Summary Of The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

In the short story, "The Things They Carried," Tim O'Brien writes a story about the vietnam war. Readers first meet Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and learn about his crush on a girl named Martha. Readers then learn about all the different materails soldiers carry and how much they weigh. Readers then hear graphic war stories, and the effects it had on the men. O'Brien shows readers how difficult war is for soldiers, not just physically but mentally. " The weapon weighed 7.5 pounds unloaded, 8.2 pounds with its full 20-round magazine. Depending on numerous factors, such as topography and psychology, the riflemen carried anywhere from 12 to 20 magazines, usually in cloth bandoliers, adding on another 8.4 pounds at minimum, 14 pounds at maximum" (O'Brien