Literary Analysis: Tim O'Brain's “The Things They Carried”

Introduction

In this study, we try to explore about the basic nature of human behavioural and perceptions of people through this. The main focus of the study is on the thoughts on the things people gets defined through which they carry. The research will also state the narration and concepts of the story in relation to the social consequences that people have to bear through the characterization and discrimination on various aspects of life. Further, the research will try to analyse the impact of these social behaviour on human life.

The story “The things they carried” is written by Tim O'Brien in 1986. The narration of the story background is 20 years later after the Vietnam War. The main thesis of the story is about the men of war and the things that they carried with them, before, during and after that war.

Thesis Statement

The people are characterized and discriminated on the basis of tangible things (like social class, background, finance, education and religions) they carry with them. There is no scope for the intangibilities like emotions, responsibility, personal attributes and characteristics, in the life of human being.

Discussion

Summary of story

The story is about the group of soldiers who are marching through the war in Vietnam. The author describes the items that are carried by each soldier and visualizes them as a burden of person issues on him. The things were both tangible and intangible reflecting the characteristics of each soldier. In reality, they were carrying the basic necessities for the survival in the war. The author has regarded with an emotional touch that these soldiers are carrying memories, fear, love, care of their family friends with them and they are missing them a lot. But for the sake of their country they are depriving the love and care of their family.

The critical analysis of the story states that the author has also regarded himself as the soldier of war and tried to narrate his feelings when he would be at war away from his emotions. Its is narrated that people are segregated from the types of the things they carry and are differentiated on the basis of colour class and creed, due to which these wars takes place. The people are justified on the things and the tangible assets they carry, and there is no value for the intangible asset (like honestly, faith and ...