The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien: Chapter Analysis
Writing Prompt 1
The book The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien contains various literal and figurative
meanings to the term carry. O'Brien includes different form implied to the word carry. In the beginning
of the chapter he begins to list what each soldier carried with him literally. O'Brien also includes what
each soldier carries with him figuratively, what weighs them down. Each item that they carry gives the
reader insight of their personality and emotions. The chapter The Things they carried gave the reader a
view of what was to come next, how the characters story was going to be introduced and expanded.
Further on in the book, the characters personality begins to unravel and O'Brien depicts them in a way
that ties …show more content…
in with multiple themes such as shame, fear and the guilt.
O'Brien begins the chapter with Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and Martha. Lieutenant Cross carries
letters from Martha, photographs and a pebble that she carried in her breast pocket. What he carries
figuratively is his hope to be with the woman he left behind to go fight in the war and his love for her.
The things the men carried were determined by necessity. Lieutenant Cross was infatuated with Martha,
but he did not know if his feelings were reciprocated. O'Brien wrote, “He should've carried her up the
stairs to room and tied her to the bed and touched that left knee all night long”(pg 4). The impression
that O'Brien left on the readers by the description of the Lieutenant acting in that manner makes the
readers believe that Cross is emotionally unstable and not fit to be in charge of the troop. Lieutenant
Cross appears to be blinded by love and almost obsessed with Martha. He doesn't seem to care for the
rest of the soldiers. Later on in the chapter one of the soldiers, Ted Lavender is killed and Lieutenant
Cross admits that he cares for Martha, more than his men. He now has to carry grieve as well as his
other emotions. This listing of what the Lieutenant has to carried introduces the theme of shame.
Shame of allowing your emotions to over rule you and shame of participating in the war.
The author also includes other soldiers such as Ted Lavender who carried tranquilizers, extra
ammunition and marijuana with him and his fear. By including Lavender the reader can clearly see that
not all soldiers could easily adapt to the war, most of them were still young and inexperienced. The war
in a way was a numbing experience for the men since they were afraid to express emotions such as
shame and fear. Henry Dobbins carried his girlfriend's panty-hose which implied that he was
superstitious. Dobbins needed something to believe in, in order to keep going. He relied on his item to
give him strength. Norman Bowker carried a diary as well as his personal anguish. Norman Bowker
wasn't prepared to enter the war, he felt regret and fear. Dave Jensen carried a toothbrush, dental floss
and soap, he believed in cleanliness even though he's fighting a war. He was tidy and unaccustomed to
the dirtiness of war both in a figurative and literal sense. Mitchell Sanders carried condoms and RTO,
these item demonstrated that he was careful and alert. Mitchell Sanders was a cautious individual but
he was still a teenager in a sense. He didn't appear to be mature in the beginning. These soldiers were
not ready to fight a war, they were drafted and agreed to go either out of shame of being ridiculed or
belittled. They did not want to escape the draft and bring dishonor to their families. The soldiers did not
want to seem unpatriotic and weak, they had no other choice but to fight for a war that they did not
believe in.
Kiowa carried a hatchet and a Bible, figuratively he carried his resent and religious beliefs.
Kiowa was alert of his companions however he also carried “his grandmother's distrust of the white
man”(pg 3). In the chapter Speaking of Courage Norman Bowker has to carry Kiowa's death. He
blames himself for Kiowa's death because he couldn't do anything to help him form drowning in the
field. Norman Bowker carries guilt, shame and memories with him. In the chapter he attempts to speak
to his friends and family after arriving form the war but can not bring himself to do so. In the following
chapter Notes, Bowker's isolation and guilt drives him to commit suicide. Guilt contributes to the
theme of the story because both Norman Bowker and the author felt they were to blame for Kiowa's
death.
The chapter In the Field proceeds with the theme of guilt. O'Brien describes his guilt of
allowing Kiowa to drown. He blames himself but his actions are being told by lieutenant Cross'
perspective not his own. O'Brien does not include himself in the first chapter he merely provides
insight of the other soldiers. All of the men carried memories with them, their past. O'Brien states,
“They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing-these were
intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight”(pg
20). The soldiers carried all types of sentiments with them as well as symbolic representations such as
pebbles or photographs. All of the soldiers carried fear with them. None of them wanted to die in war.
Shame and fear are two recurring themes in this book. Most of the soldiers felt a great sense of
shame for being in the war. They were also all afraid to die during combat. Some soldiers were afraid
to be seen for what they truly were innocent, naïve and fearful. Soldiers like Azar for example put on a
brave front in front of others because he was embarrassed to be considered afraid or sentimental.
O'Brien wrote that the soldiers carried their reputations, they carried “the soldier's greatest fear which
was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to”(pg 20). The
soldiers did not want to bring dishonor to themselves or their families it was one of the reasons why the
entered the war not for glory. They all felt shame but had to endure their pain at the war. The author
states that “They imagined the muzzle against flesh. So easy:squeeze the trigger and blow away a toe.
They imagined it”(pg 21). By adding this detail into the chapter O'Brien gives the readers his opinion
of what the war felt like most soldiers wanted to injure themselves in order to get away but were too
afraid to do it. O'Brien himself did not want to participate in the war he considered himself to be a
liberal (pg 40). He was ashamed of what his town might think of him and his family if he did not go to
the war. So he attempted to escape but his shame was more powerful than he was.
The soldiers all put on this brave face in order to appear strong. They all wanted to be free.
O'Brien states that “Andy they all dreamed of freedom birds”(pg 21). All of the soldiers wanted to
escape, return to their loved ones and forget what had occurred. They will always have the memory of
those who died or went mad. There's a sense of desperation towards the last pages of the first chapter.
Although lieutenant Cross burned the letters and photographs he still carried his guilt. He no longer
carried hope because he came to the realization that Martha did not love him. Lieutenant Cross said,
“Lavender was dead. You couldn't burn the blame”(pg 22). The soldiers begin to lose hope at war, the
things they carry all become amalgamated.
They all carry memories, guilt, shame and fear. Fear of
what's to come. Shame of why they are at the war. Others carry guilt for allowing the death of a fellow
soldier to occur even though they could not prevent it from occurring.
By using the term carry O'Brien not only refers to what each soldier carried literally but
emotionally. All veterans carry emotional turmoil with them. They carried diseases and lice (pg 14).The
troop carried their experience in Vietnam, the land and the pain they had to endure. The soldiers carried
the memory of their friends who were killed at war. O'Brien carried Kiowa as well as the other soldiers
who passed away. They carried their pride as well. None of the soldiers went to fight in the war for
glory and appraisal of others, they went because if they refused to go they would bring shame to their
families. Each item was a symbol of their past what they were like before the war. Their innocence and
hope was what they carried, the men had to leave that behind as the war progressed and carry their
memories and traumas.
The narrator in this chapter tries to convey the theme of guilt, shame and fear. The theme
is
constantly brought up throughout the book. The theme of guilt is either expressed by the author or by
other characters. O'Brien uses the term carry to emphasize the themes. The soldiers carry their items as
a mean of support and strength.
The book The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien contains various literal and figurative
meanings to the term carry. O'Brien includes different form implied to the word carry. In the beginning
of the chapter he begins to list what each soldier carried with him literally. O'Brien also includes what
each soldier carries with him figuratively, what weighs them down. Each item that they carry gives the
reader insight of their personality and emotions. The chapter The Things they carried gave the reader a
view of what was to come next, how the characters story was going to be introduced and expanded.
Further on in the book, the characters personality begins to unravel and O'Brien depicts them in a way
that ties …show more content…
in with multiple themes such as shame, fear and the guilt.
O'Brien begins the chapter with Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and Martha. Lieutenant Cross carries
letters from Martha, photographs and a pebble that she carried in her breast pocket. What he carries
figuratively is his hope to be with the woman he left behind to go fight in the war and his love for her.
The things the men carried were determined by necessity. Lieutenant Cross was infatuated with Martha,
but he did not know if his feelings were reciprocated. O'Brien wrote, “He should've carried her up the
stairs to room and tied her to the bed and touched that left knee all night long”(pg 4). The impression
that O'Brien left on the readers by the description of the Lieutenant acting in that manner makes the
readers believe that Cross is emotionally unstable and not fit to be in charge of the troop. Lieutenant
Cross appears to be blinded by love and almost obsessed with Martha. He doesn't seem to care for the
rest of the soldiers. Later on in the chapter one of the soldiers, Ted Lavender is killed and Lieutenant
Cross admits that he cares for Martha, more than his men. He now has to carry grieve as well as his
other emotions. This listing of what the Lieutenant has to carried introduces the theme of shame.
Shame of allowing your emotions to over rule you and shame of participating in the war.
The author also includes other soldiers such as Ted Lavender who carried tranquilizers, extra
ammunition and marijuana with him and his fear. By including Lavender the reader can clearly see that
not all soldiers could easily adapt to the war, most of them were still young and inexperienced. The war
in a way was a numbing experience for the men since they were afraid to express emotions such as
shame and fear. Henry Dobbins carried his girlfriend's panty-hose which implied that he was
superstitious. Dobbins needed something to believe in, in order to keep going. He relied on his item to
give him strength. Norman Bowker carried a diary as well as his personal anguish. Norman Bowker
wasn't prepared to enter the war, he felt regret and fear. Dave Jensen carried a toothbrush, dental floss
and soap, he believed in cleanliness even though he's fighting a war. He was tidy and unaccustomed to
the dirtiness of war both in a figurative and literal sense. Mitchell Sanders carried condoms and RTO,
these item demonstrated that he was careful and alert. Mitchell Sanders was a cautious individual but
he was still a teenager in a sense. He didn't appear to be mature in the beginning. These soldiers were
not ready to fight a war, they were drafted and agreed to go either out of shame of being ridiculed or
belittled. They did not want to escape the draft and bring dishonor to their families. The soldiers did not
want to seem unpatriotic and weak, they had no other choice but to fight for a war that they did not
believe in.
Kiowa carried a hatchet and a Bible, figuratively he carried his resent and religious beliefs.
Kiowa was alert of his companions however he also carried “his grandmother's distrust of the white
man”(pg 3). In the chapter Speaking of Courage Norman Bowker has to carry Kiowa's death. He
blames himself for Kiowa's death because he couldn't do anything to help him form drowning in the
field. Norman Bowker carries guilt, shame and memories with him. In the chapter he attempts to speak
to his friends and family after arriving form the war but can not bring himself to do so. In the following
chapter Notes, Bowker's isolation and guilt drives him to commit suicide. Guilt contributes to the
theme of the story because both Norman Bowker and the author felt they were to blame for Kiowa's
death.
The chapter In the Field proceeds with the theme of guilt. O'Brien describes his guilt of
allowing Kiowa to drown. He blames himself but his actions are being told by lieutenant Cross'
perspective not his own. O'Brien does not include himself in the first chapter he merely provides
insight of the other soldiers. All of the men carried memories with them, their past. O'Brien states,
“They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing-these were
intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight”(pg
20). The soldiers carried all types of sentiments with them as well as symbolic representations such as
pebbles or photographs. All of the soldiers carried fear with them. None of them wanted to die in war.
Shame and fear are two recurring themes in this book. Most of the soldiers felt a great sense of
shame for being in the war. They were also all afraid to die during combat. Some soldiers were afraid
to be seen for what they truly were innocent, naïve and fearful. Soldiers like Azar for example put on a
brave front in front of others because he was embarrassed to be considered afraid or sentimental.
O'Brien wrote that the soldiers carried their reputations, they carried “the soldier's greatest fear which
was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to”(pg 20). The
soldiers did not want to bring dishonor to themselves or their families it was one of the reasons why the
entered the war not for glory. They all felt shame but had to endure their pain at the war. The author
states that “They imagined the muzzle against flesh. So easy:squeeze the trigger and blow away a toe.
They imagined it”(pg 21). By adding this detail into the chapter O'Brien gives the readers his opinion
of what the war felt like most soldiers wanted to injure themselves in order to get away but were too
afraid to do it. O'Brien himself did not want to participate in the war he considered himself to be a
liberal (pg 40). He was ashamed of what his town might think of him and his family if he did not go to
the war. So he attempted to escape but his shame was more powerful than he was.
The soldiers all put on this brave face in order to appear strong. They all wanted to be free.
O'Brien states that “Andy they all dreamed of freedom birds”(pg 21). All of the soldiers wanted to
escape, return to their loved ones and forget what had occurred. They will always have the memory of
those who died or went mad. There's a sense of desperation towards the last pages of the first chapter.
Although lieutenant Cross burned the letters and photographs he still carried his guilt. He no longer
carried hope because he came to the realization that Martha did not love him. Lieutenant Cross said,
“Lavender was dead. You couldn't burn the blame”(pg 22). The soldiers begin to lose hope at war, the
things they carry all become amalgamated.
They all carry memories, guilt, shame and fear. Fear of
what's to come. Shame of why they are at the war. Others carry guilt for allowing the death of a fellow
soldier to occur even though they could not prevent it from occurring.
By using the term carry O'Brien not only refers to what each soldier carried literally but
emotionally. All veterans carry emotional turmoil with them. They carried diseases and lice (pg 14).The
troop carried their experience in Vietnam, the land and the pain they had to endure. The soldiers carried
the memory of their friends who were killed at war. O'Brien carried Kiowa as well as the other soldiers
who passed away. They carried their pride as well. None of the soldiers went to fight in the war for
glory and appraisal of others, they went because if they refused to go they would bring shame to their
families. Each item was a symbol of their past what they were like before the war. Their innocence and
hope was what they carried, the men had to leave that behind as the war progressed and carry their
memories and traumas.
The narrator in this chapter tries to convey the theme of guilt, shame and fear. The theme
is
constantly brought up throughout the book. The theme of guilt is either expressed by the author or by
other characters. O'Brien uses the term carry to emphasize the themes. The soldiers carry their items as
a mean of support and strength.