The Things They Carried - Themes Essay - 970 Words

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried, numerous themes are illustrated by the author. Through the portrayal of a number of characters, Tim O’Brien suggests that to adapt to Vietnam is not always more difficult than to revert back to the lives they once knew. Correspondingly the theme of change is omnipresent throughout the novel, specifically in the depiction of numerous characters. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Tim O’Brien is drafted one month after graduating from Macalester College to fight a war he hated. Tim O’Brien believed he was above the war, and as a result pursued the alternative of escaping across the border to Canada. This understandable act is what Tim O’Brien considers an†¦show more content†¦Rat Kiley’s metamorphosis occurs when the platoon switches to a routine of night movement for 2 weeks. Rat is unable to adjust to this night life, and begins to act eccentric towards the surrounding environment. Rat Kiley’s hallucinations eventually leads to his demise when he shoots himself in the foot to escape the war. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;He shot himself†¦ Nobody blamed him. Before the chopper came, there nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;was time for goodbyes. Lieutenant Cross went over and said he’d vouch nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;that it was an accident†¦ Everyone stood in a little circle, feeling bad nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;about it, trying to cheer him up with bullshit about the great night life in nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Japan. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;(O’Brien 251) Rat Kiley’s company understood what happened, and no one could impugn his reason for doing so. All the troops had their own demons to take care of, Rat Kiley just dealt with his in a different way. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Mary Anne, The sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong, experiences perhaps the most radical form of change in the novel. Marry Anne, the innocent, curious, typical-AmericanShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Irony In The Things They Carried1329 Words   |  6 Pages In the novel The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien, metafiction is used to further the story. OBrien used the metafictional devices of irony, and nonlinear sequencing of events in order to push his story and properly represent the experience of war. Each metafictional device is used in order to advance the meaning of the story and let the reader truly understand the emotions and experience of being at war. Whether or not the story is perfectly true is not important, for OBrien is telling theRead MoreThemes Of The Great Gatsby And The Things They Carried 2767 Words   |  12 PagesChristopher Schmidt Skillman Am Lit 5 May 2015 The Theme of Transformation in Various Texts In the texts Huck Finn, The Great Gatsby, and The Things They Carried, a major theme is the transformation of self, which happens through choice, through experience, or a combination of both. In The Great Gatsby, Jay makes the conscious choice to transform himself from the poor farmer boy, which he was born as, into an Oxford-educated rich millionaire, all so that he could win the heart of a girl. In HuckRead MoreTheme Of The Red Convertible In The Things They Carried744 Words   |  3 PagesBoth Erdrich’s, â€Å"The Red Convertible†, and OBriens, â€Å"The Things They Carried† reflect the effects of psychological trauma left by war; specifically, the Vietnam War. In Erdrich’s piece, she uses the red convertible as a metaphor for Henry. The fact that the two brothers purchased the convertible together is a serves to symbolize their bond. Yet, when Henry returns from his tenure as a soldier, his mental health has deteriorated into an apparently depressive state. I believe that Lyman’s act ofRead MoreThe Themes Of The Vietnam War In Going After Cacciato And The Things They Carried1845 Words   |  8 PagesTim O’Brien is notorious for his unglorified depiction of the Vietnam War in his novels Going After Cacciato and The Things They Carried. O’Brien’s controversial method of realistically portraying the struggles of war resides in the form of two themes common throughout both novels, helping the Vietnam veteran caution against the dangers of war, while highlighting Americans’ aversion toward the Vietnam War. O’Brien’s first-hand experience as an officer stationed in the Batangan Peninsula, the locationRead MoreAn Analysis Of Tim O Brien s Things They Carried1183 Words   |  5 Pagesqualities such as literary devices, imagery, and theme, and many more. Tim O’Brien’s Things They Carried depicts a fragmented stories about his and other soldiers’ experiences that occurred in the Vietnam War. Similarly, the poem, â€Å"Facing It† shows a soldier who returns to the Memorial of the Vietnam War where he recalls his own trauma in the war as he looks at the stones. Both the prose, Things They Carried and the poem, â€Å"Facing it† conveys the similar theme where they are struggling to overcome theRead MorePsychological Effects Of War Has On Soldiers821 Words   |  4 Pages War has been known to cause negative mental effects among soldiers. Whether it be PTSD, depression, or a change in personality, war takes its toll. Because of its application to the real world, this common theme is often expressed in literature. In Tim O’Brien’s â€Å"The Things They Carried,† he explains the physical and mental burdens that soldiers carry. He also describes how these burdens create psychological stress and eliminate soldiers’ ability to feel normal emotion. Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"Soldier’sRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien831 Words   |  4 Pagesbook The Things They Carried does a great job explaining the effects of war on soldiers through many stories O’Brien experienced during the Vietnam War. From trying to escape the war, to his buddy Kiowa dying in muck, O’Brien expertly portrays the emotional and physical pain one can go through during war. Although this book depicts many different them es, one distinct theme is the emotional burdens soldiers carry during war, excellently illustrated in the first chapter, â€Å"The Things They Carried.† RightRead MoreAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce1620 Words   |  7 Pageseasily be read in one sitting. Each short story tends to have a certain meaning or theme behind it, followed by structural elements. These themes and structural elements are significant in impacting one’s reading experience. Each short story is created with the author’s willingness to make you reflect, or think back on your own experiences. â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, A Rose for Emily, and The Things They Carried,† are all short stories which involve these specific characteristics. â€Å"An OccurrenceRead MoreLogistics in Disneyland906 Words   |  4 Pageshave chosen to take a look at the organization in the theme park Disneyland Paris. The question I asked myself is â€Å"What do you need to get a successful theme park like Disney World?† the main answer to that question is in my opinion with the following things: - Attractions - Restaurants - Souvenirs shop(s) - Restrooms - Signs Off course there are some other factors, like management etc., that you need in order to lead a successful theme park. But some of those are not really relevant to logisticsRead MoreAnalysis Of Tim O Brien s The Things They Carried 1187 Words   |  5 PagesThere were many things the soldiers carried with them during the Vietnam War. They carried guns and ammo, rations and canteens, and things necessary for survival. The soldiers also carried letters, photographs and land of Vietnam itself. Tim O’Brien tells of this in The Things They Carried, a book detailing the lives of the soldiers in Vietnam through the things the men carried with them. Not everything the men carried was physical, however. The soldiers carried ghosts, memories, and burdens. Everyone