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The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. Lyona Elie Rose Gonzalez Stephanie Ng. Plot Summary.

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The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

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  1. The Things They Carriedby Tim O'Brien Lyona ElieRose GonzalezStephanie Ng

  2. Plot Summary • The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, is a novel that describes various situations from his perspective as well as different characters’, who deal with the immediate and long-term effects of the Vietnam War. At first glance, the novel seems like a typical war story, but as it progresses, readers understand more about the hardships of war. Readers can see the emotions and problems that each soldier faced.

  3. Themes • Warfare-the book is mainly set in a war zone during the Vietnam War. • Truth- Whether or not it actually happened is beside the point; something can even have happened and not be true. -O'Brien portrays "story-truth" instead of the "happening-truth • Fear/cowardice/bravery- the soldiers fear of cowardice itself, which drives men to perform acts that their consciences wouldn't otherwise allow. -All their strength is a reaction against the fear of weakness.

  4. Themes (cont.) • Friendship- Friendship with other soldiers is the most important relationship in the mens' lives – more important than romantic or familial ones back home. It's what keeps them going. • Guilt/blame/redemption- The deaths of the soldiers in war affect everyone else there because they all feel like they could have or should have done something to prevent it. • Reputation-“they carried their reputations.”-They wouldn't admit they wanted to go home or show any form of weakness because of the fear of emasculation.

  5. Characters • Tim O'Brien- protagonist who tells the story of his experiences in war in order to cope with the confusion and guilt • Mitchell Sanders- radio and brass nuckles; father-figure type and a very like-able character • Mary Anne Bell- symbolizes the affects of war and the barbaric nature that overwhelms them • Ted Lavender- used drugs to calm himself down; dies when taking a slash

  6. Characters • Lt. Jimmy Cross- Martha's letters and pictures; responsible for his soldiers and their well-being • Kiowa- Bible; O'Brien's BFF; a model of rational morality • Dave Jensen- Soap and dental floss(clean freak); his actions speak louder than his words(Lee Strunk situation) • Norman Bowker- diary and Vietnamese boy's thumb for good luck; commits suicide instead of adapting to civilization • Bob “Rat” Kiley- M&Ms and comic books; medic who shoots himself

  7. EXCERPT • “True war stories do not generalize. They do not indulge in abstraction or analysis. For example: War is hell. As a moral declaration the old truism seems perfectly true, and yet because it abstracts, because it generalizes, I can’t believe it with my stomach. Nothing turns inside. It comes down to gut instinct. A true war story, if truly told, makes the stomach believe.” (Page 78)

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