The Things They Carried

A detailed Summary of The Things They Carried


"The Things They Carried," by Tim O'Brien, describes the weight of the things the soldiers of the Vietnam War carried through their journey. The story's tone is set by the weight of what these men "humped" on their backs. The lists of "the things they carried" extend the transformation from burdensome objects into heavy emotions of desire, confusion and grief. The story revolves around the death of one of the soldiers, Ted Lavender. Ted Lavender is described as being scared and as one who always carried tranquilizers with him. Because he wants to move the reader to feel the importance of the men and Ted Lavender's death, Tim O'Brien describes every heavy detail of the "Things They Carried."

Throughout the story O'Brien lists every object, including its weight, each soldier carried. By using lists and trying to group the simple items the soldiers carried, O'Brien unmasks the true fear of the


"They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried." The weight of what the soldiers carried moves expansively. Ted Lavender's death leaves Lieutenant Cross with a sense of direct personal failure. Although the story is all fiction, O'Brien is able to show, by contrasting truth and fiction, that the truth cannot always communicate human emotion.

Most of the objects the soldiers carried were physical, but Lieutenant Cross "humped" his love for a girl on his back. He is one of the persons O'Brien focuses on throughout the story. Lieutenant Cross was madly in love with Martha, a girl back home. Martha has never responded to Lieutenant Cross' love. This is very important to remember because Lieutenant Cross' love for Martha plays a big role in Ted's death. Lieutenant Cross spent his days, during the war, constantly daydream

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Approximate Word count = 610
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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