The Burden in The Things They Carried by OBrien Essay

The Burden in The Things They Carried by OBrien In The Things They Carried, OBrien made reference to the Vietnam war that was closely associated with the physical, psychological, and emotional weight the soldiers beared. The overall method of presentation of this story incorporated many different outlooks on the things the soldiers carried, dealt with, and were forced to adapt to. In addition to this, OBrien showed us the many reasons why and how the soldiers posessed these things individually and collectively and how they were associated directly and indirectly. The strong historical content in The Things They Carried helped emphasize the focus of the story and establish a clearer understanding of details in the†¦show more content†¦Vietnam made a big portion of history also through its use of slang and war specified language. This language came about through many means including its adaption to the Vietnamese language, coded words, phrases, profanity and initials that represent war objects, and other means, and to r epresent or even hide their emotional stand points. On page 19, OBrien describes the young soldiers as actors. They were afraid of dying but they were even more afraid to show it. On page 12, Lieutenant describes his feelings for Martha as dense, crushing love. He then explains how he wants to sleep inside her lungs, breathe her blood, amd be smothered. This sounds like extremely harsh description for love. However, the soldiers environment became the most they could relate to. For example, to describe the death of a soldier, theyd used phrases such as Boom. Down. Like Cement, or flat fuck fell. OBrien explains how the soldiers would make conscious efforts to joke about things and make comical references to have themselves laugh. Page 19 describes that they used a hard vocabulary to contain the terrible softness. At the end of page 18 and beginning of page 19, we find that the men would now and then panic and have the desire to cry out for the misery to stop. Theyd make u nguaranteed promises to God and their parents in hope that that would be their source of survival. On page 11 OBrien tells that the Imagination was aShow MoreRelatedRemembrance is a Substantial Burden in the Book, The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien614 Words   |  2 Pages Remembrance; the mental impression on the brain from a certain event. Each soldier in the book, The Things They Carried, experiences some sort of remembrance whether it be saddening or enlightening. Remembrance is consistently perceived as the ability our brains have to go back and revisit moments in time which either disturb us, or give to us a feeling of pure happiness. Its mere sound provokes thought along with curiosity. 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These were some of the things they carried. â€Å"First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carriedRead MoreAn Inside Look At A Soldiers Life in the Vietnam War Essay1346 Words   |  6 Pagesdeaths. From the beginning of the story, O’Brien the author of â€Å"The Things They Carried† uses specific details and illustrations to show readers what the experience was like for the men during the Vietnam war. Among the many things that the men carry were guilt, fear, grief, and stress. Throughout the story O’Brien emphasizes the dreadful events that these men carry with them by incorporating the use of multiple themes such as: the emotional and physical burdens, fear, psychological well being and theRead MoreSummary Of The Things They Carried 915 Words   |  4 Pagesthe story, The Things They Carried, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is a man who is in two forms of war, one that is in Vietnam, and one that is mental. Lieutenant Cross carried many things while in war. 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This had a strong affect on most of these men and O’Brien uses different ways to show how the Vietnam War affected them both physicallyRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien917 Words   |  4 PagesThe Things They Carried is an autobi ographical novel written by Tim O’Brien that details his time as a soldier in the Vietnam War. Considered to be â€Å"the best work of fiction ever written about Vietnam, some even think it is the best about war,† (Greenya 1). The stories that are contained within the novel talk about themes such as loss, burdens, and the horrifying truths of the Vietnam War, the first war to take place during a more ‘modern’ era, as the tragedies of the war could be broadcasted throughRead More Tim OBriens The Things They Carried Essay735 Words   |  3 PagesTim OBriens The Things They Carried Culture teaches that men must dispense of ridiculous emotions and remain firm, following expected duties. O’Brien develops this theme of the transition from youth to manhood in his short story, â€Å"The Things They Carried.† Through the protagonist Jimmy Cross, metaphors of weight, and futile ideas of freedom, O’Brien reveals how society expects young men in transition to adulthood to let go of impractical idealism and dwell instead on the cruel reality of theRead MoreEssay On The Things They Carried1058 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"The Things They Carried† provides a personal view into the minds of soldiers, and tells us the emotional and psychological costs of war. First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is stationed in Vietnam in the middle of the war. He seems to be a man in love, or more like a man in love with the idea of a lady named Martha. He ends up changing from a love struck, blind man into a firm, leading soldier. In this story, the characters do t he things they do because of desires and motivations. In â€Å"The Things