The Things They Carried
Literary Analsysis
Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried is a story that portrays his feelings about his experience in the Vietnam War. There are stories of these men, about their lives in Vietnam and when they were back at home. Throughout this novel, these men helped each other cope with issues and it shows a true sign of brotherhood. Because of the strong graphic descriptions, readers tend to have sadness and sympathy for them. “The things they carried were largely determined by necessity” (O’Brien 2). Basically, all the characters either have something they carry mentally or physically that they need. For example, people carry love and a strong connection with friends in life. The literature that will be analyzed is the theme on how important friendships are to these soldiers in the novel.
The soldiers of the Alpha Company all use either emotions or an object to feel secure and to survive the war. For example, Jimmy Cross uses a picture of Martha, Kiowa has a bible, and Henry Dobbins sleeps with a pantyhose. Out of all, the friendship these soldiers have with each other helped them cope with the horrendous events of the war. “It’s a hard thing to explain to somebody who hasn’t felt it, but the presence of death and danger has a way of bringing you fully awake. It makes things vivid. When you’re afraid, really afraid, you see things you never saw before, you pay attention to the world. You make close friends. You become part of a tribe and you share the same blood, you give it together, you take it together” (O’Brien 220). The loved ones at home are incomprehensible since they have not experienced warfare ever before. However, the soldiers have and they can bond with one another so that it can be easier to cope with the psychological effects of the war.
On a daily basis, the soldiers help and rely on each other. On days where they march for hours and hours is when they need each other most; it would be boring if they did not have each other to keep
Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried is a story that portrays his feelings about his experience in the Vietnam War. There are stories of these men, about their lives in Vietnam and when they were back at home. Throughout this novel, these men helped each other cope with issues and it shows a true sign of brotherhood. Because of the strong graphic descriptions, readers tend to have sadness and sympathy for them. “The things they carried were largely determined by necessity” (O’Brien 2). Basically, all the characters either have something they carry mentally or physically that they need. For example, people carry love and a strong connection with friends in life. The literature that will be analyzed is the theme on how important friendships are to these soldiers in the novel.
The soldiers of the Alpha Company all use either emotions or an object to feel secure and to survive the war. For example, Jimmy Cross uses a picture of Martha, Kiowa has a bible, and Henry Dobbins sleeps with a pantyhose. Out of all, the friendship these soldiers have with each other helped them cope with the horrendous events of the war. “It’s a hard thing to explain to somebody who hasn’t felt it, but the presence of death and danger has a way of bringing you fully awake. It makes things vivid. When you’re afraid, really afraid, you see things you never saw before, you pay attention to the world. You make close friends. You become part of a tribe and you share the same blood, you give it together, you take it together” (O’Brien 220). The loved ones at home are incomprehensible since they have not experienced warfare ever before. However, the soldiers have and they can bond with one another so that it can be easier to cope with the psychological effects of the war.
On a daily basis, the soldiers help and rely on each other. On days where they march for hours and hours is when they need each other most; it would be boring if they did not have each other to keep