The Things They Carried By Tim OBrien The

The Things They Carried By Tim O’Brien

The Things They Carried � Tim O’Brien � Born Aug. 1, 1946, in Austin, Minn. � Raised in small prairie town in southern part of Minn. � Attended Macalester College in St. Paul, attending peace vigils & protests against Vietnam War � Thought of becoming a writer before being drafted to which recalled in an interview: “even getting on the plane for boot camp, I couldn't believe any of it was happening to me, someone who hated Boy Scouts and bugs and rifles. ”

The Things They Carried �Tim O’Brien � Spent his tour of duty from 1969 -70 as a foot soldier with the 46 th Infantry in Quang Ngai province � For some of that time he was stationed in My Lai, just one year after the infamous My Lai Massacre � He was sent home with a Purple Heart when he got hit with shrapnel in a grenade attack

The Things They Carried �O’Brien has written several other books �The Things They Carried was published in 1990 � In an interview with Josephine Reed in 2008, O’Brien said The Things They Carried is “a book that centers on Vietnam and a platoon of soldiers. In one sense, it's about the Vietnam War, but it's also about storytelling, how stories rule our lives, how they're told and retold as we look for an elusive truth. And finally, it's about writing itself—writing as an effort to pin down with language the truth about a subject. ”

Vietnam War �The Vietnam War was a long, costly armed conflict that pitted the communist regime of North Vietnam and its southern allies, known as the Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The divisive war, increasingly unpopular at home, ended with the withdrawal of U. S. forces in 1973 and the unification of Vietnam under Communist control two years later. More than 3 million people, including 58, 000 Americans, were killed in the conflict. �http: //www. history. com/topics/vietnam-war

The Things They Carried � According to the NEA’S Big Read, The Things They Carried is “far from a combat story of pride and glory, it is a compassionate tale of the American soldier, brimming with raw honesty and thoughtful reflection. ” � The book's narrator follows a platoon of infantrymen through the jungles of Vietnam. We see them trudge through the muck of a constant downpour, get hit by sniper fire, pull body parts out of a tree, laugh while they tell their stories to each other, and fall silent when faced with making sense of it all—both in the moment and twenty years later. � The book is split into a lush mosaic of vignettes drawn from O'Brien's own experiences. The title story describes what the soldiers must lug with them—both literally and figuratively —as they march

The Things They Carry �O’Brien blurs line between fact & fiction � Examination of how & why lines are blurred �Linked fiction – debatable whether or not each chapter is a short story or part of a bigger story � Can be read either way �Allegory/Symbolism � The “Things” the soldiers carried are bother literal and figurative �Pay attention to the way each works in this way � Think about: �How are these “THINGS” carried with them allegorically? �How does any person carry “THINGS” with them in a literal and allegorical way?

The Things They Carried �Characters � Tim O’Brien (not to be confused with the author) �Narrator & protagonist, he’s a pacifist who participates in the war because his feelings of obligation toward his country & family are more important than his own political beliefs � Jimmy Cross �Lieutenant of Alpha Co. , responsible for all of the men; well intentioned but unsure how to lead; feels guilt for deaths of Lavender & Kiowa � Mitchell Sanders �Likable, strong influence on O’Brien; kind, devoted and has a strong sense of justice, which helps him to serve as father figure; ability to tell stories has profound influence on narrator

The Things They Carried � Characters (cont. ) � Kiowa � O’Brien’s closest friend; model of quiet, rational morality amid atrocities of war; Kiowa’s death is focus of three stories, showing unforgiving cruelty of war when his death is more important than his life � Norman Bowker � Embodies damage war can do to man long after it has ended; quiet & unassuming during war, but Kiowa’s death has profound effect; letter to O’Brien shows importance of sharing stories in healing process � Bob “Rat” Kiley � Medic; O’Brien has great respect for his medical prowess; eventually succumbs to pressures of war, shooting off his toe to be shipped out

The Things They Carried �Characters (cont. ) � Curt Lemon �Childish & careless, he’s killed by stepping on a mortar round; O’Brien doesn’t particularly like Lemon, but his death is something the narrator contemplates with sadness & regret � Ted Lavender �Young, scared soldier and first to die; His death, like Lemon’s, is preventable, and thus illustrates the expendability of life in a senseless war � Mary Anne Bell �Mark Fossie’s high school sweetheart, she comes to Vietnam as an innocent and gains a respect for the death and darkness of the jungle where she disappears

The Things They Carried �Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries reminders of his gf Martha, a college student in N. J. who shows no interest in returning that love � Carries her letters in his backpack and her lucky pebble in his mouth; he also carries her photos �Even though letters are signed “Love Martha”, he tries not to hold false hope �Haunted by the lack of affection returned

The Things They Carried �O’Brien describes all of the things the men carry � Things in the most physical sense �What they carry depends on the men’s priorities & personalities �Some items are superfluous, some are necessities �Most men are common low-ranking soldiers and carry M-16 s & several rounds of ammo; some carry grenade launchers � All carry the figurative weight of memory & literal weight of one another �What else does each man carry? Make a list for yourself. These things can be physical, literal things or they can be figurative ideas

The Things They Carried � Cross daydreams about Martha crossing the Than Khe � Lavender is shot, falling under the weight of his pack � Cross can still think of nothing but Martha � Other soldiers joke about Lavender’s drug use as they weight for the helicopter � Cross leads men to village where the soldiers shoot dogs & chickens and burn everything � On they march, and when they stop, Cross digs a deep foxhole where he cries � Kiowa & Bowker talk about the short span between life & death, trying to make sense of situation � Kiowa marvels at how quickly Lavender fell – zipping up his pants one second, dead the next � Finds type of death un-Christian & wonders why he can’t openly lament it like Cross

The Things They Carried �Cross sits in foxhole & burns Martha’s letters & picture � How is this symbolic? � Plans march, will bring men together and take blame for Lavender’s death, and reminds himself his job is to lead not be loved �Mixing of profound events with mundane conversation sets matter-of-fact tone for book/stories �How do the physical objects the men carry provide a window into their thoughts/emotional burdens? �What does Lavender’s death demonstrate about the other soldiers? How does it change the soldiers? �How does age affect the soldiers?

Love �Cross visits O’Brien at his home in Massachusetts years after the war � Drink coffee, smoke cigs, look at photos & reminisce �Come across pic of Ted Lavender & Cross confesses he’s never forgiven himself for Lavender’s death �O’Brien says he feels the same about some things �Switch from coffee to gin (symbolic? ) �Steer from sad memories to less upsetting stories

Love �O’Brien asks about Martha � Cross caught up with her at a college reunion �Martha became a Lutheran missionary & never married �Cross tells Martha he loved her, but she replies to him coldly �She apologizes the next morning, gives him a new photo and tells him not to burn it �Cross tells O’Brien he still loves Martha but doesn’t speak of her for the rest of his visit � O’Brien tells Cross he would like to write a story about their experiences as he walks Cross to his car �He urges O’Brien to make him a brave leader and asks him not to “mention anything about ----. ” �O’Brien says he won’t

Love � Acts as postscript to Cross & Martha � First reference to fallout from Vietnam War � Soldiers returned from war realizing their dreams had been put on hold � Ending didn’t always turn out like they’d hoped � Meaning of love ambiguous Signed her letters “Love Martha” but it was likely a figure of speech – she didn’t really love Cross � Suppression of painful memories � O’Brien complicit because he won’t name what Cross has asked him not to name � Could be his guilt over Lavender’s death; it could be something else entirely � O’Brien also refuses to communicate completely with readers – leads to readers questioning his reliability � Distinction between truth & fiction unimportant to O’Brien the narrator and O’Brien the author � Helps demonstrate to readers conflicting emotions of war

Spin �Sometime war is sweet instead of violent � Mixes disconnected & fond memories of war � Learn narrator is 43 years old and a writer, reliving memories from the Vietnam War � Bad memories live on and never stop happening �Guilt won’t stop & his daughter Kathleen urges him to write something else �Writing what one remembers is means of coping with things one cannot forget

Spin � Alpha Co. enlists old Vietnamese man “Poppa-san” to guide them through minefield on Batangan Peninsula � Tell stories about other’s experiences � Each soldier has a story to tell or a minor complaint that pales in comparison to the war � Mode of survival � Anecdotes echo fragmentation of war experience and narrative itself � War has neither rules nor winners, and horrible stories are mixed with positive, good-natured stories � Story allows readers to feel boredom of war as well as how soldiers deal with fright, uncertainty and devastation � Catches identities of each character that tells a story � Each has his own story � O’Brien’s own daughter can’t comprehend why he can’t stop thinking about Vietnam

On the Rainy River � Exploration of the role of shame in war � Embarrassment as motivating factor � O’Brien feels embarrassed about going to Vietnam against his principles � Questions his motives � Most obviously fictional account in book � Point of a story isn’t to give facts for an accurate account – use facts & details to give accurate account of FEELINGS behind a situation – true throughout book � Demonstrates confusion soldiers feel when demands of country conflict with their own principles & conscience � War twists morality � O’Brien placed in catch-22 situation – he can’t win � Without directly saying anything, Elroy acts as a mirror for O’Brien to question his conscience

On the Rainy River �O’Brien lives with shame of thinking about bolting for Canada when he is scheduled to report � None of his family members know �O’Brien thinks he’s too good to fight in the war �His community pushes him to go � No easy way out �Government won’t let him defer for grad school �Can’t oppose war as matter of general principle �Can’t claim ill health �Resents his hometown for compelling him to fight in a war he knows nothing about

On the Rainy River � Begins seriously thinking about fleeing to Canada � Conscience & instincts tell him to run � Worries about losing respect of family & community � O’Brien cracks � Feels pressure in his chest & leaves work, drives home & writes vague note for his family � After spending the night behind a closed-down gas station, O’Brien pulls into Tip Top Lodge & meets Elroy Berdahl � Spends six days there eating, hiking & playing Scrabble � Never mentions reason for going to Canada; Elroy senses it � Discuss squaring up – Elroy figures he owes O’Brien money for work he’s done and leaves him four $50 bills � Invited to reminisce about O’Brien’s innocent childhood

On the Rainy River �Elroy & O’Brien are fishing on the river � O’Brien realizes they’ve stopped in Canadian water � O’Brien stares at Canadian shoreline 20 yards away and wonders what to do �Elroy pretends not to notice as O’Brien cries �O’Brien tells himself he’ll flee, but inside he decides to go to war because he is embarrassed not to � Pull fishing lines, turn the boat back to Minnesota �Next morning, O’Brien leaves the money on the table and goes off to Vietnam

Enemies & Friends �Pressures of war distort social codes � Two soldiers act violently toward each other for no real reason �Immaturity and chaos of war �Social codes become arbitrary in war �Both men ultimately willing to take responsibility �Take responsibility out of guilt, not integrity � Titles are ironic �Enemies – they are fighting for the same side �Friends – Jensen relieved by Strunk’s death �Distorts notion of friendship

Enemies �Dave Jensen & Lee Strunk fight over missing knife � Jensen breaks Strunk’s nose �Jensen nervous Strunk will attempt to get revenge �Jensen fires gun in air, calling out Strunk’s name �Jensen borrows a pistol to break his own nose � Strunk admits he stole jackknife next morning �What does this story illustrate?

Friends �Jensen & Strunk learn to trust each other �Agree to kill the other if one is seriously injured �Later, Strunk’s lower leg is blown off �Jensen kneels beside him as he waits for the helicopter �Strunk begs not to be killed �Jensen is relieved when he hears Jensen doesn’t survive the helicopter trip

How to Tell a True War Story � Examination of complex relationship between war experience and storytelling � Half told from O’Brien’s role as soldier, half as that of a storyteller � Storyteller has power to shape listener’s/reader’s experience � Distortion of experience and events � Storytelling allows him to “deal” with war experience � True war story has allegiance to gruesomeness of war � More about misplaced anger & inability of soldiers to deal with their feelings about a horrible experience � All soldiers are effectively storytellers, some (O’Brien & Sanders) more so than the rest � Most important conclusion: Truth in a true war story is irrelevant

How to Tell a True War Story � O’Brien prefaces story by saying it’s true � Curt Lemon killed; Rat Kiley writes letter to his sister, explaining what a good friend & hero Lemon was � Sister never writes back � O’Brien insists a true story isn’t moral and not to believe a story that is moral � Lemon died playing catch with a grenade when he stepped into sunlight and stepped on a mortar round � Sometimes a war story cannot be believed because some of the unbearable parts are true & some normal parts are not � Sometimes a true war story is impossible to tell � Recounts Sanders’ story from the mountain (sounds) � Sanders confesses some parts were invented � Moral of true war story cannot be separated from story itself � Then he relates story of Curt Lemon’s death

How to Tell a True War Story � Though war is hell, it is also many contradictory things � Feeling of being alive � War is ambiguous – like sounds in Sanders’ story � In a true war story, nothing is absolutely true � True war story identified by questions asked afterward � Truth of man’s purpose makes a difference � Truest war stories never happened � Wanted to capture Lemon’s final truth � People like the story (such as the woman) but it’s sad and they want him to tell a different story � Wishes he could tell woman story wasn’t a war story, but a love story, but he cannot � Keep telling it and making things up to give greater truth to story

The Dentist �Curt Lemon = Bravado in war � Lemon needs to demonstrate his ability to endure suffering and act bravely in face of adversity �Lemon faces having a tooth pulled (unnecessary) �Problem is psychological – demonstrates absurdity of bravado � Lemon a comical character – tries to prove himself just for sake of proving himself �Dies catching a grenade – ridiculousness of bravery Fears harmlessness of dentist but not worried about playing with something that is truly dangerous � Physical suffering easier to endure than mental �Unknown was soldiers’ greatest enemy in Vietnam �Small triumphs are necessary victories

The Dentist �Mourning Lemon difficult for O’Brien because he didn’t know him well �Tells story to avoid sentimentality �Lemon afraid of dentists – had a bad experience �Faints before dentist even touches him �Later that night, Lemon sneaks back to dentist’s tent & insists he has toothache �Lemon demands a good tooth be pulled �Moment of triumph for him = overcoming a fear

Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong �Vietnam has profound affect on foreign Americans that inhabit it �Stark contrast between natives & Americans �Mary Anne Bell vs. Mark Fossie Bell embraces Vietnamese culture – Fossie ignores it Different experiences indicate inability to mix cultures – characters in story must choose just one Mary Anne immediately interested in culture & surroundings Mary Anne becomes more comfortable & adventure-seeking than Mark Fossie Mary Anne prepared for Vietnam to consume her

Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong �Most enduring stories fall between absolutely unbelievable & completely mundane �Rat Kiley runs medic station near Song Tra Bong river that is so boring you could sneak a girl in �Mark Fossie interested, writes his elementary school sweetheart Mary Anne Bell and she arrives six weeks later �Mary Anne curious & fast learner – starts to immerse herself in Vietnamese culture immediately

Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong � Fossie eventually suggests Mary Anne go home, but she argues that she’s content staying � She starts coming back later & later and a few times not at all � One night Fossie goes to look for Mary Anne & discovers she’s been out on an ambush, beginning her relationship with the Green Berets � Become engaged, but Mary Anne still refuses to leave and eventually disappears again � When she returns she heads right to Special Forces hut � She has completely immersed herself in Vietnam � Claims Fossie doesn’t understand � Kiley learned Mary Anne enjoyed night patrols and became part of the land

Stockings �Thematically opposed to “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” in regard to relationships �Stockings serve as comforting reminder of home for Henry Dobbins �Superstition more important at times than reality �Superstition protects soldiers from twists of fate �Improve psychology of soldiers – helps preserve well- being (both physical and mental)

Stockings �Henry Dobbins wears his girlfriend’s stockings � Ambushes � Sometimes to sleep �Superstitions important – provide protection like good luck charm � Dobbins survives two potentially deadly situations � Girlfriend dumps him in October �Still believes in the power of the stockings

Church �Abandoned pagoda stands for question of America’s presence in Vietnam �Church occupied by well-intentioned monks �Wash hands of Dobbins �Ironic because of atrocities committed by American soldiers against innocent civilians �Symbolic of Pilate washing Jesus’ feet �Kiowa’s thoughtfulness contrasts Dobbins’ ambition �Kiowa – religion about inner reflection �Dobbins – religion about outside demonstration/preaching

Church �Platoon reaches pagoda functioning as church �Remain there for two weeks – monks bring them food, water, other goods �Dobbins – not a religious man – might like joining church for interactions with people �Kiowa – always carries a Bible – wouldn’t enjoy preaching �Monks oil Dobbins’ machine gun – contrasting image �All one can do is be nice to them

The Man I Killed �O’Brien fixates on man he killed � Presence as protagonist/narrator fades to background � Imagines life for his victim �Focus on effect of O’Brien’s action �Unable to keep distance from event emotionally �Readers left to infer feelings of narrator � Focus on everything but the death allows killer to keep his distance from his guilt �Nothing can erase what has happened �Between remarks, O’Brien sits in silence �Dichotomy between consolation & torture � Arbitrary nature of death arises again �Imagines himself in the dead man’s position �Tragedy of death among beauty of Vietnam itself

Ambush �Recounted in 1 st person – gives it historical feel �Takes more clinical approach to story of “The Man I Killed” �Why? Who is O’Brien’s audience? �His daughter, Kathleen �All of the details are intact �Although the story is told for Kathleen, it is also very much for O’Brien’s sake as well �Less immediate than “The Man I Killed” �“Ambush” is a story with perspective because of the distance from the event – it’s a memory rather than immediate

Ambush �Context � Kathleen asks O’Brien more than 20 years after the war if he had ever killed anyone �She claims he writes the war stories because he has killed someone �He lies – but reflecting, imagines how he would tell Kathleen the story when she’s an adult � Another way in which O’Brien (the soldier) copes with his guilt and the lasting psychological effects of the war

Style �Contrast and ambiguity of good intentions & ill intentions � Dobbins hangs Azar over well because of his insensitivity �A few months earlier, Dobbins destroyed a village �Dobbins doesn’t occupy moral high ground either, but holds onto it more so than Azar Cruel to mock those who have been tortured even though he took part in torture himself �Dancing girl - Finding pleasure in moments of horror � O’Brien doesn’t explore human side of Vietnamese �Inflicts too much guilt on American conscience �Keep the enemy/citizens at an emotional distance

Speaking of Courage �Kiowa’s death represents climax in stories � Losing a very prominent character in the narrative marks a dramatic change in the dynamic � Kiowa provides foil to several other characters (Dobbins, Norman Bowker) �Soft-spoken, understated, but strong leader �Discouraged soldiers from unnecessary violence �Also supported them through difficulty � Drastically effects each of the characters �Characters left to deal with guilt of their survival �Norman Bowker thinking about death of Kiowa �Readers are several characters (& years) removed Story as much about characters dealing with Kiowa’s death as his death itself

Speaking of Courage � Recalls pain of war as well as how soldiers work through that pain once war has ended � O’Brien vs. Bowker � O’Brien shows how soldiers cope by talking/writing � Bowker shows how soldiers internalize feelings � O’Brien writes in past tense – leaving war behind � Because Bowker has no one to talk to, he cannot leave the war behind This allows O’Brien to reach understanding, while Bowker never arrives at this understanding � Meaning of war � Private meaning (Bowker) vs. Public meaning (community) � Medals – Father believes they’re a sign of his accomplishments � Sewage field illustrate soldiers’ inability to escape effects of Vietnam � Strong metaphor for the soldiers’ actions & feelings

Notes “By telling stories, you objectify your own experience. You separate it from yourself. You pin down certain truths. You make up others. ” � 2 nd of 3 straight stories connected to Kiowa’s death � More about O’Brien’s search for authenticity in storytelling than Kiowa’s death �Written in 1 st person � O’Brien feels guilty not over the death but over his inability to represent it without authenticity � Most of his writing comes from simple need to talk (release mental anguish)

Notes �Presents O’Brien’s perspective on Norman Bowker �Complement & sequel to “Speaking of Courage” �Bowker’s letter allows readers to understand how seriously he was affected by the war �Bowker’s actions don’t make sense without O’Brien’s explanations �He’s unable to communicate his feelings �O’Brien makes peace with his memories of Bowker & Kiowa through this story �Writes to remember in way that’s not painful �Boundaries between truth & fiction vague Uses names of his actual novels Bowker notices himself in If I Die in a Combat Zone

In the Field �Allows company members chance to comment on Kiowa’s death �Written in 3 rd person but doesn’t focus on one character’s point of view �Cross – direct experience with death can change person �Not angry with soldier (who is more frustrated by loss of his gf’s picture) �Understands power of pictures/tokens as memories �Importance of focusing on present rather than far away love

In the Field �Azar � Transforms from immature soldier into sensitive comrade �Goes from mocking death to feels tragedy acutely Immaturity shown early but sees err of his ways and apologizes Death becomes concrete rather than abstract as he pulls Kiowa from the muck �Finally feels guilt & pain other men have been carrying with them in Vietnam �Story shows optimism will not be crushed � Suggestion that things could be worse �Experiences of death bring men closer to life

In the Field �Cross’s guilt �Debilitating weight of responsibility of inexperienced (in war and life) soldiers �Cross never wanted to be in charge in the first place �Sometimes leads through instinct �Other times listens to inadvisable orders from superiors �Learns part of accepting responsibility is taking blame Accepts blame for Kiowa’s death by mentally writing a letter to Kiowa’s father

Good Form �O’Brien contradicts himself � Story of man killed on My Khe wasn’t really killed by him � Making a point: It is not verifiable fact that makes a story true. It is the sentiment of the story that makes it true. �The way the story makes the reader & teller feel are more important that the facts � Attempt to alienate readers from fact and bring attention to emotional connection �If reader can identify with emotions than that’s all that truly matters in storytelling �O’Brien’s daughter (Kathleen) serves as model audience �If she feels the way she should, then the rest of us should as well

Field Trip �O’Brien returns to sight of Kiowa’s death with Kathleen �Explores personal nature of memory & distance �Landscape has different impacts on O’Brien & Kathleen �Kathleen (like the audience) cannot grasp meaning of Vietnam whereas it’s a profound place full of memories for O’Brien �O’Brien physically revisits a place of war �Attempt to bury guilt associated with Kiowa �Hope for O’Brien is to conquer his past

The Ghost Soldiers �Fears of war more real than pain of actual war itself �Specifically actual pain of being shot for O’Brien is less than pain of thought of being shot �Second time, O’Brien is more pained by the anger, frustration he has with Bobby Jorgenson – the new medic who took over for Rat Kiley �Inability of Jorgenson to help O’Brien the way he feels he should be helped �Because of this poor care, O’Brien falls into shock and nearly contracts gangrene �Can’t forgive Jorgenson – only wants cold, merciless revenge

The Ghost Soldiers �Tension between camaraderie & difficulty finding it �O’Brien alienated because he’s shipped to rear – much safer & more comfortable �Misses adventure of combat �Company visits & he doesn’t feel part of the group �By this time, ambiguity of war has clouded O’Brien’s view of the world �Before the war he wanted to escape it �Now he has become a part of it and it a part of him �O’Brien feels overwhelming need for revenge �Goes against his initial feelings and how he’s been taught

Night Life �Drive for survival vs. social acceptance � Most soldiers did not intentionally shoot themselves in foot due to sense of shame = act of cowardice � “Night Life” supports & refutes this notion �Rat Kiley less afraid of physical pain than unknown �Kiley shoots himself in foot for sure pain over uncertainty of killing or being killed � Company’s reaction: Refusal to serve is as bad as death �Instead of facing Kiley’s decision, they talk about something completely unrelated in the same way the soldiers deal with death in the war �Kiley’s action both shunned & desired by others �Illustrates the feelings of others when he talks about death � Kiley foil to O’Brien in that he’s not worried about facing certain shame from his action

The Lives of the Dead “. . . when I take a high leap into the dark and come down thirty years later, I realize it is as Tim trying to save Timmy's life with a story. ” �Final statement has little to do with Vietnam, but addresses relationship between life & death � Story has bigger importance than showing war experience � Bigger idea achieved by stories – fiction can overcome death �Linda synonymous with death & innocence �O’Brien’s first experience with these ideas came much earlier than Vietnam �This is when his innocence is lost forever �Her death marks inevitability & sadness of dying, particularly because she was completely innocent unlike soldiers

The Lives of the Dead �O’Brien looks with detachment at Linda’s body �Becomes the way O’Brien forever looks at death �Funeral experience shows the way the rest of O’Brien’s life will turn out with regard to death – father tries to distract him just like his fellow soldiers �Becomes comforted by his subconscious �O’Brien uses illusion of life to sustain him �Each deals with death in his own way O’Brien chooses storytelling War stories are life stories