“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien: Analysis

Introduction: “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Published in 1990, “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is a semi-autobiographical novel that draws on the author’s experiences in the Vietnam War. The story follows a platoon of American soldiers grappling with the physical and emotional challenges of war. Through evocative descriptions of the soldiers’ gear and internal struggles, O’Brien crafts a haunting and introspective narrative that delves into the complexities of human nature under duress. Hailed as a classic of contemporary American literature, “The Things They Carried” is lauded for its poignant portrayal of war’s human cost and its innovative blurring of factual and fictional elements.

Main Events in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

1. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his platoon carry various physical and emotional burdens as they navigate the realities of war in Vietnam.
2. Cross obsesses over his unrequited love for Martha, a college student back home, and realizes he needs to focus on his duties as a leader.
3. The platoon comes under enemy fire and suffers casualties, including Ted Lavender, a young soldier who had been heavily medicated to cope with the stress of war.
4. The platoon burns down a village and kills a water buffalo, further revealing the moral ambiguity and psychological toll of war.
5. O’Brien introduces the concept of “story truth,” exploring the role of memory and imagination in shaping individual and collective experiences of war.
6. Kiowa, one of Cross’s closest companions, is killed in action, and the soldiers are forced to grapple with the fragility of life and the weight of loss.
7. O’Brien reflects on the power of storytelling to convey emotional truths and provide a sense of catharsis for those who have experienced trauma.
8. The soldiers participate in a night patrol and encounter a young Vietnamese soldier, further highlighting the complexities and human costs of war.
9. The platoon is sent on a mission to retrieve the body of a soldier who has been killed, prompting reflections on the value and meaning of sacrifice.
10. The story ends with Cross burning the letters and photographs he had carried with him, symbolizing his commitment to moving on and living in the present.

Literary Devices in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

1. Allusion: A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work. Example: The title “The Things They Carried” alludes to the physical and emotional burdens borne by soldiers, resonating with the broader literary theme of characters facing hardship.
2. Ambiguity: The presence of multiple meanings or interpretations within a text. Example: Whether the killing of the baby water buffalo was an act of cruelty or mercy is left ambiguous, highlighting the moral complexities of war.
3. Foreshadowing: A hint or clue about what will happen later in the story. Example: Ted Lavender’s unnecessary death, so early in the narrative, subtly foreshadows the tragedies awaiting other members of the platoon.
4. Hyperbole: An exaggeration used for emphasis or effect. Example: Describing the soldiers’ load as “humping…at least 20 pounds” doesn’t refer to literal weight but conveys the overwhelming burdens they bear.
5. Imagery: Descriptive language that appeals to the senses, creating a vivid mental picture. Example: O’Brien’s evocative details of the Vietnamese landscape (“sun-filled paddies…tall, swaying grass”) transport the reader into the soldiers’ environment.
6. Irony: A situation that is the opposite of what is expected, often for humorous or poignant effect. Example: Jimmy Cross’s preoccupation with his unrequited love for Martha ironically distracts him from the deadly serious reality of leading his men.
7. Metaphor: A comparison between two things without using “like” or “as.” Example: O’Brien compares the emotional weight the soldiers carry to literal objects like “clamshells on their backs.”
8. Motif: A recurring element or image that contributes to the overall theme. Example: The recurring descriptions of the physical things the soldiers carry highlight the theme of how war’s burdens extend far beyond mere equipment.
9. Onomatopoeia: The use of words that sound like what they describe. Example: O’Brien uses “whoosh” and “whap” to mimic the sounds of gunfire, bringing the reader closer to the battlefield experience.
10. Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things. Example: O’Brien refers to the land itself as “the enemy,” making war an overwhelming, inescapable force.
11. Repetition: Repeating a word, phrase, or sentence for emphasis. Example: The repetitive listing of everything the soldiers carry emphasizes the overwhelming nature of their combined physical and emotional burdens.
12. Simile: A comparison using “like” or “as.” Example: The soldiers’ movement through a field is likened to “the wind against wheat,” highlighting their vulnerability.
13. Symbolism: The use of objects, images, or actions to represent abstract ideas. Example: The young Vietnamese soldier killed on the trail symbolizes the human cost of war on both sides of the conflict.
14. Tone: The author’s attitude towards the subject matter. Example: O’Brien’s tone shifts between wistful, melancholy, and starkly realistic, mirroring the soldiers’ emotional experiences.
15. Verisimilitude: The appearance of being true or real. Example: O’Brien’s blending of actual events with invented stories creates a sense of verisimilitude, making the emotional impact of the narrative even more powerful.

Characterization in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Absolutely! Here’s a characterization analysis for some of the key figures in “The Things They Carried,” along with specific supporting references from the story:

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross

• Conflict: Torn between his duty as a leader and his obsessive love for Martha, a girl back home who represents an idealized escape (“letters were full of love” – ‘Love’).
• Motivation: Desperately seeks a sense of normalcy and control amidst the chaos of war, clinging to the illusion of Martha as a lifeline.
• Evolution: The death of Ted Lavender forces him to confront his misplaced priorities (“He hated himself” – ‘Love’). His burning of Martha’s letters symbolizes a shift towards commitment to the present and his responsibility to his men.

Tim O’Brien (the narrator)

• Meta-character: O’Brien blurs the lines between the author and a fictionalized version of himself within the narrative.
• Role: Serves as both a participant in the events and a reflective storyteller examining the nature of memory and truth (“And in the end, really, there’s nothing much to say about a true war story…” – ‘Good Form’).
• Motivation: Seeks to process his own war trauma through storytelling, exploring the emotional truths often obscured in factual accounts.

Kiowa

• Morality and Compassion: Represents a grounding force of decency amidst war’s dehumanizing effects. (“Kiowa, who was a devout Baptist, carried an illustrated New Testament…” – ‘The Things They Carried’).
• Symbolic Death: His sinking into the ‘muck’ after a mortar attack exemplifies the senseless loss of innocence in war.
• Impact: Kiowa’s death leaves a void in the platoon, symbolizing the erosion of compassion and morality necessary for survival in conflict.

Norman Bowker

• Invisible Wounds: Embodies the lingering psychological trauma of war even after returning home. His lack of tangible injuries underscores this. (“…the ache in his heart was worse than any belly wound” – ‘Speaking of Courage’).
• Cyclic Narrative: His story, told in ‘Speaking of Courage’, highlights the suffocating impact of unprocessed trauma.
• Symbolism: His eventual suicide tragically emphasizes what can happen when the ‘weight’ of memory and experience becomes unbearable.

Rat Kiley

• Medic’s Perspective: Rat offers a glimpse into the physical and emotional toll of treating horrific injuries (“…Rat Kiley was crying” – ‘Friends’).
• Dark Humor: His tendency towards exaggeration and grim jokes serves as a coping mechanism for the relentless suffering he witnesses.
• Breaking Point: The shooting of his own foot, while self-inflicted, signifies the psychological breaking point a medic can reach in the war’s intensity.

Additional Notes:

• Nuance: O’Brien depicts his characters with complexity; no one is purely “good” or “bad.” They are humanized by their flaws and moments of vulnerability.
• The Power of What’s Carried: Each soldier’s physical and emotional burdens define their experiences. These burdens are often unique, leading to both camaraderie and a sense of isolation.

Major Themes in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Theme	Explanation	Examples from the Story
The Psychological Impact of War	Examines the profound emotional and psychological toll of combat, distinct from, yet compounded by, physical burdens.	– Detailed catalogs of physical equipment subtly transition to intangible burdens like fear, grief, and unresolved guilt (“They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die” – ‘On the Rainy River’).
The Power and Ambiguity of Memory	Explores the role of memory and storytelling in shaping individuals’ understanding of war, emphasizing the distinction between factual truth and emotionally resonant “story-truth.”	– O’Brien’s metafictional approach destabilizes the narrative, highlighting how memory and the act of storytelling influence the perception of past events (“And in the end, really, there’s nothing much to say about a true war story…” – ‘Good Form’).
The Ubiquity of Loss	Analyzes the multifaceted nature of loss in wartime: the loss of life, of innocence, and of any sense of normalcy that existed before the conflict.	– The deaths of characters like Ted Lavender and Kiowa symbolize different types of losses, ranging from the immediate and shocking to the erosion of compassion in the face of relentless hardships. – Norman Bowker’s experience postwar highlights the continued psychological losses even after the physical conflict ends.
Redefining Courage	Challenges traditional notions of heroism, emphasizing the courage required for everyday endurance, moral introspection, and vulnerability.	– Acts of physical bravery are juxtaposed with nuanced depictions of courage, such as Kiowa’s attempts to guide Norman Bowker (‘Speaking of Courage’) and O’Brien’s own struggle to confront his past through writing.
The Erosion of Morality	Examines how war erodes conventional moral frameworks, forcing soldiers into actions that leave lasting psychological scars.	– Incidents like the burning of a village and the killing of a baby water buffalo (‘The Man I Killed’) underscore the impossible ethical dilemmas faced in combat.  – The soldiers’ use of dark humor and superstition reflects their attempts to distance themselves from the moral implications of their actions.

Writing Style in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

• Blurring Fact and Fiction: O’Brien merges personal experiences with invented elements, challenging the notion of absolute truth in war narratives. This creates his unique notion of “story-truth” ( ‘How to Tell a True War Story’).
• Visceral and Introspective: O’Brien combines vivid descriptions of the war’s physical realities with reflections on soldiers’ inner emotional turmoil, creating a deeply affecting portrayal of their experiences.
• Repetition: Repeated phrases and descriptions, like the listing of the things the soldiers carry, emphasize both the physical weight and the psychological toll of war.
• Imagery: O’Brien’s powerful sensory descriptions bring the Vietnamese landscape, the soldiers’ equipment, and moments of violence to life, immersing the reader in the story’s world.
• Metaphor and Symbolism: Comparisons like intangible burdens to “humps” and “clamshells” ( ‘The Things They Carried’) deepen the portrayal of the soldiers’ emotional weight. Objects like Kiowa’s New Testament symbolize hope and faith amidst despair.
• Honesty and Authenticity: Despite his fictionalizations, O’Brien aims to convey the emotional core of war’s impact, admitting the impossibility of a purely objective account (‘Good Form’).

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Literary Theory	Key Concepts	Application to “The Things They Carried”
Reader-Response Criticism	Focuses on the reader’s active role in constructing meaning.	– Analyzes how different readers might empathize with certain characters, find diverse moral interpretations in the soldiers’ actions, or question O’Brien’s reliability as a narrator.  – Explores how a reader’s own background and experiences (war veteran, pacifist, etc.) shape their response to the story.
New Historicism and Cultural Studies	Examines literature in its historical, political, and social context.	– Considers how “The Things They Carried” reflects the anti-war sentiment of the era in which it was published, as well as broader cultural debates surrounding the Vietnam War. – Investigates how O’Brien portrays issues like masculinity, race relations, and the role of the American soldier within the specific context of Vietnam.
Trauma Theory	Explores the impact of traumatic events on individuals, memory, and representation.	– Analyzes how O’Brien’s storytelling style and shifting narrative perspectives reflect the fragmented nature of traumatic memory.  – Examines the characters’ coping mechanisms (humor, detachment, storytelling) in relation to psychological trauma.  – Considers how the story grapples with the long-term, unresolved psychological effects of war, as illustrated through characters like Norman Bowker.
Postcolonial Criticism	Focuses on analyzing literature produced by (former) colonies or marginalized groups in relation to the colonizing power.	– Critically examines the power dynamics and colonialist attitudes implicitly present in the depiction of American soldiers in Vietnam.  – Explores the absence of strong Vietnamese voices in the narrative; how does O’Brien portray the Vietnamese people and their experiences?
Formalist Criticism	Focuses on literary devices, form, and structure within the text itself.	– Analyzes O’Brien’s use of repetition, metaphor and symbolism to convey emotional states and thematic complexity.  – Studies the shifting narrative structure (non-linear, metafictional) and its connection to themes of memory and truth.

Questions and Thesis Statements about “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Question 1: How does O’Brien’s blurring of fact and fiction impact the reader’s understanding of war and its emotional consequences?

• Thesis Statement: In “The Things They Carried,” O’Brien’s blending of personal experience with invented elements destabilizes traditional war narratives, emphasizing the subjective nature of memory and highlighting the emotional resonance of “story-truth” over factual accounts.

Question 2: How does the motif of physical burdens symbolize the psychological toll of war in “The Things They Carried”?

• Thesis Statement: O’Brien’s detailed catalogs of the soldiers’ equipment evolve into powerful metaphors for intangible burdens like fear, grief, and guilt, demonstrating the interwoven nature of physical and psychological hardship faced by soldiers in combat.

Question 3: In what ways does O’Brien challenge traditional notions of heroism in his portrayal of the soldiers in “The Things They Carried”?

• Thesis Statement: “The Things They Carried” subverts conventional depictions of battlefield valor by emphasizing the quiet courage of endurance, the moral complexities of survival, and the vulnerability hidden within the facade of stoic soldiers.

Question 4: How does “The Things They Carried” function as a form of trauma narrative, and what does it reveal about the lasting psychological impact of war?

• Thesis Statement: Through fragmented narratives, metafictional reflections, and depictions of the soldiers’ coping mechanisms, “The Things They Carried” reveals the profound and often unresolved legacy of trauma carried by those who have experienced the horrors of war.

Question 5: To what extent does O’Brien’s portrayal of the Vietnamese people and culture in “The Things They Carried” perpetuate or challenge colonialist perspectives?

• Thesis Statement: “The Things They Carried” offers a limited and often stereotyped view of the Vietnamese experience. A postcolonial analysis examines how this portrayal reinforces or subverts power dynamics and contributes to the otherizing of the Vietnamese people in the American war narrative.

Short Question-Answer “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Question	Explanation
What is the significance of the title, “The Things They Carried”?	O’Brien’s choice of title immediately draws attention to the burdens of war—both physical and emotional. The focus on what soldiers “carry” emphasizes not just the weight of equipment, but the lasting psychological toll war takes on those who fight it.
How does O’Brien use symbolism in “The Things They Carried”?	O’Brien weaves symbolism throughout the story, adding depth and complexity. Simple objects take on greater meaning: the pebble Cross carries becomes a bittersweet reminder of his unattainable love, while the image of a dead Vietnamese soldier underscores war’s brutality. Even the recurring motif of rain comes to symbolize the relentless grief felt by the soldiers.
How does O’Brien use metafiction in “The Things They Carried”?	O’Brien breaks conventional storytelling rules by blurring the line between reality and invention. He includes himself as a character, acknowledging his role in shaping the narrative rather than claiming to be a mere neutral observer. This technique forces us to question what “truth” really means in the context of war and highlights the power of storytelling.
What is the role of memory in “The Things They Carried”?	For O’Brien, memory isn’t simply recalling the past; it’s an active force shaping the present. The soldiers’ memories – of loved ones, of home, of traumatic events – influence their actions in the war and continue to shape them long after. By highlighting memory’s power, O’Brien reveals both the resilience and the lasting scars left by the war experience.

Suggested Readings: “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

Scholarly Articles

• Bar-Yosef, Eitan. “War and Truth: ‘The Things They Carried’ from the Postmodern/Trauma Perspective.” Style, vol. 35, no. 4, 2001, pp. 645-664.
• Briggum, Sue, et al. “‘You’d Have to Carry a List’: Tim O’Brien and the Vietnam War Story.” Mosaic: An Interdisciplinary Critical Journal, vol. 46, no. 4, 2013, pp. 147-62.
• Heberle, Mark A. A Trauma Artist: Tim O’Brien and the Fiction of Vietnam. University of Iowa Press,‌ 2001.

Books

• Calloway, Catherine. Tim O’Brien and the Vietnam War: Rewriting the World. Twayne, 1996.
• McDaniel, Tim. The Limits of a Vietnam War Literature: Stories by Tim O’Brien. Susquehanna University Press, 1996.
• Searle, William. Tim O’Brien. Twayne Publishers, 1991.

Websites

• SparkNotes: “The Things They Carried” Summary & Analysis. [invalid URL removed]
• LitCharts: “The Things They Carried” https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-things-they-carried
• The Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University: Tim O’Brien collection (includes manuscript drafts, letters, and other archival materials relating to the author and his work). [invalid URL removed]