The Things They Carried Martha Analysis

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was a character with many layers that he never actually showed. He had emotions that he kept inside him, and he was never truly focused on the war. He rarely talked to the other soldiers about how he felt about the war. Cross was burdened with responsibility and guilt. He blamed himself for the death of his soldiers, and he blamed himself for Martha not loving him the way he loved her. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is a important character that is seriously affected by the war, and has conflicted

Small Meaning: O’Brien is giving the all the different ways war can be interpreted by a soldier. They live that lifestyle for so

For countless of people today, the Vietnam war is just something from the past, but for Tim O’Brien, the Vietnam War will endlessly be with him. This one year in Vietnam changes the lives of this platoon from emotional pain, physical pain, as well as muscle pain will commence to cloud their vision. The weight of the things that they carried takes great effect on them that they have to continue to endure on this one year trip in Vietnam and remember these memories for the rest of their lives..

Every day we go through, a million and one things occur. We either completely forget about it in the next instant or we carry it with us for the rest of our eternity. It’s possible to carry the memory of the generous tip the nice women gave you or the exact moment the wrong words came out of your mouth. We can carry these things called burdens, either physically or emotionally.

In the list of all the things the soldiers carried, what item was most surprising? Which item did you find most evocative of the war? Foot powder was most surprising to me. This also shows us how much these soldiers had to travel in the war.

Thematic Statement: “The Things They Carried”- The mental and morale that a person go through is intense because it becomes the fundamental that will be throughout the whole story.

In The Things They Carried, every soldier carried something different; different equipment, different memories, and different guilt. Their equipment would change as they travelled through the book, but one common thing that the soldiers would all be forced to carry is the weight of losing one of their own. Though it might weight differently from man to man, changing depending on how well they knew the soldier, it is a weight they all felt. Though several soldiers died in The Things They Carried, the loss of a soldier named Kiowa was different from the others. But why? What impact did Kiowa have in The Things They Carried, and why did his death affect the other characters differently than the previous deaths in the novel?

Tim O’Brien has been contributing to the genre of historical fiction with his creative genius for decades, but his most renowned and perhaps his finest book is The Things They Carried, published in 1990. The novel consists of numerous short tales Add more intro before the thesis The first chapter of the novel, “The Things They Carried,” shares several literary features with chapters “Spin,” “Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong,” and “The Man I Killed,” including anecdotes, theme, and symbolism.

Though Cross dwells in idealism and hope for a time, Cross transitions into a realistic mindset after the shocking death of Ted Lavender. O’Brien illustrates the cruel reality of life and its fragility, ending quickly like “boom-down.” With the Lavender’s death, Cross realizes that his responsibilities as a soldier, a leader, and a man are far more important than his futile grasps on romanticism. He recognizes the need for “a new hardness in his stomach” and decides to be “realistic.” He burns Martha’s photographs and, in effect, his hope, feelings of love and emotion, and his childhood. O’Brien reveals Cross’s despondent thoughts about the things men “felt they had to do,” but also his acceptance of society’s expectations. Cross’s resolve to “distance himself” shows his

In Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried the issue of maturity is an ever occurring theme within the novel that sets out to tackle and open up for discussion of it on a broader level. Specifically within the chapters "Friends" and "Enemies" it is clear that both Lee Strunk and Dave Jensen are wedged in a personal psychological war. This issue faces many young adults but is perverted by the war and the tragic loss of innocent life. Many feel that the purpose of O'Brien's The Things They Carried is to show hardships and reality of war. While that is true, the most important issue and debate brought up is the rapid transformation of our young soldiers while they have to face the atrocities of war. Although, Lee Strunk and Dave Jensen

The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien, is a generalization of his own experiences in Vietnam although the story itself is a work of fiction there is still much to be learned from it. Through the actions of soldiers in The Things They Carried we can begin to explore the effect war has on the human condition and the toll it plays on their minds.

The Things They Carried, written by Tim O’Brein, is a story told through the eyes of members of a United States Army troop trudging their way through the Vietnamese country side and jungles during the Vietnam War. Each man has a specific job and so they carry specific belongings that they need to fulfill that job as well as a few mementos from home. These men also carry unseen baggage that is all too real to these men, their families and responsibilities back home preying on their minds, the horrors of war, and the stress of the importance of fulfilling their duties to keep then men around them alive.

Significant Quote: “In the accompanying letter, Martha wrote that she had found the pebble on the Jersey shoreline, precisely where the land touched the water at high tide, where things came together but also separated.” (8)

In the novel, The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, there are stories being told by Tim O’Brien that seem surreal, which makes the story seem untrue, but which in fact represent the hard and exact truth as it seemed. He talks about the Vietnam War, his experiences, and about other people’s lives. In the chapter “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” O’Brien explains the story of his comrade, Rat Kiley. Now Rat Kiley is known for exaggerating his stories. He explains his first assignment in the mountains of Chu Lai.

Tatyana Smith 1363908 English III Honors Jody, Hollis Seminar: The Things They Carried O’Brien, Tim. The things They Carried. New York: Houghton Mufflin, 1990.Print. 1.