Analysis Of The Things They Carried - 1120 Words

Scars From Vietnam: An Analysis of a Soldier’s Connection With War Itself in The Things They Carried. â€Å"War is like love, it always finds a way.† -Bertolt Brecht War , like love, is always present can be a person’s worst nightmare, since it always finds ways to emotionally or physically impact one’s life. Mary Anne and Norman Bowker in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried both possess a strong sense of self certainty, however the war challenges their beliefs by forcing them into extreme situations and thus making them more physically and mentally attached to the war. Mary Anne is seen as a happy and†¦show more content†¦This causes her to become more attached and dedicated to the war. As the days go by, Mary Anne is becoming more distant from Mark Fossie and more attached to the war. This is obvious when Mark Fossie asks her if she wants to leave Vietnam and she tells him that she does not want to leave, since everything she needs is in Vietnam. Later on, Mary Anne starts joining the Greenies, which is a group of elite army soldiers, who fight in the war. Mary Anne disappears and Mark Fossie ends up finding her with the Greenies, completely changed by the war and a different person. â€Å"Quietly then, she stepped out of the shadows†¦ For a long while the girl gazed down at Fossie, almost blankley, and in the candlelight her face had the composure of someone perfectly at peace†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢You re in a place’, Mary Anne said softly, ‘where you don t belong.’... Rat listened for a long time, then shook his head. ‘Man, you must be deaf. Shes already gone.’† (O’Brien, 105-107) As portrayed in the novel, Mary Anne is clearly too attached to the war and cannot leave Vietnam. She leaves Fossie for the war and joins the Greenies, since she cannot move on, for she is held back, due to the war. In a way, Mary Anne is a representation of war itself. She is an example of what war does to a soldier and how it can greatly impact their life, not letting them move on. Norman Bowker comesShow MoreRelatedThe Things They Carried Analysis883 Words   |  4 Pagesin his short story â€Å"The Things They Carried,† using personal experiences from his time serving in the Vietnam War. Jimmy Cross, the main character who did not believe in the war, was drafted in June 1968. Being commissioned to a foreign territory to fight for your life and the freedoms of others is a life changing experience. Soldiers often bring items from home that give them hope of motivation to survive in order to return home. The short story â€Å"The Things They Carried† gives an insight on whatRead MoreAnalysis of The Things They Carried1048 Words   |  5 Pagesquestion of its worth. Usually when someone has done something honorable they know it and accept it as is. However in this case O’Brien feels that the cost of earning the honor is too great to be justified even if everyone believes he did the right thing. O’Brien illustrates the uncertainty of the war in Vietnam by alternating clear references of beauty and gore. The butterfly and the â€Å"small blue flowers shaped like bells† he mentions show the stark ugliness and abruptness of death in the midst ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Things They Carried 1106 Words   |  5 PagesBeginning. Thematic Statement: â€Å"The Things They Carried†- The mental and morale that a person go through is intense because it becomes the fundamental that will be throughout the whole story. Device Concrete Detail w/ MLA Commentary Situational Irony of how the soldier talked about Lavender â€Å"They told stories about Ted Lavender’s supply of tranquilizers, how the poor guy didn’t feel a thing, how incredibly tranquil he was†(O’BrienRead MoreAnalysis Of The Things They Carried 2058 Words   |  9 PagesTrauma in Lit 12/3/15 The Things They Carried The things they carried was a very interesting book that was filled with various stories. They all took place during the Vietnam War and follow multiple protagonists that reappear in later stories. Throughout the story, there is a vast number of themes and symbolism. One theme I found interesting is the theme of physical and emotional burdens. This was especially noticeable in ‘’The Things They Carried’’, where they were carryingRead MoreThe Things They Carried Critical Analysis1538 Words   |  7 PagesVietnam War remains an affliction for Vietnam War Veterans and their families. Millions of our youth were forced to leave their home and carry inconceivable burdens. Thus, as a Veteran, Tim O’Brien can depict thoroughly their burdens in â€Å"The Things They Carried†. His story brings us back to war-torn Vietnam and First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his platoon. Cross is the commanding officer; however, he does not co ncentrate on the war but on his unrequited love. As a result, a Viet Cong kills one of hisRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of the Things They Carried1537 Words   |  7 PagesMichelle Zhang Dr. Bloomquist 2/13/2015 Rhetorical Analysis A Whole New World: Construction and Destruction in The Things They Carried While the Vietnam War was a complex political pursuit that lasted only a few years, the impact of the war on millions of soldiers and civilians extended for many years beyond its termination. Soldiers killed or were killed; those who survived suffered from physical wounds or were plagued by PTSD from being wounded, watching their platoon mates die violentlyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The Things They Carried 1734 Words   |  7 Pages The Actual War Scenario - Vietnam War The Things They Carried, is a novel based on the Vietnam War, and the book reveals the truth of the war as the author remembers the war after twenty one years and snows his guilt and emotions for the war. The Things They Carried, belongs high on the list of the best fiction about any war... crystallizes the Vietnam experiences for everyone and exposes the nature of all war stories.( New York Times, Book of the Century). Tim O Brien, the authorRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Things They Carried 2006 Words   |  9 Pages 1. Birth-October 1, 1946; present 2. The things they carried was written in the late 1980 s and published in 1990. The novel acts as a response to the era it discusses by solidifying the un-generalized version of war through fictional anecdotes from the narrator and characters. The truth is never portrayed through historic context or media, and with this novel, the author was able to reciprocate the emotions felt by soldiers from the graphic scenes or actions envisioned/written. 3. FactorsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Things They Carried 1409 Words   |  6 PagesDenali Dickson Butler July 22, 2014 Long Form I. The Author and His Times: 1. Birth- October 1, 1946 to present 2. The Things They Carried was published January 1, 1990. This novel discusses stories from the Vietnam War, written many years afterwards. The book shares stories from several different people during the war and shares the truth as they remember it. 3. The factor that influenced the author in his decision to publish this novel was his desire to share his stories with the world. StoriesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel The Things They Carried 1034 Words   |  5 Pagesto another it is a fictional piece of literature meant to teach or entertain its audience. Others may go so far as to argue only the truth is of importance in a story. Tim O’Brien expands on the true significance of a story in his novel The Things They Carried. He uses the scene of a real war with fictional additions to convey the message of the brutality of war, emphasizing the idea of the truth of the story being irrelevant. Similarly, in J. D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden utilizes