In this story "The Things They Carried," author Tim O'Brien, a Vietnam Veteran, gives a glimpse of the internal turmoil that soldiers face in warfare. His experience in this war allows him to convey realistic situations

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Amber Western                                                                                                              1

Eng 240 6980

Professor Matthews

Feb 27, 2006

The Things They Carried

        “They were tough. They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die…They carried shameful memories. They carried the common secret of cowardice barely restrained… They carried their reputations. They carried the soldier’s greatest fear-fear of blushing” (O’Brien, 532). This quote defines the emotional burdens and turmoil soldiers truly carry during war.  In this story “The Things They Carried,” author Tim O’Brien, a Vietnam Veteran, gives a glimpse of the internal turmoil that soldiers face in warfare. His experience in this war allows him to convey realistic situations and insights only survivors are acquainted with. Tim O’Brien understands what is necessary to tell a true war story.  He conveys the reality of war by immersing readers into internal conflicts, the fears, and the losses these soldiers experience. O’Brien’s use of point of view and symbolism makes it possible to achieve insight into these experiences. It is imperative to focus on the point of view and the symbolism to grasp the true meaning of this story.

        To begin, this story is told in third person perspective. The narrator, who is not a character in the story, is the storyteller. It is also editorial omniscience in that the narrator dictates the story but also places judgments upon the characters. The narrator’s method of introducing characters is where editorial omniscience occurs. Each introduction accompanies some sort of judgment. For instance, in Henry Dobbins introduction he is categorized as “a big man”(524). This description is evidence that judgment exist as a tool for descriptions of the characters in this story. The references to body types and the physical things carried by these men shows the narrator’s judgments. The narrator also uses selective omniscience by entering the mind of Lt. Cross, as well as fellow soldier Kiowa. The narrator enters Kiowa’s thoughts after the discussion with Bowker. The discussion is about the pain Lt. Cross feels after Lavender’s death. “He wanted to share the man’s pain, he wanted to care as Jimmy Cross cared. And yet when he closed his eyes, all he could think was Boom-down, and all he could feel was the pleasure of having his boots off and the fog curling in around him” (O’Brien, 530). This shows the entrance into the thoughts of one or two characters, supporting the use of selective omniscience. Selective omniscience permits readers to focus on Cross’s thoughts and views, as well as allowing another perspective to immerse from Kiowa. The story relays information about the characters in the third person with editorial and selective omniscience of the narrator.

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This story is told in third person, but with the first person point of view of the narrator. According to Jill Talt-Kaufman, author of a narrative drama based on this story,  “O’Brien as narrator focuses the reader’s attention on the platoon’s armaments and equipment; this detailed catalogue contrasts with the spare, economical way O’Brien describes their feelings”(19). Jill Talk-Kaufman also points out that O’Brien being author and narrator “fuse(s), dissolving demarcations between fiction and memoir, emphasizing theme and process” (20). O’Brien’s choice to use this type of point of view is necessary for readers to immerse themselves into the ...

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