Preview

Guilty In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
314 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Guilty In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried
The majority of the people will feel guilty when they do bad stuffs like lying and cheating. They will feel even guiltier when their friend dies because of them and when they kill somebody. Tim is like that way; he felt guilty when he experiences the death of his friends and enemies. In Vietnam, people are dying everywhere, including their friends. Rat Kiley’s friend, Curt Lemon, dies while they were playing catch with a smoke grenade. Although, the grenade did not kill Lemon and he dies when he stepped on a mine: which blew him everywhere. Kiley blamed himself for Lemon’s death and felt guilty for it. Comparatively, Kiowa dies in the poop field when he was hit by a mortar. Tim and Lieutenant Cross blamed themselves for Kiowa’s death. Tim thinks if he never pulled his flashlight out and show a picture of his girl then the mortar will not have any target to hit. …show more content…
(Farrell). When their friends die they blame themselves and felt guilty, however, when enemies die they blame on the war, but they still feel guilty because the murder someone. After Lavender dies, they march to a village, Than Khe, to clear out everyone and everything in the village. They killed the elders, young people, dogs, and the chickens too- they want to feel safe. Around the border of the village there was a man, Tim popped a grenade and threw it; the grenade killed the man instantly: it was Tim’s first kill. He felt guilty that he had killed the man: his intention was to scare the man

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    | |In May 1974 his writing career was launched off he worked for the Washington |…

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bartle's Powers Summary

    • 180 Words
    • 1 Page

    Powers gives the perfect example of veteran guilt and split second decisions made by young adults in the book when Bartle makes a promise he cannot guarantee to Murphy’s mom (39) and later the disposing of Murphy’s body (chapter 10). Civilians may only identify or understand part of what Bartle feels. They can identify that Bartle feels guilty for what ends up being the wrong decision. This decision was made in a high stress situation surrounded by potential danger made by young men that thought that was best at the time. The consequences for making that wrong decision for Bartle ends up being prison time and Sgt. Sterling commits suicide from guilt. What civilians may not understand is Bartle has a chance to get away with it after Sterling’s…

    • 180 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel, The Things They Carried, the narrator is revealed to be obedient yet a sensitive character. We see Tim O’Brien as an obedient person in the chapter Ambush. He explains how it was just instinct for him to throw the grenade at the man. “I had already pulled the pin on a grenade. I had come up to a crouch.…

    • 297 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    “Agent-regret is simply tone deaf to how subjective guilt feels.”p155 The main character, the seventh man, has a logical reason to feel survivor guilt. The seventh man could not access and possible act quick enough in the situation to save his very dear friend from the oncoming wave. His best friend K not paying attention and along with the wave, had gave him little time to react which triggered a flight or fight response in which his instincts chose flight. It was not the seventh man's intention to lead K down to the beach or for those action to happen.…

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the book The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien there were many characters that could be considered a “lead character” but by far First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was the character who demonstrated an enormous amount of leadership, courage, and determination. Throughout the story it is difficult to see where First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross gathers his strength from. In the beginning of the short story, he seems very strong but towards the end of the story he also seems to still be gathering strength from somewhere. Due to Cross having immense feelings and connections to the world outside of the war, he is unable to focus on his men and his surroundings. So much so that he has a man killed on his watch, to which he feels undeniable grief and responsibility towards. Martha was his link to helping him stay out of the war, mentally and emotionally. All of his emotions and thoughts lay with her, lay with all she symbolized of leaving behind and all he wanted to return home to. That is why throughout the story “Martha never mentioned the war, except to say, Jimmy take care of yourself.” was so important and valid. That statement all throughout the book showed she was not involved in the war, in his hardships across seas, just in seeing his was safe in what he was doing. She helped and hindered his day to day duties.…

    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He feels guilt because of the way the man dies. As he stares at the man, O’Brien thinks about the man’s life before any of the war happened. “It was entirely automatic. I did not hate the young man; I did not see him as the enemy; I did not ponder issues of morality or politics or military duty.”(126). O’Brien didn’t think about anything in that moment. He knew that he had to do his duty, but felt as if he had no control whatsoever. “At night, lying on his mat, he could not picture himself doing the brave things his father had done, or his uncles… He hoped the Americans would go away.”(119) O’Brien shows the man’s perspective of his life. Though he didn’t know who the man was or his life story, he showed the readers his interpretation of his life. It shows that everyone in the war had a life before the war. Everyone has a different way of understanding the war and the way they deal with it after is based on them as well. Though he never met the man, he feels remorse for killing him the way he…

    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Feelings of guilt can disrupt a person's life to the point where death,an end to suffering is longed for. An example of this in the book is when Macarthur stayed on the balcony looking out to the ocean. He knew what he did in the past so he decided to go with the fate of dying. Instead of fighting for his life like everyone else, he wanted to die peacefully. He did not falsely accuse anyone or betray anyone.…

    • 172 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    At some point in each person’s life, they will feel guilt. Guilt is a valuable emotion, as it helps to maintain ties to the people around you. In the novel, “The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien, every soldier felt guilt when a unit member got killed or something tragic happened. This guilt felt by the soldiers was exemplified by Dave Jensen and Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Decisions that both individuals made created the feeling of guilt, which resulted in a change of emotion in them. Jensen’s guilt was temporary, while Cross’s guilt was more long-lasting.…

    • 679 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lost Property by James Maloney is a young adult novel that deals with relationships teenagers may experience. The novel, narrated by Josh Tambling, a seventeen year old high school student, illustrates what he learns through the progression of the story about his relationships with other characters.…

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    If I Die in a Combat Zone

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Tim is very strong in his belief that the war is not right. He discusses this with many people searching for answers while deciding whether or not he would dodge the draft and flee to Canada. Knowing the consequences he would face and bring upon his family, he makes the decision to go to basic training. While is basic training, he puts together a thorough plan and budget to desert the US Army by fleeing from Canada to Norway. Unable to build the courage to desert the Army, he goes in search of guidance through the Army and makes appointments to meet with the Army Chaplain and Battalion Commander. He gets none, they believe he is just a young soldier afraid of dying and do not understand or agree with his beliefs at all. This is when Tim becomes aware of the fact that the US military does not provide moral counsel for its soldiers on the frontlines, the Army only intends to produce infantrymen that do not ask why or who they kill, nor demand to understand the effects it may have on their physical or mental health. There’s an example of this when O’Brien becomes involved in the war and begins to struggle with rage against the Vietnamese as he witnesses one after another of his fellow soldiers die. Though being outraged with his enemy, he realizes that reacting in vengeance upon villagers is morally wrong.…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    English 30

    • 439 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Guilt is not a simple feeling but is a past event attached with a lesson in a person’s life. In the short story “Turkle” by David Carpenter, Elmer the farmer felt tremendous guilt after he told his wife, Elsie that he would be taking the children to school no matter the weather. This foolish action not only put his three children in danger but himself as well, resulting in the four almost all losing their lives.…

    • 439 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    My Lai Massacre

    • 2743 Words
    • 11 Pages

    On March 16, 1968, in the Quang Ngai region of Vietnam, specifically My Lai, the United States military was involved in an appalling slaughter of approximately 500 Vietnamese civilians. There are numerous arguments as to why this incident even had the capacity to occur. Although some of the arguments seem valid, can one really make excuses for the slaughter of innocent people? The company that was responsible for the My Lai incident was the Charlie Company and throughout the company there were many different accounts of what happened that reprehensible day. Therefore there are a few contradictions about what had occurred, such as what the commanding officers exact instructions for the soldiers were. Even with these contradictions the results are obvious. The question that must be posed is whether these results make the American soldiers involved that day "guilty". There is the fact that the environment of the Vietnam War made it very confusing to the soldiers exactly who the enemy was, as well as providing a pent up frustration due to the inability to even engage in real combat with the enemy. If this is the case though, why did some soldiers with the same frustrations refuse the orders and sit out on the action, why did some cry while firing, and why then did one man go so far as to place himself between the Vietnamese and the firing soldiers? If these men who did not see the sense in killing innocents were right with their actions, then how come the ones who did partake were all found not guilty in court? The questions can keep going back and forth on this issue, but first what happened that day must be examined.…

    • 2743 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The theme of guilt is prominent in “The Things They Carried” due to the fact that soldiers are shown as if they felt obligated to go to war for fear of embarrassing themselves, their families, and their towns if they decided to not go and run away. This embarrassment is shown as their guilt because they’re not being "masculine" enough. In addition, they are told that if they do not serve in war then they are not being brave, heroic, or patriotic enough. The feelings of shame and guilt follow the soldiers into the war as well, and make them do irrational and crazy things. Shame and guilt follow Bowker with such intensity that he eventually hangs himself. Whilst the soldiers are fighting at war, it's obvious that O'Brien is shaken by a similar…

    • 155 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Looking at the gaps and silences in the novel written by john Steinbeck, we realise that George was responsible for Lennie's Death. This court case occurs after the end of the book, as a possibility of what George's outcome would have been. I took the side of the prosecution.…

    • 891 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    He feels a deep sense of guilt and pain because of the condition of society…

    • 2652 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays