“The Things They Carried” By Tim O`Brien

The beauty of this fib is in its subtlety and depth. The most interesting interrogative time of every last(predicate) as regards this piece is how Marthas earn and pictures come to diarrhea in the tier. The letters and pictures whitethorn symbolize hope or level false hope, despair, distraction, confusion, love or others. The answer depends on whether one views the story as about war, love, some days in the life of prise Cross or other possible themes almost which the story may revolve. Based on the way the story was told, these theories and fork upations are all possible.What caught my circumspection in particular, in relation to Marthas letters and pictures, are the catalogue of the reasons and purposes people in the story displace the things they do. All of these purposes revolve around the fact that they carry things by indispensability (p. 714). Even those which they carry by superstition (p. 717) may be deemed to have been carried as a necessity because these th ings help them acquire courage and belief, if not in their victory, in their survival. However, among all the things he carried, Jimmy Cross carries Marthas love letters.Is this authentically necessity? This may not even qualify as superstition because in that respect does not appear any belief on his part that the letters will provide him some protection from the war. At this point, the motive in effect created an inconsistency that is too subtle to be noticed, but is too informantised that the story revolves around it. The story is also filled with enumerations of the things they carried. However, it is interesting that, spot it constitutes the bulk of the story, this enumeration is actually not the story itself.It is included only if to demonstrate the inconsistency mentioned and thus give further emphasis to the honor of Marthas letters for Jimmy and for the story. I also admire the author for being able to tell the story and convey the emotions of the characters throug h translations of what are happening rather than through direct statements of the emotions felt, thus allowing the readers freedom to interpret and visualize. An example of this is the authors description of Martha during her volleyball accident (p. 715) and the description of the things carried by different people in the story.1. What do you think is the authors purpose in stating more than once in the story that Martha signed her letters and pictures with Love, but that he knew better that this is just a customary way of signing a letter and does not really mean anything? Is this to show that Martha does not love Jimmy? Is it to create uncertainness as to whether Martha does not really love Jimmy? What other purposes mountain there be? 2. This story enumerates many material things men carry at war. However, in one part of the story (p. 724), the author wrote the sentence the things men carried deep down.What does the author mean by this? What are the things men carried inside? Relate this to the statement ate the end of the story that their days would reckon longer and their loads heavier (p. 725). 3. React on this statement. His obligation was not to be loved but to attract (p. 725). Is it possible to dispense with love tout ensemble? Can a person in a war lead and be loved at the same time? Is there get on for love when there is war? Work Cited OBrien, Tim. The Things They Carried (1986). Worlds of Fiction. Ed. Rubinstein and Larson. Macmillan Coll Div, 1993. 713-725.