Stereotypes In The Things They Carried By Ray Brad

As the lone outlier, Brad is not only isolated but also made to suppress his morally righteous and principled beliefs. Saunders’ highlights the oppressive nature of conformist societies through the actions of Doris and Wayne. This is evident in the first scene when his wife Doris and Chief Wayne recount what they’ve learned (albeit superficially) after Buddy, the puppet dog, ran way. Although the other characters state, “I guess we all learned…” when Brad adds “I guess so,” only he is antagonized for his hesitant wording (80). Wayne and Doris chastise him for his lack of comprehension in an infantilizing manner. However, during the conversation Brad’s “hands are shaking” indicating that he is frequently on edge and prepared for reprimand (80).
Gloomy” or “Mr. Mopey,” and as a “downer” (82, 83). They are also insensitive to his emotions when he weeps for the corpses from the morphed yard and from Doris and Wayne’s “TotallyFukk” prank. Instead, they claim Brad “should lighten up,” is “too serious,” and that his “earnest” personality is undesirable (hinting at his overall inadequacy for the show) (84). As a result of the harsh retaliation, Brad momentarily loses confidence in his pursuit of compassion in fear of losing Doris. He regains confidence as he truly believes that if he speaks of his idea in a vibrant and entertaining manner, Doris will accept him and revert back to her generous self. Saunders thereby highlights how an individual’s altruism is also an omnipresent force although futile since Brad is locked out thus symbolizing his displacement as a main