Blog #51 – The Things They Carried
Tim O’Brien’s book, The Things They Carried, focuses on the members of Alpha Company as they hump across Vietnam and also how they dealt with civilian life (“Speaking of Courage”). 
1. The things that the soldiers carried in battle were not just physical things but mental / emotional as well. Henry Dobbins wore his girlfriend’s pantyhose around his neck as a comforter. But after the war is over and done with, the soldiers, like Lt. Cross, carry guilt and pain around with them.
2. The novel is also about truth, especially with the story, “How to Tell a True War Story,” which seems contradictory in many cases. But maybe that’s what the truth really is in a war-time environment – unclear.
3. The novel also captures loneliness and isolation experienced by the American soldiers while in the Vietnamese jungle. Though the soldiers are surrounded by their comrades in arms, many don’t feel a connection to each other. Could this be because they’ve been drafted into a war they don’t want to fight? Or that war is the most loneliest experience – do or die on the battlefield?
4. How does shame or the idea of letting another person down motivate Tim and other soldiers in the stories?
“They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what had brought them to the war in the first place, nothing positive, no dreams of glory or honor, just to avoid the blush of dishonor. They died so as not to die of embarrassment.”
Pick two of the four topics to write about and also include a brief assessment of the book.
300 words minimum for your total response. Due Friday by class.
As shown in the first topic the things that the soldiers carried in battle were not just physical things but mental and emotional as well. But after the war is over and done with, the soldiers carry guilt and pain around with them. This is not only shown in the Vietnam war but also in other wars. Soldiers are forced into war and are forced to battle. They feel not only guilty if someone dies on their watch, or if someone they know dies, but lonely. Like Henry Dobbins, many wore and carried things to remind them of home. But after war many soldiers have to live with PTSD. They are filled with flashbacks and pain for their lives because they had to go through this traumatic experience. That’s one thing after war that they have to carry. The novel also captures loneliness and isolation experienced by the American soldiers while in the Vietnamese jungle. Though the soldiers are surrounded by their comrades in arms, many don’t feel a connection to each other. These soldiers are put into a war with people they don’t know and they are expected to help these comrades of theirs. They have to carry the guilt of knowing that they are the reason someone from their “unit” died because they didn’t save them. Then the soldiers also have to deal with loneliness. They are surrounded by people they just met in a place they don’t want to be. They do not have the chance to see family members or loved ones, which can be hard for many people. They don’t feel connections with each other throughout this war because they are not there to become friends but to win the war for America. This book shows the true struggles and journeys that happened throughout the war and captures all different aspects of it. It goes through the views of the war through different peoples eyes and shows how they reacted and acted. Many were sad and traumatized and many tried to stay calm. But either way this book shows the true story of the soldiers and what they carried throughout the war.
1) The soldiers in the Vietnam War carried many things both physically and mentally. Physically, they carried all types of weapons; guns, ammo, grenades, rocket launchers and other machines designed to take other peoples lives. But what they carried mentally was a response to what they carried physically; their resentment of the war, their fear of death, their longing to just go home. They also carried each other, as they all had strengths and weaknesses that could hurt or help themselves as a whole. If one man had a fear of the dark, another would stand guard over the rest. They needed the things they carried to survive the war
4) The Vietnam War was an awful war in which many American were miserable and did not feel motivated to fight. This led to a severe lack of morale among the men. But, the men still felt a responsibility to protect each other and not let each other down. They would feel great angst and shame if they did. For example, Lavender was shot in the head and killed while the infantry was clearing out tunnels that potentially had enemy soldiers in them. Lieutenant Cross blamed himself for his death because at the time he had been distracted by thoughts of Martha, the girl he was in love with back home. This caused him a lot of despair and it led to hime burning all of his momentos of Martha. After that, he declared he would put his men before his personal problems. So, although Cross was very miserable while fighting the war in Vietnam, he continued to fight with dedication and bravery in order to protect his men and never let them down.
I think there were numerous reasons the men in Vietnam didn’t develop close relationships with one another. The main reason could have been fear. They were all in danger of being killed; what if they developed close ties with someone that died in battle? The men didn’t need any more emotional trauma than they already had. So they kept their distance from one another while in the meantime keeping mutual respect and support. They couldn’t let emotions overcome them in any situation, so they stayed as numb as possible. Plus, none of them were happy to be there – they were in danger, homesick, and putting their lives on the line almost against their will. The only thing that they collectively cared about was staying alive and someday going home. This wasn’t a family camping trip where the point was to do some family bonding. It was kill or be killed, and while working together was the key to survival, emotional bonding was not necessary. It was a lonely state to be in, but it was necessary for the best emotional health possible if something tragic were to happen.
Shame, unfortunately, is the drive that keeps many American people doing what they can’t stand doing. The idea is that people are extremely afraid of being seen as cowardly. The men preferred the idea of dying heroically than living because they were cowardly and hid. It’s an unfortunate value system, but that’s how it has been for years and is fairly universal around the world, some places more extreme than others. That’s why the men are afraid not to fight – they are afraid of being sentenced to a life of cowardice by refusing to fight. It motivates them to put themselves out in the open and be prepared for whatever fate they have to face.
Honestly, I really liked this book. It really shows a new perspective of wartime and how soldiers think. It was well written (except for the chronological disorder – that threw me off a little bit), and I enjoyed the different characters and different stories.
1. As previously noted, the things that the soldiers carried in battle were not just physical things but mental as well. As cited by the prompt, O’Brien gives the example of Henry Dobbins who wore his girlfriend’s pantyhose around his neck as a comforter. This example shows how Harry carried physical reminders of his loved ones, but also carried his memories of them. While O’Brien does not state it specifically, we can assume that the pantyhose had some connection to a specific memory Harry had about his girlfriend. Another example could be Lt. Cross carrying his memories of Martha, his love back in the states. In addition, some soldiers, like Lt. cross, ended up carrying new things out of Vietnam with them. Lt. Cross’ new burden was the life of Lavender, who was killed on Cross’ watch. Also, Tim recalls his memories of all the men who died in the war in vain.
4. The shame of letting a fellow serviceman down is cited by O’Brien as the greatest fear of any serviceman. In addition, the reality of war is that one goes into it knowing nobody, and is forced into a new family. The members of the Alpha Company accept the notion that they are all brothers, with each of them being required to treat and assist each other as such. This idea can explain the strong emotions felt by Lt. Cross when Lavender is killed. One can associate the pain of losing a child or a sibling with Lt. Cross’ emotions; however, Cross felt remorse because Lavender could have been saved, and due to his preoccupation, was lost in what most of the soldiers viewed as a worthless mission in a worthless war in a worthless country. This exact idea that letting one of their brothers in arms down could cost someone their life motivates Tim and the other members of the Alpha Company to help each other and get out alive.
1. The soldiers carried around physical as well as mental objects and objectives to comfort them in the foreign war into which they were thrown. For example, Lieutenant Cross carried around his love for his college sweetheart Martha, even though the love was not mutual. Lieutenant Cross is in charge of a anxiety-filled, low-ranking soldier named Ted Lavender. Lavender deals with his anxiety by taking tranquilizers and smoking marijuana, and is tragically shot on his way back from going to the bathroom. Feeling distracted by thoughts of Martha, Lieutenant Cross blames himself for Lavender’s death, even twenty years after the war. Thinking about Martha was just Cross’s way of escape and comfort, which was perfectly reasonable, but he is haunted many years after for a soldier’s death. Whether Lieutenant Cross is to blame or not to blame, he has to live with this feeling of responsibility. Cross carried thoughts of love during the war, and thoughts of guilt and pain long after the war.
4. Tim O’Brien did not believe that Vietnam was a just war. He did not want to fight in the war, and he travelled to the Canadian border, considering whether or not to flee from the draft. He ends up in Vietnam, not because of patriotism or dedication to the war’s purpose, but out of his fear of shame. He goes to war because he does not want to leave a legacy as a coward. His entire motivation to fight stems from his family and his community’s opinion of him. Will he flee to Canada with his political values intact or stay with his reputation upheld? He chooses his reputation. Not only does fear of shame motivate soldiers like O’Brien to go to war, but it also motivates them to do dangerous or unnecessary things during the war. One such example is Curt Lemon, who gets a good tooth pulled in “The Dentist” to prove himself after having fainted earlier in the book.
1.) During the Vietnam War, the soldiers carried things that were both mental and physical. From the mental standpoint, they carried the pictures that they saw while they were in battle. They couldn’t wipe away the pictures of their friends dying, the explosions, and the fear in each other’s eyes. This was the main cause of several soldiers’ post-traumatic stress disorder. Whenever they would see someone in pain after they returned from the war, they would start having episodes because of what they had seen back in the battlefield. Another mental picture that the soldiers carried with them is the family and friends that they were leaving behind. They knew that they may not ever return to them and even if they did, they probably wouldn’t be the same as when they had left. That was probably the most negative thing about going off and fighting in the war and they would carry that wherever they would go. The things that the soldiers carried physically were the different items that they brought with them from home. They felt that if they did bring something from home with them that they weren’t as home sick as they could have been.
2.) “How to Tell the Truth in a War Story” does sound like a contradictory title because there isn’t an actual truth to a war from a soldier’s perspective. Each soldier sees things differently from one another so if a soldier reads the chapter they could say, “That is not how the war was. It was completely different.” No soldier is right or wrong when they describe their war experiences because each soldier was at a different place at a different time. Whenever a soldier discusses his or her war experience, it is always different because they see or do different things while they are active in the battlefield.
The book is an accurate description of what happened in the Vietnam War. You can see what many of the soldiers had to deal with by the pain, loss, and fear that they each had. Overall, the book shows what the soldier of Vietnam had to carry with them forever.
3) War is probably a very lonely thing to have to go through. I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in an unfamiliar country with unfamiliar people for several months/ having to sleep and eat in some of the worst conditions, and knowing that at any moment you could be killed. Considering the terrible effects of PTSD and the amount of people that suffer from it due to the war, it must be very hard. Unfortunately, war is not as easy as walking on a bus and meeting your new best friend Bubba. Soldiers do not necessarily all become best friends. And they definitely do not have the same kind of connection that best friends would have. But I think the connections between the soldiers go beyond the ties between bffs. They have respect for each other; they are all there for the same reason, standing up for America. Probably each and anyone of them would go to great means to save each other’s lives if it meant keeping someone around so you’re not alone.
1) In every war ever fought in history, I’m sure almost every soldier carried a little piece of home with them, whether it was a photo or a piece of jewelry. Soldiers carry these things with them for memories, luck, and something they can always look at that will give them hope. This is why Henry Dobbins kept his girlfriend’s pantyhose around his neck. Some soldiers, like Lt. Cross, are left with the feeling of shame and guilt. The concept of war is not one that comes naturally to a person. People were not made to get sent to war. So the feelings that one endures after war can be very complicated. Although the act of joining the army is praised upon and is looked at as an honorable decision, several people come home from war feeling guilty and ashamed; as if they have done something terrible. The Things They Carried is a prime example of the true struggle people went through during the Vietnam War. Like Ney York Times said, it is “a book that matters not only to the reader interested in Vietnam, but to anyone interested in the craft of writing as well.” This book gave me a clearer idea of what it is really like in war, and explained what it’s like when all these people of different backgrounds go through such a traumatizing, life-changing experience together.
1. The first chapter from The Things They Carried covers all of the weapons Alpha Company had to carry, and mentioned what the boys of the troops brought along. The in detail description of the weapons that the troop carries is not just to educate the reader, but to show the ready the heavy weight that the soldiers must endure. Along with this physical weight, all of the boys must endure the mental weight that is crushing their hopes. This includes fears of not being able to come home and enjoy the simple life, or the fear of dying during battle. To try to suppress these fears and worries, the boys all have little things from home – whether that is a girl friends panty house like Dobbins or a dad’s hatchet like Kiowa. The things the men of the troop carried defined who they were; not just soldiers, but sons and boyfriends. After the war, most soldiers develop post-traumatic stress disorder and keep reliving the war. The men are forever haunted by the war because of the giant impact it had on their lives. If it hadn’t been for the war, their lives could have been completely different; Lieutenant Cross could have stayed with Martha and Ted would have stayed alive
4. This idea of “dying from embarrassment” comes from the idea of manhood pride. The soldiers of Alpha Company humped along each day not only because it was their job to do so, but because of their pride they must keep. The men of this troop were accepted to endure these giant changes in setting and labor load, and were expected to do so because they had to represent America. Tim states in the book that if he were to just stop walking, he would be free of his duties and could let his legs collapse of exhaustion. But he never stops walking. I believe that the soldiers of Alpha Company did not go on and keep living for the dream of a brighter day, but to prove themselves worthy. Most American soldiers in the Vietnam War were young – which can be seen when Azar blows up a puppy and regards that he did so because he’s only a boy – and proved themselves to be men by trekking on day-by-day and fighting in the war.
The things they carried, pain, fear, loneliness, homesickness and of course the crazy amount they had on them, guns, ammo, food, and other various supplies. Which ones are the heaviest? Emotions, these young American heroes, just kids, had to carry the biggest thing of all, that even the most wise and intelligent cannot come to grasp with; this “thing” is the idea that death is inevitable. That’s a huge burden to put on a young, naïve soldier, people of great experience struggle to comprehend this. The fact of the soldiers age also brought more into play, when generally the hardest decision they would make in a day would be regarding something naïve, like sleep, friends, food, and time management. I will never be able to comprehend the emotions of the typical young draftee facing the tremendous reality of inevitable deployment. The emotions were significantly heavier than the objects in which the physically carried. These raging truths that rock the brain of the young soldier, dictate interpretation, The author of this novel dedicates a whole chapter to explaining the experiences shared in speech or ink, not only does his explanation contradict itself, it leads to more questions than answers, Is this story true?, are stories about war hyperbolically repeated to hide the true fear a soldier feels?, were soldiers emotions so heavy on their soldiers it caused them to hallucinate? These will never truly have an answer; humans are and never will be able to comprehend the reality of war. In times of confusion, the mind begins try to comprehend the abysmal reality it’s faced with, this results in blurry, surreal memories, it comes of no surprise that O’Brien couldn’t clearly describe what he was going trying to, in my opinion, all somewhat realistic war stories are true, I do not think war stories follow the same mentality of the fisherman’s tale, Soldiers have nothing to prove, because their biggest bragging right is their presence, but it’s not to brag, a soldier doesn’t brag, they recollect.
1) During wartime, the soldiers carried their lives. They carried their lives in the form of pictures and letters and reminders of what they left behind. They carried the lives of all they fought with in the form of a watched back, a bullet placed in an enemy sniper. They carried the lives of those they fought in the form of their bullets and guns and grenades. After the war has finished, they carry even more. They carry the pain of knowing that they had killed; that they had wrought destruction upon the land they travelled through. They carry the missed time, the missed memories, that their friends and family had the chance to experience. They carry the knowledge that they can never again look at the world the same way.
2) The truth is rarely clear cut in wartime. It blurs and shifts, and the soldiers must do what they will with the information they are given and what the situation presents. War is war, as they say, and what happens during it cannot be held to the same standards as peacetime. Soldiers make the news in peacetime, the reporters crowing over the information they found, revealing atrocities and razing; however, we sent them to kill and raze and destroy then condemn them for doing what we ordered them to.
Overview of the book: I like the style of writing; it was casual and almost confessional in tone, and while it used technical terminology for some of the soldiers jargon, you could follow what was happening. The descriptions of the people he fought with brought them to life and gave them personalities and lives without beating you over the head with information. It was an interesting read , and I enjoyd it.
1. The soldiers carried things that reminded them of home. Lt. Cross carried letters and pictures of Martha, the girl back home to which his love was unrequited. He seemed to mostly be carrying his love for her until one of his men, Ted Lavender was killed. After that he vowed to be more responsible and carried not his love for Martha, but the lives of his soldiers. When the war was over, many soldiers carried the horrid memories from the war. Norman Bowker still felt the weight of war, even at home. He traveled through many jobs and other things to take his mind off the war. However, the stress was too great and he ended up killing himself.
3. I think one of the reasons the soldiers feel so lonely is that they are so used to the war environment there is really nothing to talk about except war. War does not necessarily seem something that one would want to talk about, especially when it’s a reality, basically surrounding you. They might also be afraid to form any strong attachments to any of the other soldiers, since they are in war and they aren’t necessarily safe at any time. Also, the fact that many of the soldiers were drafted into the war may have caused resentment. In Tim’s case, he traveled to the Tip Top Lodge, in hope of escaping to Canada (to avoid the draft). At the Lodge, he contemplated how his family and everyone back home would react to him neglecting the draft. He also felt that his life had completely changed course, in receiving the draft letter. He all he really wanted was to stay home and keep going on with his normal life. He may have felt lonely during the war because he missed his former simplistic way of life and knew it would never be the same.
This book portrayed the Vietnam War from a soldier’s viewpoint. Before reading, I saw the war as solely Americans battling the North Vietnamese communist forces. It was interesting to see how the soldiers were affected by the draft, the war, and how they tried to recover from the war when they came back home.
The first story in the book, The Things They Carried, depicts the emotional and physical baggage that each solider brings into the army, what they pick up on the way, and what they leave with. For many the personal items that the men hold deal with present, past, or future relationships they hope to have. Henry Dobbins not only carries extract food rations (large man) but also wears his girlfriend’s pantyhose around his neck. This brings him comfort in times of panic and stress. Jimmy Cross also carries pictures of his “good friend” Martha, who he hopes will one day become his girlfriend. Although these items seem strange to carry, they reminded the men as they were shooting people or getting shot at that they had someone waiting for them at home, giving them the extra push survive. Soldiers also lugged around items that gave them protection, physical and mental. Ted Lavender carried several pounds of marijuana and tranquilizers to calm his nerves. Also, Kiowa carries around this grandfather’s old hunting hatchet. These items did not bring the men protector, rather a safe feeling in a foreign land. All the men were effected by Lavender’s death, and showed to them that the choice was survival for death. However, Cross had the hardest time with the death, because he blamed himself for Ted’s death (he had been thinking about Martha again). The effects that the war had on the men varied depending on there mindset coming in and the events that happened to them, while there.
I do not mean to be preachy but the last time the government told the gosh darn honest truth was during the era of George Washington (maybe not even then). War stories are no different, we always here stories of honor and valor. Yet, not so often are stories, movies, etc. are created revolving the jerks who are sent off, along with the brave, men and continue to be jerks. For example, Curt Lemon died gleefully tossing a hand grenade around with a buddy. However, Kiley (his friend) chooses to make up a story transforming Lemon into a hero. It is just so hard for people to except that brothers, husbands, etc. can die, without heroism.
1. The war in Vietnam was a brutal and frightening affair for American troops. In the jungles of a hostile nation, American troops carried the obvious necessities – mosquito repellent, knives, rifles, grenades, and tents. While they all carried things that they needed, many carried special items specifically to keep them sane. Henry Dobbins had his girlfriend’s pantyhose around his neck to comfort him and Ted Lavender carried marijuana to calm himself from the constantly dangerous position he is. Lieutenant Cross carries maps and compasses to lead his troops, but he also carries letters from a woman who does not reciprocate his feelings. All of these little things that everyone carries gives insight into the psychological state of the soldiers during the war. These little objects help the troops stay sane enough to function in a tough environment. In addition to the physical things that they carried, the soldiers also carried each other, having to look out for one another to ensure survival. They also carried guilt from the bad things they did in the way (such as burning the village). Lieutenant Cross carried an obsession with Martha and the life that they could have after the war. While all of the soldiers carried mandatory items, the little things that they kept gave everyone a different story.
3. The American soldiers in Vietnam had to go through the war with constant feelings of loneliness and isolation. Despite being surrounded by fellow soldiers, they were far from their loved ones and they were risking life and limb in a foreign environment that they didn’t want to be in. When thoughts are constantly of survival and of home, it is difficult to make emotional connections to others. The reason that these soldiers are in Vietnam is not to make connections with others; it is to fight and to survive.
Overall, The Things They Carried made the war in Vietnam have a much more human quality to it. Rather then seeing thousands of troops being deployed to fight, it spotlighted specific people and their individual stories. Rather than looking at the war from a spectator’s point of view, the world of the war is seen from an incredibly personal point of view, and this makes the entire situation have that much more magnitude.
The book “The Things They Carried”, despite the author admitting some falsehoods, was a powerful, believable account about war’s truth and influence. I really enjoyed reading this book because of the detailed, thorough descriptions and authentic stories entwined together to deliver an inspiring novel. Tim O’Brien reveals the true nature behind young soldiers enlisting in the army: the shame of running away motivated young men to concede and surrender to the draft. Tim himself accounts, “It was kind of schizophrenia. A moral split. I couldn’t make up my mind. I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile” (44). Drafted soldiers like Tim could not make up their minds as to run away from the war and lose respect from others and of themselves and lose everything that matters; the other option was to join in fighting a war they didn’t understand nor want to fight. Tim chose to fight because he would feel ashamed of himself if he didn’t and would feel like he let his family, friends, and America down. The anecdotes in this book truly revealed these hardships men faced as they made their decisions regarding war. Also, while in battle, soldiers not only carried pounds upon pounds of munitions and personal items, like photographs of loved one and hygiene essentials, they also carried emotional weights that they took with them after the war. Some have found healthy ways to put the war behind them, while others have had more trouble – for instance, in Norman Bowker’s case – Norman carried the awful feeling of shame and guilt because of a possibility to have saved his friend sinking into the field. Norman spent the years after the war going through life mindlessly and aimlessly until he could not stand the pain anymore, and he hung himself. O’Brien took a healthier approach by writing stories about the war to remember and to get over the effects of war. While O’Brien could list the physical weight of guns upon drugs upon food upon photos the men carried, he could not completely list and describe the epic, emotional weight the soldiers had to deal with during and after the war. This eye-opening book was engaging, easy to read, and made me appreciate all the blessings I have that these boys didn’t because of the Vietnam War.
1. Wars in general are “heavy” upon the people who fought it as well as the ones who waited anxiously at home for the boys to slowly hump on home. The novel does a very good job showing both the physical and mental baggage of the men on the front lines. Everything from “medical” M&Ms to how many rounds of ammunition one man will have on his person. On average, it seemed that one man would carry about the weight of about a heavier seventh grader through mud, and sludge. The mental bags were heavier. The pain of homesickness, frustration with the government, and exhaustion weighed them down. Men would carry pictures of loved ones, or wrap themselves in belongings of those at home who aren’t there. But for some reason, even though the added weight of these tokens of home life added more physical weight, they lifted the burden of being so far away from loved ones.
4. Some of them would add even more weight to themselves to assist fellow platoon members. In the black, sticky mud of the flooded riverbeds, or the dark slick nights in the foxholes, strong bonds were made. Even though it was WW2, this book reminds me of the novel-turned miniseries Band of Brothers. This was the story of EZ Company, a platoon that showed the real bonds between men. Although that was a war some believed needed to be fought, Vietnam was detested by most. When people hate something, especially young people, they will tend to gripe and angst about it towards one another. So, what better person to let some anger out on than your common enemy, and in finding that common enemy, stronger friendships, bonds of brotherhood are created, weaving tighter with each bullet whiz. These boys were all often in their late teens to early twenties, very young, and in this age, they are at a vulnerable era of growing up, and choosing your friends and who you spend your time with decides your future. And even though uncertainty was everywhere, you always knew your “Band of Brothers” stood behind you at every blitz.
1. In battle, the soldiers carried both physical and mental/ emotional things. I thought it was touching that Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried a picture of Martha. Jimmy’s feelings about Martha demonstrated how lonely and isolated soldiers felt. It also showed how Jimmy still dwelled on seemingly trivial things, like Martha, while he also worried about staying alive each day. The things a soldier carried identified that soldier’s character in many ways as well. I liked reading about the mental/emotional things the soldiers carried because it’s easy to forget that soldiers feel normal feelings despite the horrible situations they’re in. Even though it’s a soldier’s job to kill people, they still carry the guilt that goes along with it. Reading about the physical things the soldiers carried was less interesting. The specific items listed gave the story lots of realistic details that expressed the war setting, but I thought it was a little redundant and boring to read about all the different guns they carried. I thought this first chapter was a great way to start the book and a good way to title it because it expresses the theme of the entire book. Each story in the book relates to the guilt, fear, love, and isolation the soldiers carried during the war and throughout their lives.
2. According to the book, the concept of truth in a war story is very complex. The Things They Carried itself is supposedly a fictional story, yet it is narrated by a guy named Tim O’Brien. I assume the author looked back on his own war experiences for the inspiration and basis of this novel, but it is impossible to fully distinguish the facts from O’Brien’s invention and dramatization. Although it was confusing, I liked this vagueness. If the story was purely fictional, it wouldn’t have made nearly as much of an impact because none of it actually happened. If the whole thing was complete truth, the book would turn from a novel to an autobiography, and it would probably be less interesting. The way O’Brien wrote the book, readers can enjoy the stories while constantly wondering how much is true. In the chapter “How To Tell a True War Story,” O’Brien makes the point that it’s nearly impossible to tell a true war story. Soldiers can’t put certain feelings into words, and people at home don’t have the necessary understanding of the war and of the soldiers’ experiences to understand the story.
I thought this book was pretty interesting, but I’m not a big fan of war stories. For this reason, my favorite chapters were “On the Rainy River” and “Speaking of Courage.” These two stories took place before and after the war respectively, and they did a great job of showing how soldiers felt before the war compared to how they felt during and after the war.
1. Many soldiers in battle carried physical and mental things. Soldiers are human beings, and they don’t just forget about their lives back home and their memories as soon as they go to war. As they’re in the war, they think of everyone they know, they think of happier times. They might think of vacations, of food, of how nice it would be if they could return home.
Some people think that it is the good things that keep soldiers truly alive in battle. Even though some soldiers are breathing and standing up and walking around in battle, sometimes they are just going through the motions. They are just doing what someone told them to do, and they aren’t in control of themselves anymore. They have been through a lot, and if they don’t have any good things to keep them strong throughout the wars, then it’s hard to be happy and think of how nice it would be to win the war. If soldiers can think of their memories and good things, then they are more likely to be happier during the war and hopefully for their return home.
After wars, many soldiers go home with depression, diseases, and trauma. It’s hard for them to go on with their ordinary lives after having experienced so much, and seen all the things they’ve seen. Some might not return home the way they were before the war. They might be missing an arm or a leg, or they might have seen one of their friends get hurt during the war. Some soldiers can blame themselves for what happened to their friends and soldiers, and so this can make them feel guilty, and sometimes the pain is a lot to deal with. Many soldiers need to go to therapy after the war so they can feel happy again. Some feel like it’s too much to deal with, and that they can never be the same again.
3. In a war, it’s sometimes hard to understand what’s going on. The people of the countries are usually not very involved in the war, because they’re not living where it’s happening. They watch the news for news about the war, but sometimes the news isn’t always right. It’s hard to know what’s really happening in a war as it’s happening, but it’s easy to know what happened after the war is over. Sometimes the government doesn’t want the people to know about things in the war so they don’t get mad and protest against it, because they think it’s for the better of the country.
I think that The Things They Carried was a good book. It showed that there was more to a war and to soldiers than just fighting. Every one of them has their own lives, memories, feelings, and pain. They have all been through so much and they don’t just think about the war all the time. They think of things to help them stay strong through the war. They carry memories and physical items to make them feel better during the war. Many people don’t think about the soldiers in the war, they just think about the war between the countries. Every soldier in a war is a person, and they are fighting for their country. This book will help people understand what soldiers go through in a war, and will help them understand that it’s not always just about the war. It’s about the people in the war as well as the war. They will understand a little how a soldier feels during a war, and so even if a soldier was in a war that they didn’t like, they could still understand and respect what the soldier had been through.
Topic 1 and 4
The soldiers in Vietnam could not have endured the war without their, physical and mental, strength. Although their weaponry including guns, ammo and grenades, it is very likely that their mental burdens were much heavier than those. Just the fact that they were soldiers in the war must have been a heavy burden to carry around with and on top of that comes the pain of being separated from your family and everyday life. Furthermore they had to live with great fear every single day they were over there in Vietnam in the War and fighting. Each night they spend in the War and even more during the days in Vietnam they had to fear loosing their live, never being able to see their friends and family again or maybe loosing a close friend, a partner, or your commander. They even were, or better said, felt a responsibility for each other which added much weight aswell. When someone was lost it was always a tragic experience for everyone in his group. Especially because their was not much motivation for the fighting in Vietnam to begin with, the soldiers lost even more of it when a man died. A great example which shows how bad the soldiers felt when they would loose a man was with Lavender and Lieutenant Cross. Like many times in the times of the war Cross was with his thoughts many thousand miles away, back at home with Martha, a girl that did not even know he was in love with her. But as he was all distracted one of his man, Lavender was shot and killed by this head injury. Cross blamed himself for Lavenders death and could not forgive himself for his misdoings and improper handling of his position. From then one he declared that his men would come before his privacies.
In response to question one i have to say something. When you think of war novels or movies you see the blood, guns, people being blown up, young children being killed and in this story it shows whats going on inside the mind of a United States Solider during a time of war. Yes they talk of fighting and how they have guns and big weapons but they show you what is happening mentally supposed to just physically. This had a big impact on me because i have always seen it “cool” or tough to be a solider for a great country but in order to be one you have to be ten thousand times more tough inside your mind than physically. If you watch Rambo or other movies you see this complete adrenaline takeover and they fear no death or getting shot or whatever. But this is not the case in this story; the author brings to mind of how scary war truly is by talking of how scared these soldiers truly are. It was truly incredible because of that fact. The second choice i picked is the Fourth option. I picked this because it showed brotherhood. No man wants to be last and no man wants to let down the other man. Just like in a sports game if someone gets last out or misses the last shot they get down on themselves. This is the same case but just on a much bigger scale; life or death. I cannot fully remember the name of the character but he was shot in the body and died and Lt. Cross was on watch and he was thinking about his girlfriend back home so he was distracted and the soldier died. After a terrible moment like a death of a soldier on your hands, Cross blamed it on himself like almost any man would do but what Cross did was he channeled his anger and used it to never make the same mistake again. This is truly remarkable and is one of the reasons why this book is so powerful to the mind. Some parts were disturbing like of the dog getting blown up but overall it shows a different life in combat suppose to the bullets and blood.
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien is a collection of stories told by soldiers in The Vietnam War. Now, it has stories that happen during war and the usual goriness that comes with war stories, but deep down, it isn’t about war. It’s a collection of short stories about the feelings and emotions of soldiers in Vietnam. It’s about the burden of war they have to hold on to for the rest of their lives. The pain and guilt they feel for killing other humans. There’s my assessment.
2) I would agree with the statement that truth is unclear in war. I would also go farther to say that truth is non-existent in war. That’s because as it is said in the book and in real life countless times, war is hell. How can there be truth in hell, when people slaughter each other for unjust causes. It is hard to find the truth in stories you hear about war because you don’t know what could be true or not. The author gives an example in “How to Tell a True War Story” when he talks about the story of four guys walking down a trail. A grenade flies out and one guy jumps on it to save his comrades. That can’t be true because that’s something that would happen in a movie. Yet, if the guy jumps on the grenade, but it kills all four of them anyway, that’s more believable. The only flaw is that there is no one to tell this story. There is no truth in war.
4) Shame or the idea of letting someone down motivates Tim and his comrades because they don’t want to feel the extra burden of being the cause of someone’s death. They already have enough bad feeling having to kill others, but to have the burden of letting someone down added to that is too much to bear for one man. Think of how you feel now, at home when you let someone down. That feeling gets doubled in war-time for soldiers. That don’t want to live with the fact that they let someone down in war, for the rest of their lives. That’s what motivates Tim and his fellow soldiers.
The Things They Carried began, I thought, as a slow book. There were endless lists upon lists, and names were shuffled around as quickly as the items and emotions. At first I expected a series of disjointed stories about different perspectives on the war, and then halfway through that first chapter I just expected more lists. However, a pattern emerged at the end of the story, and it ended with the memorable note of Lieutenant Cross’s guilt. By the end of the novel I found that all of the stories made sense together, as much as they would make sense apart.
Guilt was a big theme in many of the stories that surprised me. It was easier to understand the guilt Lieutenant Cross felt—that he looked the wrong way, that he was thinking of the girl he loved instead of the reality of the war—because it made sense that a death could be powerful enough to create that guilt. However, it was also present soon after, when O’Brien told his story of being drafted, and insisted that it was guilt that made him join the war. It’s a less obvious version of guilt; he was thinking of the future, and of the perceptions of his friends and family. It would have been shameful for him to disappoint those people. It was less obvious, maybe, but after I thought about it, it did make sense after all.
Another theme in the novel was truth. It is clear after some contradictions—what is a real story and what the real story should be; what music people really heard and what they probably heard—that there is no real truth about war, as much as the fact that the only truth is its many contradictions. It’s beautiful, but it’s horrible. And so on. And O’Brien even concedes, at the end of the novel, that his words were not all true, such as the story where he killed the man with the clean fingernails when in fact someone else had killed him. At the same time, the way that story was presented better added to the message of horror in that story. It was horrible, in fact, that this man who was so new to fighting would be killed so quickly, and the other details didn’t matter as much as the point O’Brien wanted to get across.
In all, The Things They Carried was a contradictory and partially fictional work, but in the end it helps the reader better understand the Vietnam war from the soldiers’ perspectives.
I will be responding to number 1 and number 3.
It is true i war the emotions the soldiers have and what they go through is very intense. They have been many studies in which it is proven true. They would often carry memos from home to remind them of they loved ones that they left behind. They also wear religious symbols such as Crosses, Stars of David and ect. In the many movies about war i watched it portrays soldiers entering the combat pumped up and “happy.” When the leave is when the bad emotions start. Soldiers often have nightmares and irrational fears when they return. Their are many military counselors available for them.
Number 3. In the Vietnam war people claim soldiers didnt have connections with eachother. It many wars they do, they share a brotherly bond with other fellow soldiers. But most wars dont have drafts and this war did. So the loneliness can definitely be connected with the military draft that when on.
– Charlie Mallernee
1. In the novel, “The Things They Carried” the soldiers carry many things on their shoulders, literally and figuratively. Physically they had to carry all kinds of weapons and machinery. With them they also carried an emotional struggle. The struggle and hatred towards the war, the fear of dying, the fear of living, and being homesick just longing to see the ones that they love. Of course each man had a weakness as all humans do, and the other men would help to guide them through the struggle. So, they also had that in which they had to carry. They had to help carry what their fellow men could not carry. They would also carry things for emotional support, and something from home to try to keep their sanity. Some men carried pictures or in Henry Dobbins case, his girlfriend’s pantyhose. Then yet still after the war, the weight could not leave their shoulders. With them they carry the guilt, the could haves, and the pain from scars inside and out. Each thing that the soldiers carried was either something of a burden, or something to help relieve the pain of war. Every single thing they carried had in own special purpose in helping the men get through the toughest of times.
4. During this time of war, it was expected that if you were drafted you must go and fight. The men in this war didn’t have a choice of whether they wanted to fight or not. I am sure many of them didn’t even believe in the war they were fighting for. So it wasn’t the great desire to die for their country, it was that the men didn’t want to let their men die. They were fighting for each other. They couldn’t bear the embarrassment and shame of letting down one of their men. That is the thing that motivated them.
Assessment: I thought the book was really well written with great detail. It was boring like most other war stories that I find not interesting what so ever. This book seemed to really capture the true harsh reality of war. I enjoyed reading it, and I feel that I also learned a lot about the Vietnam war and its soldiers from this book.
1. The things that the soldiers carried in battle were not just physical objects, but also mental and emotional feelings as well. Although they did literally carry objects such as weapons and safety materials there was also much more behind this. The things people carried often told a lot about the person. Some examples are Ted Lavender, who was scared and carried tranquilizers until he was shot in the head. Or Kiowa, a Baptist who carried an illustrated New Testament that had been presented to him by his father. They also carried photographs of the ones they loved or people they thought were important. They of course had to carry safety materials such as compasses, maps, code books, binoculars, and a pistol. They also carried the land itself—Vietnam. They carried the whole atmosphere with the humidity, the stunk of fungus and decay. They also carried one of the most important things—they’re own lives. They carried all the feelings of men who might die. The Grief, terror, love, longing. They also carried the horrible memories of this war. They carried all of these emotions inside, trying to hide them as much as they could.
2. This novel does capture loneliness and isolation experienced by the American soldiers while in the Vietnamese jungle. Even though their very own comrades surrounded them, they didn’t feel connected most of the time. I think while they are in combat it is hard to make close ties with the others. Their minds were off somewhere else and were trying to focus on their duties, not making friends. With this sense of loneliness many had crazy thoughts in their heads and started to have hallucinations. War is also a lonely experience because although others surround you, you are in your own personal state of mind. The soldiers also know they can not get too attached to each other because they had to face the facts; not everybody makes it out alive.
I thought this book was a very interesting way to portray the hardships the soldiers faced in this devastating war. Some of the most interesting stories were the ones that explained what was going on in the soldiers’ minds during this time. Some stories are truly shocking and traumatizing to read. This book is a great way to show the war from different people’s points of views.
1) These soldiers had to carry such a wide range of things both figuratively and literally, it’s safe to say that they carried the weight of the world on their backs. The weaponry they had to carry everywhere amounted to roughly 85 pounds. These weapons were a constant reminder of the burden they also carried. War statistics just report the numbers; how many were lost, us vs. them, but for the soldiers that translated into, “how many of my friends were killed” and “how many people were slaughtered by my own hand”. The book accounted the guilt that consumed lieutenants after men in their unit were killed. They felt they were at fault as they were directing the orders. Most of the soldiers who came back to the states lived their life with posttraumatic stress disorder. Spouses and children would await their fathers and husbands return only to welcome a shell of what the man used to be. The war not only put a burden on those who fought, but also on their loved ones.
3) The isolation and loneness the soldiers felt could be caused by a number of things. I think the fact that they are all drafted and most soldiers do not particularly want to be there could be one of the reasons. Or maybe they did not want to become to close to one another because the of thought that anyone of their deaths was possible. Or maybe it was just a somber place to be friendly. In a foreign land where you are forced to walk miles carrying heavy guns, knowing that it is possible for you to never go home and see your family again, all in the name of a cause you do not believe in, is not the most friendship oriented place.
1. The soldiers carried so much physically and probably even more emotionally. They felt pain and guilt while they were there and carried it back home with them. During the war they felt homesickness, the emotional impact of death, and resentment toward the bureaucrats that sent them to Vietnam in the first place. They had to see their friends die and had to kill themselves. They felt themselves become statistics, just another GI, just a number. The war affected them when they arrived back on the home front as well, as shown in the chapter “speaking of courage”. The soldiers feel guilty about what they did and even what they didn’t do in Vietnam. Like one soldier, who wishes he had saved his friend Kiowa, but he couldn’t. He had to live with that guilt his entire life. That same soldier couldn’t even bear to keep trying to fit into civilian life so he took his own life several years after the war ended. What those young men saw in that exotic war zone will haunt them for the rest of their lives, leaving both physical and mental scars.
2. I once read a quote which reminds me a lot about this prompt, “Vietnam was the first war ever fought without any censorship. Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind.” (William Westmoreland, Time Magazine, Apr. 5, 1982) The war in Vietnam was more confusing than most, the public didn’t support it, the politicians did, the soldiers fighting it were reluctant, and the country was being turned upside down by the turbulent sixties. I think that the stories he told were true and not true at the same time, because even if he changes details and names, or even just makes the whole thing up, O’Brien writes it in such a way that he always gets a strong message across, whether the story is fake or real.
Assessment of Book:
I didn’t really like the book, because I was hoping for a book filled to the brim with action and war stories, but instead I got a book of him just talking about certain moments and then delving into the psyche of the soldiers. This could be a good book for some people, but it is definitely not my cup of tea.
1. The first chapter of The Things They Carried lists all of the weapons Alpha Company carried and listed what the boys of the troops brought with them. The detailed description of the weapons do not only educate the reader about the weapons, but reinforce the idea of the mental burden the soldiers carry. Along with physical weight, the boys must also carry mental weight – the fear of the war, the longing of home. In order to distract themselves from life in the war, the boys all bring prized possessions from home, such as Kiowa’s father’s hatchet. These possessions defined and humanized the soldiers; they were husbands and fathers and friends, not just numbers. After the war, many soldiers developed post-traumatic stress disorder and kept reliving the horrific war. The men are forever scarred by the war and are never able to forget it. If it hadn’t been for the war, the soldier’s lives could have been completely different. For example, Lieutenant Cross could have stayed with Martha and Ted would still be alive.
4. This idea of “dying from embarrassment” stems from the bond that the soldiers create. The soldiers of Alpha Company and all soldiers in general form a strong bond through war. Soldiers whose friends die or who leave their friends behind are ashamed and blame themselves for the deaths of their brothers. Because soldiers are supposed to have each others’ backs, soldiers are extremely ashamed if they let down their friends in battle. For example, when Lavender was shot and killed, Lieutenant Cross blames himself for Lavender’s death and vowed never to let one of his men die because of him again.
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I thought the novel did a good job representing the conditions soldiers had to endure in Vietnam. I thought the book gave me a good insight into the daily lives of the soldiers and the details of the trauma the soldiers went through. Overall, the book changed my view of the Vietnam war drastically.
As the first option says, the things the soldiers carried not only were a physical aspect of their time at war, but an emotional aspect as well. They provided a sense of home and security for the soldiers while out in the line of duty and helped them push through the struggles of Vietnam. The physical items things carried were things such as their canteens, ammo, guns, and any other necessary to their specialty. But the emotional things they carried were things such as their fear of death and their longing to return home. Though in chapter one of the book we see the weight of each physical item being added up, some items weighing over 30 pounds, I believe that the emotional things take more of a toll on the soldiers and weigh them down more then any piece of equipment could. The Soldiers not only have to carry these burdens during the war, but have to deal with the fact that they will have them after the war as well. As Lieutenant Cross finds out from loosing a man in the line of duty, the weight of guilt and pain atained during the war never leaves.
During any war, men make their fellow soldiers their family and want to protect and look out for their fellow soldiers as if they were blood related. At the beginning of the book when a soldier was shot and killed unexpectedly while scoping out a new area of territory, Lieutenant Cross blamed himself for getting distracted by the thought of a woman he loved back home. After this incident, Cross felt so guilty for wandering off mentally and not protecting his men like he should that we made a vow to be more focused and put his men first. Loosing a man and not dedicating all your energy into keeping them safe is a very taxing thing to have on a conscience and not wanting that feeling is what drives the men to look out for each other.
Among the physical necessities of battle, soldiers also carried mental and emotional burdens along with them. Many men, such as Henry Dobbins, carried around keepsakes from their family members or loved ones. Although these things included photographs and letters, the soldiers treated them as prized possessions. Battle was a difficult place to be, and any memories that the soldiers could hold onto were taken with gratitude. These objects were the only thing left between these people in battle, and their family at home. No matter what was going on, the soldiers would always have their family with them, which provided a lot of comfort for many people. The psychological effects of war were felt for much longer than the war itself was fought. Everyday, men and women would watch their fellow Americans die in the field of battle. These memories are often ones that are not forgotten very quickly. After returning home, many soldiers had a tough time adjusting to life as a normal citizen, as they were constantly reliving the horrific scenes that played in their heads. Vietnam was cold, dark place. The soldiers did not generally make friends with each other unless extremely necessary. In war, there is no guarantee of tomorrow. Each day soldiers would wake up and thank God for giving them another day. There was no room for relationships, or friendships for that matter. Soldiers could hardly stand seeing the death of people whom they weren’t friends with. The “every man for himself” mentality also played a major role in this war. It was more worth it to save yourself, than to save those around you. It was a time in which all of the soldiers were concerned with returning home, and that played a large role in the lack of friendships that were pursued overseas. Overall, this book truly opened by eyes to the horrors of war. It provided an accurate account of what soldiers went through on a daily basis. The novel strengthened my respect and gratitude towards American troops, as I now have a better idea of what they experience in the midst of war.
1. Every soldier that was is Vietnam carried 2 types of things. The first was the physical objects such as ammo, rations, guns, etc. The second was the emotional or internal things that were probably more damaging to a soldier’s mental state. The soldiers bore the stress and fears of death, to themselves, a friend, or what they might inflict onto someone else. Their anger and resentment towards the war and their longing to return home was carried too. But of the emotional things they carried, carrying each other was the most significant. They didn’t physically carry each other. They recognized the strengths and weaknesses of each other and supported and helped each other to upheld or overcome them. This carrying probably got most men through the war.
4. Many soldiers headed into the war with very opposed views of the war. Some resented their draft and even what was the goal of the war. But once many were there, they were shamed or “guilted” into continuing to fight. When O’Brien receives his draft notice in the mail, he immediately thinks of running away. But he resists this first urge because he thinks of the all the people down at the local café that would gossip about him. This guilt that he feel because everyone in town wants him to fight really kills him and eventually pushes him to leave, but then eventually come back and accept his fate. Also, when lieutenant Cross was walking with men aimlessly thinking about his love, Martha, when one of his men was shot. He realized that his delusional state was letting Alpha Company down. He burned his mementos from Martha so he could avoid letting down his men again. Even though he cared so much for her and possibly even loved her, he hated letting down another person down, especially when letting down means being killed.
1) I really enjoyed reading Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried, more than I thought I would. The book focused on more than just war; it delved into the emotional side of war and how the soldiers really felt. I thought that the symbolism in the book was incredible, and what made this symbolism so incredible was that it was not made up by the author. The literal things that the soldiers carried symbolized things from their lives. The pictures were clear allusions to the people in them. The pebble, however, was not so clear, but it symbolized another thing that the soldiers missed: home. Another unusual belonging was the thumb. This showed just how odd and inhumane people can become during war. The soldiers carried things home with them too. This experience was not left in Vietnam, the emotions came back with them to the states.
2) The portion of the book called “how to tell a true war story” was very unconventional but captured the story very well. It was confusing; war was confusing. It didn’t have a clear message; war didn’t have a clear moral. Sometimes you have to be willing to write things that are hard to come to terms with or that are things that you don’t want to revisit; sometimes in war you have to do things you don’t want to do or think about things you don’t want to think about. Writing a war story mirrors war in a lot of ways. This story was very sad and raw and really made you feel what the soldiers felt in Vietnam.
1. In “The Things They Carried,” the narration describes the physical weight that the soldiers carried: how many pounds of ammunition they each had, what they needed for their own survival, and who carried how much depending on their size. Then there were the sentimental articles that everyone had, like Henry Dobbins and his girlfriend’s pantyhose around his neck. Kiowa had an old dog-eared copy of the New Testament, Norman Bowker had his diary, and Lieutenant Jimmy Cross had the letters and the pictures of Martha. But then it deepens. It talks about Kiowa’s distrust of white men, and Lieutenant Cross’ guilt over Lavender’s death which causes him to burn the letters. The emotional baggage that each of them carries with them, but they still force themselves from sleep and keep going.
2. In “How to Tell a True War Story,” Tim relates a story told to him by Mitchell Sanders about a six-man platoon humping in the mountains who heard music that came from nowhere. It freaked them out so much they reported it as enemy movement and completely scorched the whole area – firepower, napalm, air strikes, the whole shebang. And Tim explains to us, the readers, that that’s how true war stories go. They don’t have morals or gushy endings. Sometimes – often – they don’t really end at all. The fact that they are so confusing, that they don’t make sense. Nobody believes them for this reason, but war itself is so confusing; it can’t be too far from truth.
Overall opinion: I like the style the book is written in. It makes everything feel very personal, and in this way Tim can explain things in a way that the reader, who probably hasn’t experienced a war, can understand. The use of repetition, like in “The Man I Killed,” in addition to the clearness of description, creates the shocked haze that he’s in – we can feel his emotions. But also the way he will play with us a bit, like in the end “Love” when he cut’s out Jimmy’s last line, and you never know what he didn’t want Tim to say because Tim didn’t say it. I would definitely recommend this book to other people, and I am inclined to read more of Tim’s books.
Numbers 1 and 3
Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried portrays the affiliation between fiction and the narrator. O’Brien, who is a Vietnam veteran recounting his experiences during the war, as well as a writer, is the main character in the book. In the first story his tells, “The Things They Carried,” O’Brien specifically shares the items carried with each individual member. Jimmy Cross carried letters from Martha, Henry Dobbins carried extra rations, Norman Bowker carried a diary, and Kiowa carried an illustrated New Testament. As mentioned in the novel, the things they carried were mostly determined by necessity, and what made them feel somewhat “emotionally stable.” By sharing the items they carried in great detail, O’Brien emphasizes the emotional burdens each of them carried daily. These emotional burdens are strengthened by their young age and innocence. Most of these men fighting were in their late teens and early twenties, which meant they were children, students, and boyfriends who had no perception on how to justify killing or come to terms with their friends’ premature deaths. The untimely death and separation from loved ones also enhanced the fear the members carried, thus creating loneliness and isolation. In result of their youth and goodness, they are not yet prepared to experience death, which is a key part in fighting a war in Vietnam. The soldiers, aside from living with limitless fear and carrying guilt, are isolated with their thoughts, as well as many of their duties. Because they are lost and cannot manage to find their way, their imagination begins to create enemies. Loneliness also haunts the soldiers long after the war is over. Jimmy Cross is in mourning after the war because Martha rejects him. Norman Bowker feels empty and isolated after the war once he purposelessly drives around a lake in his hometown, thinking that he has no one to talk to. No one is willing to offer him comfort.
The Things They Carried was more than just a war story; it was a reflection on the type of people in the war and how they were affected, how the things they carried showed who they were. Physically, you could tell who had what job in the platoon from the type of weapons they carried, how heavy their pack was, and by any extra equipment they had (radios, detonators, etc.) Many carried pictures of their loved ones and others carried animals they wanted to save. Others carried something special to them, like Kiowa and his moccasins, or Lavender and his drugs. Mentally, they all carried the weight of those that had died, Lieutenant Cross blamed himself for Ted Lavender’s death and he carried that even after the war.
They carried promises they made to each other, like the one between Jensen and Strunk, a pact to kill the other if they were seriously injured. Agreements like this lead them to depend on each other, and letting someone down meant embarrassment, so when Strunk was severely injured and Jensen was not able to kill him, he felt relief when he found out Strunk died. So when Lavender died , Cross felt he had let him down, and his embarrassment caused him to bury his pictures of Martha. Each man fought because of his fear of embarrassment, it was obvious they didn’t fight for the cause of the war.
1. The soldiers that fought in the Vietnam war were not only taking a physical beat down, but an emotional and mental beat down as well. We all know physically, all soldiers especially in Vietnam, had a physical challenge each day. While carrying all their equipment they had to travel miles and miles through all different types of terrains. But this wasn’t the hardest challenge of a soldier. The mental beating soldiers took while looking out for gorilla warfare, having to watch out during the night time for enemy ambushes, and spending countless days without any sunshine tore them apart. The only thing that kept their lives and spirits going were items they carried that reminded them of happy thoughts. Just like Henry Dobbins wore his girlfriend’s pantyhose around his neck, other soldiers had vital things to keep their hopes up during brutal times.
4. Motivation in the Vietnam war was near impossible to find and keep in mind. Long rainy days would cause depression and unstable mind sets that would keep soldiers on edge. Comradery and a sense of family is the main thing that kept soldiers motivated. Solders realized that the only thing keeping them alive were the men standing next to them and that they would put their body on the line for their comrades. An example of this motivation in the novel would be when Lieutenant Cross blamed himself for the death of Lavender while cleaning out tunnels that had potential enemies in them. After this incident, Lieutenant Cross promised that he would put his men before any personal problems so that he could be focused and avoid losing another man like the Lavender incident. Just like the typical soldier that fought in the war in Vietnam, Lieutenant Cross found motivation through fighting for his men even while being completely miserable.
1st Topic- I agree with the statement that the things the soldiers carried into war were not only physical but also mental/emotional as well. The physical things being items that they held dear to themselves other than guns and other weapons. But also the mental that they carried before, during, and after battle. The before being feelings of fear, anxiety, and nervousness. During the battles soldiers would feel scared, as if they might die any second, and homesick. After the war was over and the soldiers came home they probably felt like outcasts, felt guilty for killing/not being able to save a fellow soldier, and great amounts of postwar symptoms like depression. You can ask any veteran of his/her experience in war and if they feel like telling the truth, you will most likely find deep wounds, not physical ones.
3rd Topic- I think that the soldiers feel lonely for a number of reasons. For one they were drafted. It doesn’t matter if you wanted to be there; you had to be there, away from your home and loved ones. That alone can make you fell horrible just thinking about it. Then the thought of dying out there in battle is devastating. Especially if you didn’t want to be fighting the war, you would die for no reason. Even though you were surrounded by comrades you could still feel lonely because you don’t have any connection with them. I think it would be really bad at first and then gradually get better; you are likely to get over feeling completely lonely. It’s natural to feel lonely in a new place. Ex: If you move to a new school, at first you don’t know anyone, then you start making friends, and eventually you feel at home. But instead of a new school you go to a new country and have to tough it out in the jungle fending for your life, instead of sitting in an air-conditioned building trying to make friends. So it will be more difficult but it isn’t impossible.
2. The novel is very much so about truth. If you can’t talk about the truths of war then what’s the point of the story; otherwise, it’s just a list of horrific detail with no meaning. Telling a true war story does seem contradictory in places. I feel as though to tell it just as it happened would, again, be to tell it without purpose. Sometimes extra things are added in order for those tell and or reading to understand what really goes on; also, who actually remembers it exactly how it happened. I think most people in a position to tell a war story tell it how they felt it and not how it happened.
3. I can understand the inability for a soldier to connect with his comrade in arms. In times of war a group of mostly strangers are placed in an isolated foreign place to kill more strangers. Most don’t understand what they are truly fighting for, so they don’t care to be where they are. If you don’t care to be where you are you’re obviously not happy and don’t wish to build friendships. No one goes to war to make friends and mingle; like I said, most don’t know why they went to war- maybe it was an obligation to their country- or what they’re fighting for. Sure, you might be hoping for solitude and some connection to others while you’re at war, but what you’re really hoping for is a return home, somewhere where peace exist and people that love you and don’t want to kill you exist.
I felt Things They Carried was brilliantly written and interesting. The book doesn’t give cliché explanations of what goes on. Instead, the book goes deeper and explores the complexities of thoughts that occur while at war and how they are dealt with. O’Brien goes into great detail of what happens and the reader knows there is a point, but I feel that point isn’t always clear. I’m going to paraphrase because it’s late- but, it’s like what O’Brien said you wake up to tell you wife a story after you’ve figured out the importance but by the end of the story you’ve forgotten the point again. I felt like he hadn’t completely mastered remembering the point of it all.
1) The soldiers in Vietnam were forced to carry many physical items, but what weighed them down even more were the emotional burdens. They found it necessary to carry heavy clothing and weapons, including supplies you wouldn’t find in most wars, such as ponchos, because of the unusually tropical climate. They also carried photographs and mementos to remind them of the life they had, as well as letters to keep them posted on what went on while they were gone. However, they also had to carry the burden of leaving their lives to kill strangers for a cause they might not even believe in. And after the war they had to suffer the memories of their friends dying and other traumatic scenes. They also had to live with the guilt of having spilled others’ blood or indirectly causing the death of people in their own group. It was a tough burden that never truly was lifted off the soldiers.
4) Shame was as much of a motivator in the Vietnam War as was pride or patriotism. The fear of letting down friends and relatives and losing one’s honor was reason enough for some to go to war. As Tim states, he was more afraid of not going to Vietnam then he was of actually going. It was expected of the young men to want to fight for their country, and running away from the draft would cause near excommunication. Also, during the war letting down the company was one of the worst things a soldier could do. Each soldier felt personally responsible for the safety of his comrades, and if something happened they could never live it down, like Lieutenant Cross. The soldiers acted bravely and patriotically because they were too afraid of the alternative.
This book gave me a personal perspective of the Vietnam War that I had never had before. It’s difficult to imagine the horrors of thousands of men being forced into war until you hear the complete story of one man, and this story gave me that insight. The war had always seemed like such an other-worldly experience, as if it could never happen now, but reading this made me realize that these traumatic things actually happened. O’Brien’s narrative style is very effective at bringing the reader into the story and making it all seem real.
What the soldiers carried into battle were not entirely physical. Yes they carried all types of weapons like guns, ammo, grenades, rocket launchers, and many other machines created to wreck havoc on the Vietnamese. The weapons also caused severe emotions as well as they made their way into battle. The resentment of war mixed with guilt and pain around them. Young adults are forced into a hell called war and become jumpy and anxious. They also carried each other, as they all had strengths and weaknesses that could hurt or help themselves as a whole. They looked out for one another and loved each other in the ways they knew how to express. After the war they return home with PTSD while filled with flashbacks and pain during their every day lives as they relive the horror of Vietnam with every step. During the Vietnam war, the were many unmotivated soldiers thrust into war. This led to a severe lack of morale among the men, but they still felt responsibility to each other that they couldn’t let each other down. They would be haunted by memories if they failed to protect. For example, Lavender was shot in the head and killed while the infantry was clearing out tunnels that potentially had enemy soldiers in them. Lieutenant Cross blamed himself for his death because at the time he had been distracted by thoughts of Martha, the girl he was in love with back home. This caused him a lot of despair and it led to him burning all of his memories of Martha. After that, he declared he would put his men before his personal problems. So, although Cross was very miserable while fighting the war in Vietnam, he continued to fight with dedication and bravery in order to protect his men and never let them down.
1. The young soldiers in Vietnam carried loads of things mentally and physically. The things they carried physically were all types of weapons, marijuana, condoms, and love letters to help keep memories. The weight of the memories, however, was more tremendous than the weight of the heaviest rocket launcher. What they carried mentally represented how they felt about the war; loneliness, fear of death, love, and various memories of better times. They also helped carry each other through times of need. The company of other soldiers made each individual soldier feel safer.
4. The Vietnam War was horrible on the home front and on the battlefield. Americans did not respect the soldiers who went to war, thus soldiers did not feel as if they’re fighting for a good cause. The soldiers still had the responsibility to fight for each other and not let anyone, or their self, down. If they did let a soldier die, the team would feel various mixed horrible emotions, all of which would be upsetting or mad. Lieutenant Cross was distracted by thoughts of his lover girl, Martha, when one of his partners died. This caused him to burn and destroy all of his memories of Martha he had with him. Since that incident, Cross promised to put his men before any personal problem. Although Cross was very miserable while fighting the war, he continued to fight with bravery and ambition in order to save his men and himself.
The Things They Carried shows the hardships and adventures throughout the war in many different views. It shows the views from high commanders to privates. Many tried to stay calm, but most were scared, worried, dead, and scared. The book was phenomenal and exciting in show in showing the truth about what happened in Vietnam during the 1960s-70s.
(1) The soldiers we were introduced to in this collection of stories carried with them not only their heavy equipment, but the immense burden of war and the emotions that come with war. In the first story, The Things they Carried, Tim O’Brien described the physical and mental load that the soldiers were forced to carry. He wrote about the incredible combined weight of the equipment, supplies, and tools that were necessary to keep the soldiers alive. He went on to tell how the emotional load often seemed a thousand times more exhausting than the physical load. We saw characters like First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross suffer through his splitting feelings for a woman back at home. We saw his love and desire for her even though he knew that the affection was not mutual. We later saw him burn these letters because of the guilt he felt about the death of one of his men. In this story, the soldier described death as being as quick as “…boom, down.” The sped at which a life could be extinguished brought stress and fear upon the soldiers and was obviously a hard fact for Lt. Cross to deal with. The loads, both physical and mental, carried by the soldiers show the enormous weight war puts upon men.
(2) There were many places in this book where we saw the pressure on these men not to let down the other men. The terrible stress and emotions that the pressure caused are described in detail when O’Brien flashes back to his time at the Tip Top Lodge. Tim faced the decision of escaping to Canada and deserting his draft position or to go to a war that he saw as pointless. The embarrassment he felt about considering to go to Canada forced him to go to war, but we saw the craziness, uncontrollable sobbing, and hallucinations before he came to that decision. The soldiers were under a ton of pressure not to let each other down, and that is what forced many of them to fight and die in a war they didn’t like
I really enjoyed this book. It really put into perspective the atrocities and terror of the Vietnam War. It also increased the respect I have for Veterans because I know that even though the book does a great job explaining the grinding horror of war, witnessing it firsthand must have been terrifying.
1) The soldiers in the Vietnam War carried many things both physically and mentally. The soldiers were responsible for physically carrying their weapons, which consisted of guns, ammo, grenades, ect. Mentally they carried the fear of death, the mourning of fellow soldiers death, and the loneliness of being away from home. For example, Lieutenant Cross carried around the guilt of Lavenders death. The soldiers were also responsible for carrying each other. Part of the soldiers job was to protect each other. Everyone has different weaknesses and strengths, and the men were responsible for helping each other in times of need. The things the men carried were crucial to the protection of their lives.
4) The Vietnam War was a long war and many soldiers became un-motivated and were more focused on getting home ten the actual war. Although the men were down in spirits they still felt the responsibility of protecting one another and not letting each other down. Its like how in Ch. 1 we find out about Lieutenant Cross’ guilt about Lavenders death. Cross was busy thinking about the girl back home that he was in love with, Martha. Cross was focused on things back home in the U.S more than he was on the war itself at the time. He carries around the guilt of Lavenders death, and promises to always put his men first from here on out.
Chris Coburn
5/23/13
Apush 5th Hour
The Things They Carried Blog
2. Tim O’ Brian’s novel The things They Carried depicts the horror of Vietnam and the American soldiers in the war. In the chapter “How to Tell a True War Story”, O’ Brian talks a lot about the truth of war stories, and says, “War is hell, but that’s not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love” (87). From reading the novel, Tim describes all of this emotion and shows how a true war story is really unbelievable because of these emotions. In the passage, Tim describes a story of Rat Kiley mourning over the loss of his friend Curt Lemon, and Kiley takes revenge on a baby buffalo. Kiley shoots it in the legs, nose, tail, ribs and more. The story seems so horrendous it couldn’t be true, but O’ Brian reminds us that “You can tell a true war story if you just keep on telling it” (91). The only way to assess the validity of a war story is being in the war, and by then the truth haunts you so much fiction is the only comfort.
4. Shame motivates many of the soldiers into fighting in the war, and Tim is no exception. Tim recollects the summer of 1968 in the chapter “On the Rainy River”. The draft notice arrived on July 17, 1968, and Tim feels too good for the war. He spends the summer working at a pig packing plant, describing it in The Jungle style detail. He recalls the fear of dying and his plan to leave for Canada. He goes to the Tip Top Lodge and stays six days with a humble, quiet, old man. On the last day, the man takes Tim out onto the river and Tim describes his embarrassment. It’s interesting to see how Tim feels he’s a coward for giving in to the pressure of everyone around him and going to war. He’s more afraid of being embarrassed than dying; but myself, I would be more afraid of death. That shows Tim’s love for his family, friends, and country.
1. The first topic explains that the things the soldiers carried were not just physical, but mental also. I believe that these soldiers carry things like memoriums because it gives them hope. Some people would bring things that represent a better life they have back at home and helps them realize what they are fighting for. They would bring memoriums of life back at home, silly or not. I believe that they also carried problems like guilt and sorrow in their minds during the war with them and even after the war. I believe that watching their best friends die in front of them made them carry guilt and sorrow for their dead buddies. Some even come home with things like PTSD and have to relive those painful memories all the time. This is in all wars though. I believe that The Vietnam war isn’t the only war like that I believe that these feelings are just a part of any war.
3. I believe that the people in the Vietnam War felt loneliness in the jungle not because they didn’t feel connected to their comrades, but because they felt away from home. The Vietnam jungles are probably the farthest thing from home you can get and I feel that without home, many suffered. This brings back my other point in why they brought memoriums with them to give them hope. I feel that many could not make a connection with their allies unlike in other wars because I feel that after watching so many people get killed next to them, I feel that they didn’t want to make friendships with other allies because they were afraid they would also die like many of their previous brethren. I also believe that many felt lonely because their own nation didn’t support them. Back at home, so many anti-war protests were going on that when you’re fighting for your own country that doesn’t support you in a jungle, you really tend to feel abandoned. That is why I feel that many felt lonely during the Vietnam War.
As said in the first question what they carried into battle had alot to do with the condition of their emotional and mental state during their time in Vietnam. Most of the carried keepsakea of people they were forced to leae when they where drafted and at somepoints its hinted that they no longer believe in the war as the once had because of all the loses and all the things from home and their fallen friends that they carried around with them. After a while it becomes a push to even keep them fighting, it becomes less about the war and more about the burdens that Tim and the other soilders carried and the people and things that the lost in the war. Their motivation comes from a inner push to fight for the things the can protect and fight for the lives that were lost. I personally found the book to be very good and a raw vivid look at war but at the same times alot of the passages were just sad and even though i know thats war it was like every other seen he talks about someone getting shot in the head or losing aloved one.
The soldiers carried physical things yes, but they also carry emotional things. These wear down most people, and are not just present in one war; PTSD is still around and always will be. Even though the physical items weighed on them and created a struggle, the emotional struggle that they had to bring with them throughout the war was immense as well. A real life example was my great Uncle: he was the first wave to storm Omaha beach and saw one of his childhood friends face torn right of his skull. My uncle had to carry that guilt, survivor’s guilt, with him throughout the rest of his tour and throughout the rest of his life. But this is not the only kind of pain that soldiers endure: they have to worry constantly about life or not and most don’t even believe that they will come home without being encased in an American flag. When Ted Lavender died, Lt. Cross feels guilty because he was distracted by Martha’s letters, so in a rage he burned them to try and subsidize the guilt he felt. Many soldiers in Vietnam did not want to fight. Soldiers fought not because they wanted to, but because they had too. I think because so many fought like this, that is why there was a feeling of loneliness and lack of connection between all of the soldiers. Another thing is that with the draft, many soldiers are pretty much being ripped away from their family, lives, and their surroundings. They aren’t even in the same hemisphere as their loved ones. And I believe that some soldiers were engulfed in homesickness. My overall opinion of the book was that I felt sympathetic for the author, because I understand that even though not everything he said wasn’t true, he seems like he is haunted by the real events of the war.
TURNED IN BY CLASS TIME
1. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, of the Alpha Company, had carried various reminders of his love for Martha, a girl from the college he had attended in New Jersey who has given no indication of returning his love. Cross carried her letters in his backpack and her good-luck pebble in his mouth. After a long day’s march, he had unwrapped her letters and imagined the prospect of her returning his love someday. Martha is an English major who writes letters that quote lines of poetry and never mention the war. Though the letters are signed “Love, Martha” Cross understands that this gesture should not give him false hope. He wonders, uncontrollably, about whether or not Martha is a virgin. He carries her photographs, including one of her playing volleyball, but closer to his heart still are his memories. They went on a single date, to see the movie Bonnie and Clyde. When Cross touched Martha’s knee during the final scene, Martha looked at him and made him pull his hand back. Now, in Vietnam, Cross wishes that he had carried her up the stairs, tied her to the bed, and touched her knee all night long. He is haunted by the cutting knowledge that his affection will most likely never be returned.
2. Tim, the narrator, had stated that a true war story cannot have any moral or meaning behind it. If it makes you feel good at the end, it isn’t true. Only stories that reveal something obscene or evil about the people involved are true war stories, because there is no goodness in war. Tim had also explained that what seems to be true is often the realest truth there is. Mitchell Sanders makes up details of his story to make Tim feel as if he were there: that is a kind of truth-telling. When Curt Lemon dies, Tim sees it all happen in a big confused jumble, and that is the truth of what happened. There are no details to sort through: it is the confusion that is true.
3. Assessment: I thought that the novel was an superb and accurate portrayal of the American soldiers that had fought in the Vietnam War, with their experiences of trauma and the saddening memories of the families that they had left home.
The book The Things They Carried tells the story of a young man’s life when he is drafted into the Vietnam War. It is clear that he doesn’t wish to go, but does so that he doesn’t disappoint anyone. He describes everything that they had to carry, from bullets and grenades, to keepsakes and emotional baggage. The descriptions in some chapters can be graphic, but it gives you a real feel for what the war was like.
Stories that are as shocking as war stories will always be questioned on their truth. Some will never believe they are true because they can’t imagine such horrible things happening. You should always tell the truth, no matter if anyone will believe you. The scenes of the story will stick in their heads whether they believe them true or not. The chapter, “How to tell a True War Story,” contradicts itself in many ways. This imitates war in a way. No one knows the real truth. Most soldiers were probably confused and scared. From these emotions, stores are formed with a little too much imagination in them, but they are always based on true events.
For a soldier, shame can be a heavy burden. You want to seek success in war, not shame. The soldiers in the book seem afraid to let another person down, because most times that means another person died because of your mistake. They would then have to carry that burden with them, making their load that much heavier. They might not have been the closest, but causing someones death would shame them. This caused them to try and be extra careful, though many times death was out of their control. This feeling motivates you to want to be the best you can be and make no mistakes, not necessarily a perfectionist, but striving towards it. If you made no mistakes, then you couldn’t cause anything to go wrong or anyone to die.
1.In the novel the things they Carried the soldiers didn’t just carry physical things, like all the equipment, weapons, and weight they mentioned in the beginning of the story. But they also carried emotional things with them as well. Lt. Cross carried letters from a girl he had a crush on back in America and while he had no false of ideas of where he stood with her, he carried her love with him. All the soldiers carried the emotions of their loved ones including their family, friends, and lovers. They carried with them the fear of dying and the fear of dishonor. All the equipment they carried symbolized their survival, both physically, and mentally. I thought the great depth they went into to begin the book was a very realistic and eye opening way to show how physically exhausting the war was with the list of weight that all the soldiers were responsible to carry on their backs.
4.The fear of disappointing each other keeps the soldiers going, they don’t want to be responsible for anyone else’s death so they make sure they are not a fault for any wrong doing what so ever. The fact that all the soldiers are so far away from home forces them to make a new family, and they don’t want to let their family down (fellow soldiers) because it would be just as bad as letting a fellow family member down. They don’t want to die of embarrassment because just like all men they have an overly zealous sense of pride and don’t want to show any weakness, but strength. They would carry their companion’s excess supplies when they could not themselves, and they would take turns carrying any extremely heavy weight equipment even if it was not their job, because they all felt shame for letting someone carry on alone.
1. In the novel The Things They Carried, the soldiers carried physical, emotional and moral baggage with them through the war. Physically, they carry the gear needed for war as well as mementos and reminders of home. Things like Henry Dobbins’ girlfriend’s pantyhose, and Lt. Cross’ picture of his girl back home. Things like these are reminders of home and frankly what little they have left of humanity. Morally, they carry around the obligation to fulfill their duty to their country. They also carry the knowledge that backing down and giving up is dishonorable, which could be especially hard when facing life or death situations. Emotionally, the soldiers carry the constant fear of death. In war, death is literally lurking around every single corner. The Soldiers watched their fellow platoon mates die, and they knew that the same could very well happen to them. Also, they carried around the longing to return to their families. Nothing in Vietnam was the same as it was at home, and the Soldiers missed their American roots while overseas. Lastly, the carried the guilt of surviving while many of their comrades die.
4. The soldiers have to deal with the fact that failing or letting down their fellow soldiers is a cardinal sin in the military world. Letting another man die on your hands or at your fault is something that military men have an unspoken pact against. This motivates the soldiers by making them constantly perform at the highest level possible. Anything less is completely unacceptable, and may very well likely get one of the occupants of their platoon killed. In a backwards way, they are protecting each other just to save their own reputations. Since they don’t feel close connections with each other, it’s safe to assume that the reason that they try to protect each other is, at least in part, an act of nobility.