The Things They Carried

A detailed Summary of The Things They Carried

At some point in the latter twentieth century, the judgement of a man became less based upon his material possessions (home, job, car), that on the people he surrounds himself with. In this postmodern age, a man's worth is his relationships. The fact is, most romantic relationships, even the best of them, are shrouded in at least some amount of deception, from a man lying to cover the affair he is having on the side to him pretending he is truly enjoying the quality time at the opera. With male exclusive relationships, there is generally a stronger sense of truth. Most guys do not worry about their buddy hanging out with another guy or having to lie and say he is having a good time wherever they are.

Male roles in society are falling apart. Less and less they are expected to be the breadwinners and protectors of the home, and without these roles, men are at a loss for what position they are supposed to fill. More and more, sanctity for men can only be found in other men. Men are discovering safety and nobility in assemblage. Tim O'Brien's short story "The Things They Carried" and Haki R. Madhubuti's poem "Empty Warriors" both perpetuate the idea that the only glory for men is found in unity.

The similarities between "The Things They Carried" and "Empty Warriors" can be seen right away. Lost in spirit, the soldiers of the story march for no reason at all. The name "Empty Warriors" could very well be describing the platoon. Madhubuti's warriors are in a battle similar to the Vietnam War. They still do not know what they are fighting for or exactly who the enemy is they are fighting. But the enemy in both these works is themselves because they are trapped by the society structured by men just like them.

Madhubuti is attempting to get across modern men's search for their roles when he speaks of locating the mission, magic, manner and muscle. The old rules for men are gone but they are still trying to hold on to them, together.

O'Brien goes further in trying to capture the group nature of his men by forgoing the use of quotation marks. This leaves the reader a little unsure as to who is saying what, as they should be, because the group must be accepted as one to be respected. One man's voice is inconsequential, but the power of their unity cannot be denied.

"the men escaped and taken, twice and three times absorbed in life and sharing absorbed in locating the mission and magic, the manner and muscle, the answer and aims, walking the borders between smiles and outrage"

looks at a platoon for a short period in the Vietnam War. O'Brien

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Approximate Word count = 920
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous