The Things They Carried Character Analysis Essay

The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien

All of the men from Tim O'Brien's book "The Things They Carried" carried physical items and unresolved emotional baggage. The men held onto the physical items and inside held the feelings to help them cope with and escape from the Vietnam war. However, after the war, they carried memories and scars that reminded them of and brought them back to Vietnam. In the first chapter of the book, O'Brien discusses the physical items the men carry with them. In addition to the expected gear of war the men also carried a unique blend of assorted items. Most of these items served as some sort of escape from the war. For instance, Lieutenant Cross carried with him reminders of a girl he loved named Martha.
Despite his belief that the love was not mutual, her letters and good luck pebble served to help him daydream about what might be after the war. Henry Dobbins carried a pair of his girlfriend's pantyhose around his neck in addition to extra rations due to his large size. On the other hand, Ted Lavender carried marijuana and tranquilizers to escape the horrors of war and ease his anxiety. Lieutenant Cross carried more than just his letters from Martha. He also carried maps and compasses which symbolized his responsibility for the men. Early in the book, his daydreams and responsibilities collided creating a moral dilemma. When Ted Lavender was shot after using the bathroom, Cross held himself personally responsible because instead of paying attention to his men, he was distracted with thoughts of Martha. The burden of carrying both of these items became too much. Therefore Cross decided to burn all his letters from Martha and focus on his responsibility for the men. In Henry Dobbins case, he wore his girlfriends pantyhose because the smell and feel of them reminded him of home, which gave him an escape. However, O'Brien also showed the reader how prevalent superstitions were in Vietnam. After surviving a few near death experiences, Dobbins deemed the pantyhose a good luck charm crediting them with his survival. Even after his girlfriend breaks up with him, Dobbins continued to wear the pantyhose believing that the magic has not been lost. After the war, the survivors carried home with them mental scars from their experience.
In the chapter "love", Lieutenant Cross admitted that he still feels responsible for Ted Lavenders death. He also told O'Brien that he met up with Martha after the war and realized that she truly did not want him in an intimate way. This only served to amplify the guilt he carried over Ted Lavender's death.
Norman Bowker returned home carrying with him seven medals, thereby satisfying his father's greatest hopes. However, he also carried feelings of betrayal for his Kiowa. In the chapter "Speaking of Courage" Bowker wants to tell his father the story of the medal that he did not receive (the silver star) because he believed that he did not have the courage required to save his friend. These feelings of betrayal plagued Bowker after the war isolating him and eventually leading to his suicide.
O'Brien himself carried home scars of the war. In the chapters "The Man I Killed" and "Ambush" we find O'Brien struggling to come to terms with his own guilt. He expressed how he almost instantly regretted throwing the grenade that killed that Vietnamese soldier. He then imagined that the young mans life was much like his own. Had he not had writing as a release, O'Brien claimed that he may very well have been paralyzed from this
guilt.
In "The Things They Carried" O'Brien showed the readers how normal people try to cope with the abnormal horrors of war. Not only did he show us the emotions his characters carried with them in Vietnam, but also the emotional baggage they brought home with them. In the end we realize that the emotional effects of the war stay with the men long after the physical items are carried home and put away.