t easy. Soldiers always see death, whether it be another soldier or an enemy. In “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brien explores the motivation of solders in the Vietnam War to understand their role in combat, to stay in good health, and accept the death of a fellow soldier.

            Tim O’Brien brings the characters and stories to life in The Things They Carried. He uses a writing style that brings stories to life by posing questions between the relationship of reality and fiction (Calloway 249). This is called metafiction and it exposes the truth through the literary experience. Tim O’Brien uses metafiction to make the characters and stories in The Things They Carried realistically evocative of the Vietnam War.

While we all carry heavy physical burdens, we also all carry heavy emotional burdens, composed of grief, terror, love, and hate. In Maya Angelou's I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and Tim O’Brien The Things We Carried both protagonist reflects on their physical and emotional burdens very similar. O'Brien had many physical and emotional burdens the main one was that he didn't believe in war and what it stood for and when he got drafted to fight he was debating whether or not to go. On the other hand Maya had a very bad upbringing from racism to bullying and being a victim of rape.

In the list of all the things the soldiers carried, what item was most surprising? Which item did you find most evocative of the war? Foot powder was most surprising to me. This also shows us how much these soldiers had to travel in the war.

They carried backpacks and pencils. They carried pens and notebooks and textbooks and basic books. They carried the pressures of meeting their friends’ expectations or even worse their parents’ expectations. Drew Birch carries the loss of his father, the headphones he was gifted by his ninety year old grandmother seven years ago, which he still use proudly. Bailey Allwine carried a water bottle and healthy snacks and running shoes, as she always tried to be the healthiest person in the room, and quite often was. They carried their relationships and friendships.

The text, ‘The Things They Carried', is an excellent example which reveals how individuals are changed for the worse through their first hand experience of war. Following the lives of the men both during and after the war in a series of short stories, the impact of the war is accurately portrayed, and provides a rare insight into the guilt stricken minds of soldiers. ‘The Things They Carried' shows the impact of the war in its many forms: the suicide of an ex-soldier upon his return home; the lessening sanity of a medic as the constant death surrounds him; the trauma and guilt of all the soldiers after seeing their friends die, and feeling as if they could have saved them; and the deaths of the soldiers, the most negative impact a war

     In Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried, numerous themes are illustrated by the author. Through the portrayal of a number of characters, Tim O’Brien suggests that to adapt to Vietnam is not always more difficult than to revert back to the lives they once knew. Correspondingly the theme of change is omnipresent throughout the novel, specifically in the depiction of numerous characters.

In the short story “The Things They Carried”, Tim O’Brien wrote about the experience of war and the feelings young soldiers felt during their long days of travel. During the story he keeps referring back to the things the soldiers chose to carry in their packs. Some of these items included necessity items like grenades and ammunition, but they also carry sentimental items like love letters and pictures. These items help the reader better understand each person for who they are and help us to understand the physical situation the soldiers are in. In “The Things They Carried”, Tim O’Brien describes the item the soldiers carry in their packs and the emotional weight they carry to help give a better

How can two stories be so different yet so similar at the same time? In The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, the author depicts the life of the soldiers as they are in Vietnam. He writes about what the soldiers carry in their bags, but he gives it a deeper meaning. He writes about the soldier’s life, all the emotional baggage they carry with leaving their loved ones and the pain of losing a fellow soldier. In “The Lone Ranger and Tonto fistfight in Heaven” by Sherman Alexie, Victor goes through different encounters where he experiences racism. He ends up going back to his reservation and getting a job. These two stories are similar through the freight, “any load or burden” (YourDictionary.com), the characters carry and how the characters are seen as the enemy. Although they have these similarities, they also have their differences. Their differences are the main character’s conflict with their