The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien: An Analysis

One of the most perplexing components of human life is how there are a plethora of different variables that go into shaping a person to who they are. Whether it be on a microscopic level, such as our DNA, or the environment in which one lives in, or even whom a person chooses to affiliate themselves with, everything contributes to shaping and guiding them through life. In Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, O'Brien adroitly incorporates the theme that one’s friends will guide and comfort them in, even in times of hardship, guilt, or pure terror, through the utilization of: juxtaposition, and anecdotes. Humans are often finding themselves in new alien situations, that may place both an emotional and physical burden upon them. During the

In the first vignette, "The Things They Carried", O'Brien describes the tone and hardship the soldiers endured, together. O'Brien juxtaposes how the tangible items the soldiers carry, such as, "a flak jacket which weighed 6.7 pounds", and "a large compress bandage" (O'Brien 3), but the soldiers often, "carried each other, the wounded or the weak," (O'Brien 14). The soldiers relied on each other for emotional and physical support, just as everyday people depend upon their friends for support. The weight in responsibility far outweighed the weight in supplies they carried. These soldiers were between the ages of eight-teen and nine-teen, and relied on one another for emotional support; many soldiers such as Ted Lavender who, “carried 6 or 7 ounces of premium dope” (O’Brien 3) or Azar who, “strapped the puppy to a Claymore antipersonnel mine and squeezed the firing device” (O’Brien 35), could not handle the hardships of the barbaric nature of the war. Even after the war, the veterans continued their co-dependence on one another, by the continuance of communication. After the war