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Family traditions theories
The use of symbolism in the novel
Significance of symbolism in literature
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Traditions are what bond families together through love, fight and sacrifice. In the story The Medicine Bag by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, Martin and his grandpa didn’t have much in common but being related, but by the end they had bonded through many things that had happened along the way. Overall traditions are expressed in this story through symbolism, theme and through characters. Martin and his grandpa weren’t close at all as Martin grew up but now they had a chance to do around their heritage and with the medicine bag. Grandpa wore the medicine bag around his neck all the time to represent his father and to show his Sioux heritage. In the story grandpa tells why he wears the medicine bag when it says “My son, this is very sacred to our family you must take care of it and wear it to show our heritage on the reservation when I am gone.” What this meant to me was that grandfather wanted Martin to have the bag because he felt it would protect him when he was deceased. Martin was as white as …show more content…
This is expressed in the story because most people would think the medicine bag should be in the trash not worn around your neck to show it off. It is stated that the medicine bag is a prized possession when it states “This is not a toy this is a family heirloom that is very special and delicate for the whole family.” What I think grandpa is trying to say is that this item should be treated with TLC and not just stuck on a shelf to collect dust. Another theme of the story was that with accepting the medicine bag there is a lot of responsibility. When you receive the medicine bag you become the man of the house to protect everyone. It says this in the story when it says “Along with accepting the bag you now are responsible for it and have to take care of it.” What grandpa means in this line is that after it is yours many responsibilities come with it and you have to be ready for
It is often ignored that legacy is responsible for the unity of a family. As Walker lightens the reader with the importance of quilts in “Everyday Use”, she amplifies the significance of it by presenting Maggie, the younger of
In “The Things They Carried” Tim O’Brien uses this story as a coping mechanism; to tell part of his stories and others that are fiction from the Vietnamese War. This is shown by using a fictions character’s voice, deeper meaning in what soldier’s carried, motivation in decision making, telling a war story, becoming a new person and the outcome of a war in one person. Tim O’ Brien uses a psychological approach to tell his sorrows, and some happiness from his stories from the war. Each part, each story is supposed to represent a deeper meaning on how O’Brien dealt, and will deal with his past. In war, a way to discover and to invent new ways to release oneself from the pressure of it, O’ Brien’s writing is all about it; this stories will makes the reader understand his burden.
He also lists some of the personal item delivering hints of his characters’ personalities to the readers and what these items meant to them. He writes how Henry Dobbins, “the big guy”, carries extra food supplies and his girlfriend’s pantyhose around his neck because he thought that it brought him good luck during battle. “The pantyhose, he said, had a properties of a good-luck charm.”… “He liked putting his nose into the nylon and breathing the scent of his girlfriend’s body; he liked the memories they inspired.” Rat Kiley a nineteen-year-old carries comic books which symbolized his youth and memories of home and childhood. “Rat Kiley carried comic books”… “He’s nineteen years old, [the war] it’s too much for him.” Dave Jensen, “the hygienist”, carries toothbrush, dental floss and bar soaps and Ted Lavender “the scared one” carries tranquilizers. The items Jensen and Lavender carried were strong symbols of weakness. Lavender used the tranquilizers to keep himself from being nervous and frightened, “Ted Lavender, who was scared, carried tranquilizers.” And it’s clear that the toothbrush, the dental floss and the soaps symbolized Jensen’s inability to adapt to Vietnam. Both Lavender and Jensen were killed during missions. Lastly, Kiowa, “a man of faith” who carries a New Testament bible which represents his faith and background as it is a gift from his father. “he opened his new Testament and arranged it beneath his head as a pillow.” Sleeping on is bible not only gives a possible physical comfort but an emotional too. O’Brien asserts that the emotional burdens are heavier than the physical stuff by talking about the internal baggage men who might die carry. He states “grief, terror, fear, love, and hopes – These were intangible, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible
In the short story, “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, each soldier carries many items during times of war and strife, but each necessity differs. This short story depicts what each soldier carries mentally, physically, and emotionally on his shoulders as long, fatiguing weeks wain on during the Vietnam War. The author Tim O’Brien is a Vietnam War veteran, an author, the narrator, and a teacher. The main character, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is a Vietnam War soldier who is away at war fighting a mind battle about a woman he left behind in New Jersey because he is sick with love while trying to fulfill his duties as a soldier to keep America free. Tim O’Brien depicts in “The Things They Carried” a troubled man who also shoulders the
Written by author Tim O’Brien after his own experience in Vietnam, “The Things They Carried” is a short story that introduces the reader to the experiences of soldiers away at war. O’Brien uses potent metaphors with a third person narrator to shape each character. In doing so, the reader is able to sympathize with the internal and external struggles the men endure. These symbolic comparisons often give even the smallest details great literary weight, due to their dual meanings. The symbolism in “The Things They Carried” guides the reader through the complex development of characters by establishing their humanity during the inhumane circumstance of war, articulating what the men need for emotional and spiritual survival, and by revealing the character’s psychological burdens.
The first part of the quote matches with the first story, The Things They Carried. The story told about the items that each soldier took with them to the war. The quote says that the past has a strong grip on the present. The items that the soldiers have with them remind them of there past. Sometimes the soldiers have to let go of something they have because of certain conditions. For example Jimmy Cross had a good luck from his girlfriend Martha, it was a pebble that was from the Jersey shoreline. She sent it to him because it reminded her of how they are "together but separate". Jimmy took this everywhere during the war and kept it in his mouth. When one of his friends got killed during action he got rid of the pebble because he thought it was a distraction.
In the story, keeper tells, how tradition is transferred from one generation to the other generation. For example, he explains “drum like this always belongs to the people. Same as the song you sing with it. Old man taught me some of those songs told me about their meanin, when he died he left a message with your mother that I was responsible for the drum”. [Page 100]
Some tangible things they carried with them were remind them of home and provide them with some luck, while others helped keep them alive during the war time. The intangible things the men carried helped the men be carried through the war and survive. Each man carried something different both mentally and physically. Tim O’Brien saw and experienced these men and what they had to go through during this time of war. The chapter “The Things They Carried” shapes each character into who he was during the war and shows us the reality of the Vietnam
Through The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien moves beyond the horror of fighting in the Vietnam War to examine with sensitivity and insight the nature of courage and fear. Included, is a collection of interrelated stories. A few of the stories are brutal, while others are flawed, blurring the distinction between fact and fiction. All the stories, however, deal with one platoon. Some are about the wartime experiences of soldiers, and others are about a 43-year-old writer reminiscing about his platoon’s experiences. In the beginning chapter, O’Brien rambles about the items the soldiers carry into battle, ranging from can openers, pocketknives, and mosquito repellent o Kool-Aid, sewing kits, and M-16 assault rifles. Yet, the story is truly about the intangible things the soldiers “carry”: “grief, terror, love, longing… shameful memories (and) the common secret of cowardice” (Harris & O’Brien 21).
“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is a short story written about the Vietnam War. The title has two meanings. The first is their duties and equipment for the war. The second, the emotional sorrows they were put through while at war. Their wants and needs, the constant worry of death were just a few of the emotional baggage they carried. During the Vietnam War, like all wars, there were hard times. Being a soldier wasn’t easy. Soldiers always see death, whether it be another soldier or an enemy. In “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brien explores the motivation of solders in the Vietnam War to understand their role in combat, to stay in good health, and accept the death of a fellow soldier.
Storytelling is one of the major themes in the book “The Things They Carried”, and is conveyed several times throughout most of the novel. The author, Tim O’Brien, uses the theme storytelling to convey his experience in Vietnam during the war. Another reason is to show what his soldiers felt during the war, and what they experienced from their perspective. He uses many factors to convey this theme like how it has to be embarrassing and has no moral, story truth and happening truth, and he includes the stories of others. These really contribute to the theme of storytelling and why it is such a major theme for Tim O’Brien.
Symbolism In "The Things They Carried" In Tim O'Brien's story "The Things They Carried" we see how O'Brien uses symbolism in order to indirectly give us a message and help us to connect to what the soldiers are thinking and feeling. During a war, soldiers tend to take with them items from home, kind of as a security blanket. The items they normally take with them tend to reveal certain characteristics of their personality. Henry Dobbins is the guy who loves to eat, so he made sure he took some extra food. Ted Lavender was the scaredy cat of the group, so he carried tranquilizers with him.
... attempts to change the way Mama and Maggie perceive tradition by using the quilts as a wall display. Mama refuses to allow it, Dee was offered the quilts when she was in college and didn’t want them at that time. Mama gives the quilts to Maggie as her wedding gift to be used every day as they were intended, knowing how much Maggie appreciates them. I agree with Mama and Maggie for keeping family memories and objects in daily use. It is important to maintain your family history in your everyday life to preserve those special memories.
The quilts were pieced together by Mama, Grandma Dee, and Big Dee symbolizing a long line of relatives. The quilts made from scraps of dresses worn by Grandma Dee, Grandpa Jarrell’s Paisley shirts, and Great Grandpa Ezra’s Civil War uniform represented the family heritage and values, and had been promised to Mama to Maggie when she married. However, Dee does not understand the love put into the making of the quilts, neither does she understand the significance of the quilts as part of her family heritage. It is evident she does not understand the significance of the quilt, having been offered one when went away to college declaring them “as old-fashioned” and “out of style”. She does not care about the value of the quilts to her family, rather she sees it as a work of art, valuable as an African heritage but not as a family heirloom. She wants the quilts because they are handmade, not stitched with around the borders. She tells Mama, “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts!... She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use… But, they’re priceless!.. Maggie would put them on her the bed and in five years they’d be in rags. Less than that!” (317). The quilt signifies the family pride and history, which is important to Mama. She makes the decision to give the quilt to Maggie who will appreciate it more than Dee, to whom she says, “God knows I been saving ‘em for long enough with
Alice Walker is a well-known African- American writer known for published fiction, poetry, and biography. She received a number of awards for many of her publications. One of Walker's best short stories titled "Everyday Use," tells the story of a mother and her two daughters' conflicting ideas about their heritage. The mother narrates the story of the visit by her daughter, Dee. She is an educated woman who now lives in the city, visiting from college. She starts a conflict with the other daughter, Maggie over the possession of the heirloom quilts. Maggie still lives the lifestyle of her ancestors; she deserves the right of the quilts. This story explores heritage by using symbolism of the daughters' actions, family items, and tradition.