Symbolism Of War In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

The Things They Carried was authored by Tim O’Brien, published by Houghton Mifflin in 1990. William Timothy “Tim” O’Brien is an American novelist best known for his work of fiction, The Things They Carried (1990), a critically acclaimed collection of semi-autobiographical, interrelated short stories inspired by O’Brien’s experiences in the Vietnam War (Britannica.com, n.d.). Kiowa is a Native American who is diligent and honest, that carries a copy of the New Testament with him. Being a Baptist and a Native American, Kiowa brings a different perspective from that of his fellow soldiers to the unfortunate events that befalls the Alpha Company. Kiowa’s death is symbolic of the senseless tragedy of war. Kiowa dies in a gruesome kind of way, drowning under the muck of a sewage field. In the heat of the night, the field exploded. Rain and slop, and shrapnel, nowhere to run, and all the soldiers could do was worm down into slime and cover up and wait. The field was boiling (O’Brien, 1990, p. 142). The shells made deep slushy craters opening up all the year of waste, the smell horrid. Kiowa was hit and began sinking into the mud, only strange gurgling noises could be heard. Norman Bowker saw Kiowa sinking into the mud and began crawling his way toward
The Native American died suffocating in a sewage field. Kiowa’s death symbolizes the senseless tragedy of war. Norman Bowker felt guilty that he could not save Kiowa. Cross felt guilty, as well, because he was the one who had led Bowker and Kiowa into the field. Kiowa is the emotional soldier who comforted all the other soldiers. The Native American was thoughtful, loved the Vietnamese, was not a coward, and even had a sense of humor. All these qualities of Kiowa will certainly be missed on the platoon. The Vietnam War resulted in many casualties. The lose of many men and boys, fathers and brothers, will, certainly, never be