The Things They Carried Visual Analysis
Recurring details and images are often employed by writers for symbolic purposes. In The Things They Carried, a novel about war stories in Vietnam, Tim O’Brien uses many recurring details to support the central theme of death and its impact on the characters and the way they execute things from there on. The impact of the many deaths in the novel involves modifying command, haunting of dead body details, and a want to change something from the past. The first body to drop in the novel is that of Ted Lavender. Ted Lavender was a petrified soldier, one that carried 34 rounds instead of 25. He often takes tranquilizers and is the soldier who carries the starlight scope. His death is usually given in two constantly repeated words in the book,
“Boom down.” Ted Lavender was shot in the back of the head, (Boom down) when he wandered off to pee. His death conveys that war did not wait for anyone, everything was quick. The guy who was most petrified about death was the first to die. Lavender’s death hits Lieutenant Cross with a blow. The Lieutenant realizes that with his mind in another place, his men will perish with no trouble. O’Brien states, “He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was now dead, and this was something he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war.” Lavender’s death progresses the novel in that it provides Lieutenant Cross with a second chance, a chance to take things more serious. After Lavender’s death, Lieutenant Cross burns Martha’s pictures and letters, “No more fantasies, he told himself.” The impact of Lavender’s death was that it allowed a change in command for Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Along the other bodies to drop in the book, one of them is the one that was dropped by Tim O’Brien. “His other eye was a star-shaped hole,” “his fingernails were clean.” O’Brien recalls the haunting event and describes the dead body as a young boy, who was most likely from My Khe. He creates a story for the boy, in which the boy is taught to defend his home, no questions asked. The impact of taking a life on O’Brien is that it haunts him to this day. The repetition of the small details shows how unforgettable an experience like death really is. O’Brien also states, “This is why I keep writing short stories.” The drop of this body leads to an everlasting haunting and a creation of wonderful short stories. This last drop of a body occurs outside of the war but still supports the theme of death and its impact. O’Brien’s love Linda, from the fourth grade dies of a brain tumor. “She’s dead” is constantly repeated by O’Brien to convey the sorrow he felt as a child whose friend passed. As a child, Timmy did nothing to protect Linda and the regret he feels carries on with him as an adult. He is forty three years old now as he writes these stories and he states, “And as writer now, I want to save Linda’s life.” Linda’s death helps O’Brien come to the realization that despite the change of civilian to military personnel and back to civilian, O’Brien is the same on the inside. He is an “absolute and unchanging middle aged writer knowing guilt and sorrow.” The many deaths in The Things They Carried remind the readers that while death is inevitable, its impact will come in different ways. For some of us, it may allow us to reevaluate how we execute things, for others it may simply haunt us or help us come to a realization. All deaths in the book carry a significance which help advance the book.
“Boom down.” Ted Lavender was shot in the back of the head, (Boom down) when he wandered off to pee. His death conveys that war did not wait for anyone, everything was quick. The guy who was most petrified about death was the first to die. Lavender’s death hits Lieutenant Cross with a blow. The Lieutenant realizes that with his mind in another place, his men will perish with no trouble. O’Brien states, “He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was now dead, and this was something he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war.” Lavender’s death progresses the novel in that it provides Lieutenant Cross with a second chance, a chance to take things more serious. After Lavender’s death, Lieutenant Cross burns Martha’s pictures and letters, “No more fantasies, he told himself.” The impact of Lavender’s death was that it allowed a change in command for Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Along the other bodies to drop in the book, one of them is the one that was dropped by Tim O’Brien. “His other eye was a star-shaped hole,” “his fingernails were clean.” O’Brien recalls the haunting event and describes the dead body as a young boy, who was most likely from My Khe. He creates a story for the boy, in which the boy is taught to defend his home, no questions asked. The impact of taking a life on O’Brien is that it haunts him to this day. The repetition of the small details shows how unforgettable an experience like death really is. O’Brien also states, “This is why I keep writing short stories.” The drop of this body leads to an everlasting haunting and a creation of wonderful short stories. This last drop of a body occurs outside of the war but still supports the theme of death and its impact. O’Brien’s love Linda, from the fourth grade dies of a brain tumor. “She’s dead” is constantly repeated by O’Brien to convey the sorrow he felt as a child whose friend passed. As a child, Timmy did nothing to protect Linda and the regret he feels carries on with him as an adult. He is forty three years old now as he writes these stories and he states, “And as writer now, I want to save Linda’s life.” Linda’s death helps O’Brien come to the realization that despite the change of civilian to military personnel and back to civilian, O’Brien is the same on the inside. He is an “absolute and unchanging middle aged writer knowing guilt and sorrow.” The many deaths in The Things They Carried remind the readers that while death is inevitable, its impact will come in different ways. For some of us, it may allow us to reevaluate how we execute things, for others it may simply haunt us or help us come to a realization. All deaths in the book carry a significance which help advance the book.