"The Things They Carried"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses love, death, pathos and irony within Tim O'Brien's short story, "The Things They Carried." The paper describes the plot of the story and provides examples from the plot to describe the burdens that the soldiers carried to war with them. It also discusses the symbolism that is shown in the title and the plot of the story.

From the Paper:

"At the beginning of the story, O'Brien mentions various items, i.e., the "things" that the various characters carry along with them wherever they go: particular weapons; necessities for doing their individual jobs; little necessities like mosquito repellant; little luxuries like chewing gum, cigarettes, and candy. What is apparent at the end, though, is that in war a soldier's biggest burdens are in fact those with no physical weight at all. These include thoughts of home and loved ones there; the horrors and regrets of the recent past here; the fears of today; and unbridled anxieties about tomorrow."

Sample of Sources Used:

• O'Brien, Tim. "The Things They Carried." In Reading, Reacting, Writing, Compact Fifth Edition. Laurie G. Kirszner and Steven R. Mandell (Eds.). New York: Heinle, October 10, 2003. 271-284

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