The Weight of War “The Things They Carried‚” by Tim Obrien In the short story “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien‚ the experience of the Vietnam War is described through the eyes of American soldiers. The things the soldiers carry are both literal and figurative. While they all carry heavy physical loads‚ they also carry heavy emotional loads‚ composed of grief‚ fear‚ love and longing. Each man’s physical burden underscores his emotional burden. The purpose of this story is to bring
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abstract and foreign. Tim O’Brien’s short story “The Things They Carried” details the struggles of a platoon that represents the entire U.S. Army throughout the war effort in Vietnam. O’Brien writes about of the strange tactics of the people within First Lieutant Cross’ Platoon; whether it is bad leadership‚ drug use or the struggles of being Native American within Vietnam. O’Brien addresses the issues that were taking place in Vietnam by using the platoon to mirror what he saw was wrong. The initial issue
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The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien 1 | Among the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers‚ pocket knives‚ heat tabs‚ wristwatches‚ dog tags‚ mosquito repellent‚ chewing gum‚ candy‚ cigarettes‚ salt tablets‚ packets of Kool-Aid‚ lighters‚ matches‚ sewing kits‚ Military Payment Certificates‚ C rations‚ and two or three canteens of water. (pg. 2) | Most of these items I understand that they have to have them. There are a few though that I don’t think are a necessity or a near-necessity
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In the chapter‚ “Church”‚ the platoon uses an almost abandoned pagoda as a rest stop. Monks inhabiting the church welcomed them inside for shade. They spent seven to eight days in the pagoda‚ building a fortress and using it as a base of operations. The pagoda is a symbol for peace and tranquility. Tim O’Brien shows that even in the war‚ there are some peace and calmness. As chaotic and hectic as the war gets‚ there are times of tranquility. The church is sacred. A church symbolizes purity and religion
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War. She was left alone to raise her three kids. She was doing well until the day the bomb fell. The bomb completely destroyed her house‚ leaving her ruined economically. In order to survive‚ she sold what she could find in her house. Some of those things were kimonos that she highly valued. When she had sold everything she had‚ she took part time jobs as a maid or as a babysitter. She eventually became a seamstress due to the lack of jobs offered to the hibakusha. One day‚ a friend of hers suggested
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has a bond of mutual affection.” Despite there being a concrete definition‚ friendship has no terminology because everyone’s view on it is distinct and miscellaneous. The pure definition of friendship is defined on one’s own notion. In The Things They Carried‚ Rat Kiley and Curt Lemon had a bona fide friendship that was equivalent to no other friendship. Mark Fossie and Mary Anne Bell also had a friendship that was beyond than just a friendship. Both relationships were so complementary but yet contradicted
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As the lone outlier‚ Brad is not only isolated but also made to suppress his morally righteous and principled beliefs. Saunders’ highlights the oppressive nature of conformist societies through the actions of Doris and Wayne. This is evident in the first scene when his wife Doris and Chief Wayne recount what they’ve learned (albeit superficially) after Buddy‚ the puppet dog‚ ran way. Although the other characters state‚ “I guess we all learned…” when Brad adds “I guess so‚” only he is antagonized
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In reading the novel “The Things They Carried” in my english class this year‚ I have learned that most‚ if not all‚ people carry intangible and tangible things with them everyday. In my readings‚ I found that the soldiers in the novel carry their tangible things to help with what they are carrying intangibly. Regardless‚ the things we carry make us stand out in our own way; they make us who we are. I‚ for example‚ carry the emotional stress that attacks me everyday‚ and a ring that I love. In fact
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about what war was like in the past but they have never been able to see what it looked like. Oliver Stone’s movie Platoon showed the main character (Chris Taylor) and his companions throughout the war. The movie showed what happened during the Vietnam war and how it changed the view of soldiers from the beginning of entering the war to the end. Some major themes were Empathy vs. Ruthlessness because we see Sergeant Elias being understanding when taking over the village because the vietnamese
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In Vietnam veteran and author Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried the reader is given a list of both the physical and mental items that a soldier has to carry during war. The way O’Brien incorporates these lists into his writing indisputably makes the events and stories conceivable for the reader because each item defines the nature of the men in alpha platoon. O’Brien’s depiction of the men in alpha platoon does more than define each man’s personality but it enables a reader with no knowledge
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