Explain The Importance Of The Following Items From The Story

     In Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried, numerous themes are illustrated by the author. Through the portrayal of a number of characters, Tim O’Brien suggests that to adapt to Vietnam is not always more difficult than to revert back to the lives they once knew. Correspondingly the theme of change is omnipresent throughout the novel, specifically in the depiction of numerous characters.

Women in the Jazz Age saw this as a chance to change women as a whole. “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening” (Brown 255). Fashion was changing rapidly during this time for women. The hairstyle of the 1920s was the short bobbed haircut; even some of the older generation women began to cut their hair short after some time. The hemlines of women’s dresses and skirts were getting shorter and shorter, up to the knees. It was shocking to the older generation of women of how much leg was now being exposed. Long, multiple strands of pearls and beaded necklaces were the style of jewelry to be worn. In this age, fashion was changing more than ever. Women now had a chance to express themselves with fashion.

The "flapper girl" trend peaked in 1926, leaving materials such as silk, chiffons, georgettes, crepes, and voiles in high demand. Beads, sequins, and feathers also adorned the fashionable dresses. Coco Chanel, a role model for the flapper, provided many styles, including the popular single strand of pearls. Corsets were no longer popular, but instead the "sexless" figure was favored. Scarfs were often draped over the shoulders if one could not afford a dead fox neck piece. However, the one thing that distinguished the flapper from anyone else was the bobbed haircut. Although, efforts were made to revive long hair, the bob remained stylish.

The 1920’s, also called the roaring 20’s, was a time of change. During this time period the fashion for both men and women was changing immensely. The aftermath of WWI caused America to enter a vigorous era. As a result of the role of women during the war, many customs and morals were changing. The Stock Market started booming, many new dances and music came about, and women got the right to vote and enter the workforce. There was an uprise in almost every activity, and fashion was definitely one (Tirocchi, Anna and Laura). Although fashion varied throughout the decade, one could notice a drastic change from the prior fashion.

Necessity is a rather slippery concept in terms of definition. The notion of what an individual requires for his or her survival varies with the particular situation at any given time. These needs may intensify or become distorted as one finds himself in an increasingly dangerous situation, particularly a life-and-death one such as war. Such dire circumstances may provoke in an average person feelings of extreme vulnerability, and the desire to hold on to all that he can, not unlike a child's instinct to grasp the nearest object in his search for comfort while in the throes of anxiety. Despite the fact that these "necessary" items or ideas that he clings to may impair or even threaten to destroy

Feelings are an abstract concept that takes children time and experience to understand and deal with in a socially acceptable manner. These activities have served to give the children in my class the foundation and the words needed to express their feelings. I can also use this strategy to remind children that emotions are okay, that words have power, and they now have the words.

In the short story “The Things They Carried”, Tim O’Brien wrote about the experience of war and the feelings young soldiers felt during their long days of travel. During the story he keeps referring back to the things the soldiers chose to carry in their packs. Some of these items included necessity items like grenades and ammunition, but they also carry sentimental items like love letters and pictures. These items help the reader better understand each person for who they are and help us to understand the physical situation the soldiers are in. In “The Things They Carried”, Tim O’Brien describes the item the soldiers carry in their packs and the emotional weight they carry to help give a better

The symbols in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” are essential to understanding the soldiers and their lives during the Vietnam War. At the opening of the story, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross would dig into his foxhole and read the letters while imagining romance with Martha; however, at the end of the story after the death of Ted Lavender, he “crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha’s letters” (402). The inner feelings of Cross would be mistakenly ignored without the help of symbols throughout his travel through Vietnam. O’Brien uses the emotional and physical weight carried by the soldiers as a representation of their personalities and how they prefer to cope with the war. The

The Gibson glamour girl preceding the flapper wore long tresses, a high-neck starched shirt, and a long skirt over restrictive undergarments. The flapper did not adhere to these types of restrictions. Pantaloons and corsets, the Gibson girl’s undergarments, were not conducive to the dancing of the flapper or the need for physical freedom. They were replaced by underwear called step-ins (Rosenberg 2). The flapper fashion showed much more skin than the Gibson girl’s outfit. She wore a loose fitting dress that came just to the knees, with a dropped waistline and often showed the arms. The look worn by the flapper was called the “garconne” meaning little boy. The hair was first cut very short into a “bob” then even

The look of the flapper was drastically different from that of the earlier generations of women in the United States. Their hair was cut into a short “bob” and they wore much more make-up than previous women. The hem line of the flapper’s dresses rose to the knee and they began “bounding” their chests and wearing high heels. Along with the rise of the hem line, nude colored stockings were favored over the former black; the flapper also bared her arms; this gave off a much more “naked” look than any previous generations. They did away with the corset and instead adopted the girdle, which simply flattened the abdomen rather than emphasizing the waist. The infamous Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s clothing designs became the epitome of 1920’s style.1

As the role of the women in society changed, so did fashion. With the emergence of a new, daring woman (the flapper girl), garments reflecting the liberated lifestyle that she led appeared.

In the novel, The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, the narrator (also named Tim O’Brien) tells many stories in an attempt to portray the Vietnam War in the most truthful way possible. The stories which O’Brien tells gives the novel a greater sense of reality, and make it seem more truthful, as if it truly did happen. O’Brien uses the rhetorical device of foreshadowing, through the mentioning of the deaths of Lemon, Lavender, and Kiowa, and through the death pact between Jensen and Strunk, to enhance the truth of the Vietnam War in the novel.

During the 1920s, some young American women were not at all interested in women’s rights and defied American tradition. These women were called “flappers”. They wore short, tubular dresses, cloche hats, bobbed hair, plucked eyebrows, oversized earrings, and diamond bracelets worn from the wrist to the elbow. Thhis was called the “Garçonne Look.” It was more boyish compared to the accentuated curves desired in previous decades. This look was designed because many people began to relize that the post-war women of the 20s would no longer accept being immobilized and disfigured into various shapes just for fashion. Flappers became the symbol of women.

Throughout the 1920s through the 1950s Women’s clothing in America was affected by World War II, which lead to the exploration of different styles, the encounter of new trends and the exchange of ideas and new styles.

The Years between the 1950’s and 1960’s was an explosive time in fashion. The 50’s represented an out coming of the new generation. People began to gain their own personal style and appearance, influenced by films and singers (“Vintage Fashion”). Their styles incorporated leather, jeans, corduroy, and the ballet shoes for the girls. Men’s wear began to drastically change. Men would wear a leather jacket, with jeans that narrowed at the bottom, and a simple t-shirt (Peacock 210-211). This was the first time in history that jeans were not just worn by the working class but by all men (“Brief History”). The man’s lust for flesh grew during this time, so women’s skirts began to get shorter and the bikini was invented. Clothes were made to glorify the female body and emphasize every curve. It wasn’t until the Barbie doll was created in the late 50’s that young girls began to have a separate fashion from their mothers. Young girls would wear sweaters with full skirts or pants