The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien | In-Depth Summary & Analysis

Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth analysis of the plot, characters, symbols, and themes of Tim O'Brien's short story collection The Things They Carried.


Tim O'Brien's short story collection The Things They Carried uses the stories of individual soldiers to humanize the large-scale tragedy of the Vietnam War.

The Things They Carried opens by listing the gear and necessities carried by a group of soldiers in the Vietnam War, but the ultimate emphasis is on emotional burdens.

Young American men are thrust into a foreign conflict and carry with them reminders of their homes and means of coping with the violence of their experience: drugs, letters, and religious tokens among them.

They navigate distant romantic relationships, profound guilt over the deaths of both their compatriots and enemy soldiers, and interpersonal relationships, all under extreme duress.

The stories eloquently depict the pressures of combat, with nobility and camaraderie existing alongside failure and vengeance. There are no easy answers in war and the characters in this collection must strive to find meaning in a context that makes that nearly impossible.

American writer Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried was first published in 1990, 20 years after he was drafted into the Vietnam War. The vividness of his experiences shaped his stories, in which he appears as a character and narrator.

The short stories in The Things They Carried contains many powerful motifs, including guilt as the oppressive, lifelong weight of guilt haunts O’Brien’s stories; lost innocence, as the brutal, abrupt disillusionment of war is described as one of its worst tragedies; love, as O’Brien explores the many faces of love in war; and storytelling, as the stories reflect on the power of storytelling to preserve memories, offer solace for introspection, and to allow one to cope with trauma and learn to forgive.


About Course Hero:

Master Your Classes™ with Course Hero!

Get the latest updates:

[calvincutler]

you already know you didn't read the book if you end up on this video

[bryantc]

this video could not have been posted at a more perfect time! i have an assignment due tomorrow on this book

[rubyirons]

this was helpful but the enthusiasm is killing me

[edwardpolenzani]

This was a great book. I have to admit, at first it took me awhile to get into it just because it does not follow a typical narrative structure. It’s super nonlinear. Once you realize that tho and let yourself kinda get sucked into the world of it, it’s very personal and emotional

[ebscoHOSTpub]

as a combat vet of oif and oef, this book sucked me in. I remember it did the same for me in HS when I was a teen but I dont remember why just that it was one of the first books i read fron tot back and again before the semester ended. This book is written exactly the way I feel and have felt in my own experiences. THe build up in on the rainy river is the most personal for me because of how it ends, "i was a coward. I went to war" and that message in the last page or so vibrates through my soul and bones to this day.

Me too, Tim. Me too.

[burhhmurh]

Thanks to this video I’m going to feel more confident for my test today!

[MarcMartinez]

Damn y’all doing my entire high school book college ruin

[simonjbrand]

This guy imparts all the compassion and empathy of a dead mortuary employee

[garrazfnugies]

I have an exam and you save my life, thank tou so much, ty ty tyt y luv you ohohohoaahhah

[joseperlamartinez]

yooo I got a final project on this due in 24 hours. I haven't read the book. HELP.

[EvaHanaBanks]

Hey I have exams in May can you please make a video on The Vegetarian by Han Kang.?

[astralflick]

This book really ruined me, and I’m glad it did. I’m realizing that my life is valuable and I should make something of it.

[willow]

Why are half of these comments from vets and the other half from struggling HS students

[nanziafue]

pov u have an exam ovwr this in 27 minutes I

[ADITYAPATEL-fiph]

This book sucks very much im so happy you make these :(

[jackhe]

There is nothing in depth about this video whatsoever

[willshepard]

I lost brain cells watching this, great vid tho.

[santini]

I was given this book by my wife. I was pretty excited to get into it because the 23rd Div, AMERICAL, was my division in the 68-69 time frame. The places described in the beginning of the book were all familiar to me. However when I came to the Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong section, my opinion of the book changed. Now it seemed as if I was reading a script from an aspiring Hollywood hack. I refused to read any further. The idea that a soldier could somehow arrange to has his girlfriend brought over to Vietnam and then find her soldier boyfriend somewhere up in I Corp, is total bullshit. If that weren't far fetched enough she somehow takes up housekeeping for a Special Forces unit, and even accompanies them on patrols. Anyone that ever dealt with spec ops people know they don't trust anyone to sortie with them that they are not 100% comfortable with. This type of garbage leads to all sorts of misconceptions about the war, and those of us that came home to a hostile citizenry. The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now and most of the Hollywood offerings were all well received by critics and a less than knowledgeable public. Here we go again. Perhaps you like O'Brien's writing style. As for me, I think that chapter is a total fabrication, and a disservice to all grunts that served and did not try to sensationalize and capitalize on their experience.

[lenahc]

thank you course hero your the horse we all need to find the apples at the bottom of gods lazy eyed cat or even such as superdogwomenman or eogma riddilen amongus

[Charles-sbgg]

bro its 2 in the morning this guys voice is so annoying but i need the summary