Essay They Carried

Submitted By rockwell101
Words: 534
Pages: 3
Open Document
The Things They Carried is an intriguing, realistic novel about the Vietnam War. Based on his own experiences, Tim O’Brien writes short stories about serving as a United States soldier in the war. Most interestingly, Tim O’Brien explains his thoughts about death, and how he dealt with it every day of his career. I was extremely interested to learn about the Vietnam War, because I had very little previous knowledge about the subject. I also wanted to know more about what it is like to be in battle. This novel gave me a new perspective about the Vietnam War, and how challenging it is to be a soldier in war. Reading The Things They Carried, broadened my knowledge about the Vietnam War, but even more so, I learned what it was like to be a soldier during that terrifying time. I now have a better idea about what it was like to be on the battlefield. I was also fascinated by the thoughts of the soldiers. For example, Tim O’Brien explains what happened when he killed someone for the first time. He copes with this trauma by imagining the whole life of the man he killed. He envisions that the weak Vietnamese man was forced into battle so he would not disgrace his family. Tim then realizes that he took the man’s whole life away from him. Tim took him from his family, friends, and loved ones. The author then understands that just as easily and quickly, the same things could be taken away from him. He imagines the sorrow he has just created for an entire family. Reading the author’s inner-thoughts was extremely interesting. I now have the utmost respect for soldiers; they have to cope with the horrors of death every day. While reading The Things They Carried, I was introduced to an extensive amount of new military vocabulary, both official military terms as well as slang used by soldiers. For example, Dustoff and RTO are official military terms. RTO stands for radio transmission operator. The RTO’s job is to communicate with the military headquarters about emergency information. In the Vietnam War,
Show More

Related Documents: Essay They Carried

Things They Carried

held is now gone, which bring these men nothing but a charge of new worries and emotions. In Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”, also known as the first chapter, is a captivative, up close story about the soldiers in the Vietnam War. Many soldiers do not want to be there and many are young as well.The first chapter connects to the title by stating the things the men carried. O’Brien not only lists the items they took on their duty, but demonstrates the emotional baggage that lies heavy in their…

Words 772 - Pages 4

Things They Carried Shame

They Carried, a novel written by Tim O’Brien, the reader is introduced to the everlasting psychological effects of war through his recollection of his own experiences. He incorporates fiction into his story and into the perspectives of other characters whom all faced their own tragedies. Tim O’Brien’s purpose in writing The Things They Carried is to explore the impact of shame on the youth who were forced to join the war. To commence, O’Brien displays the emotional baggage these men carried while…

Words 578 - Pages 3

The Things They Carried Essay

even created factions within religions. Perhaps one of the most overlooked consequences of wars are the effects it has on the people who fight them. War is a hellish thing. Only a few people return from wars without changing. In The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien, explains the burdens of war through symbolism. The physical and psychological consequences war has on soldiers transforms them into shadows of their former selves. During times of war, disease is one of the multiple ways soldiers are killed or…

Words 915 - Pages 4

Ptsd In The Things They Carried

soldiers have long term effects on their physical and mental health. Hallucinations, paranoia, and suicide are just some of the many effects of PTSD suffered by veterans of war and even those who are still in combat. The chapter of The Things They Carried titled “How to Tell a True War Story” contains examples of soldiers affected by PTSD based on many of O’Brien’s personal experiences. A story of O'Brien's that impacts the story as a whole starts with six soldiers in the midst of Vietnam who are troubled…

Words 1611 - Pages 7

Storytelling In The Things They Carried

Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, storytelling is definitely defined as a control feature. In Annie John, there are scenes where characters tell stories.. Annie’s autobiography the moments when she recognizes how what she tells has an impact in how others see her and that she can manipulate the truth for effect and so does her mother. Annie also imagines her “story” moving to Belgium, and recognizes her own “self” and it is created by the sum of her experiences. In The Things They Carried, the author…

Words 1093 - Pages 5

Surrealism In The Things They Carried

In the novel, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, it has multiple instances that have surrealism. The simple meaning of surrealism is unusual or dreamlike. Surrealism is something that would be rare to happen in the real world. In the chapter, How To Tell A War Story, it has many examples of surrealism. One example of surrealism in this chapter is, on page 68 the first paragraph on that page, when Tim O’Brien states, “Often the crazy stuff is true and the normal stuff isn’t…”. He says this because…

Words 457 - Pages 2

Essay On The Things They Carried

Carried“The Things They Carried” – The American Civil War, 1861-1865 A soldier fighting in the Civil War had mixed feelings of compelling patriotism, notably with the Confederates but undeniably just as present in the Union, and strong disgust. Battles often consisted of fathers, uncles, sons and brothers all fighting the American states bordering their own. Specific to the Civil War: * Scabbard w/ or w/out detailing (depends): Bayonet scabbards were issued to each soldier as standard…

Words 596 - Pages 3

Thesis For The Things They Carried

How would it feel being in the front line during the war? What if soldiers felt alive instead of fear itself? In the story, “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien takes place in the Vietnam War. The story summarizes a young soldier, Jimmy. Jimmy and all of the other soldiers bought the equipments of being prepared for the war. On the other hand, Jimmy is in love with an English major by the name of Martha. Jimmy write and send love letters to Martha. He is madly in love with her, but this love…

Words 914 - Pages 4

Superstition In The Things They Carried

“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien (pg.315-323) is about the physical, emotional, and spiritual weight that soldiers carried during the Vietnam War. As O’Brien explains, the physical things soldiers carried depended on necessity, rank, the mission, and personal superstitions. Out of necessity, soldiers carried things such as mosquito repellant, lighters, or water. Based on rank, they carried equipment such as a 26-pound radio or an M-60. A large portion of the things they carried depended on the…

Words 218 - Pages 1

The Things They Carried Essay

Nikita Keenan 7/14/12 Throughout Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried, the persona of the author often serves as a medium between the translation of emotion felt by characters in the story to the reader of the book. By developing fictitious versions of events that transpired while serving in the Vietnam War, O’Brien’s character is able to revive memories from the past as well as spark feelings of understanding and empathy in others. Surprisingly, the tone of the narrator rarely peals…

Words 1752 - Pages 8