The Things They Carried
Encyclopedia
The Things They Carried is a collection of related stories
by Tim O'Brien
, about a platoon
of American
soldiers in the Vietnam War
, originally published in hardcover by Houghton Mifflin, 1990. While apparently based on some of O'Brien's own experiences, the title page refers to the book as "a work of fiction"; indeed, the majority of stories in the book possess some quality of metafiction
. Even though the characters are based on a work of fiction, they show similarities of real soldiers that O'Brien knew during his time in the war. A few of the characters show similarities of characters from his autobiography If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home. That is why O'Brien dedicated his book to the men of the Alpha Company.
. "Speaking of Courage" was originally published (in heavily modified form) as a chapter of O'Brien's earlier novel Going After Cacciato
.
"The Things They Carried" was also included in the 1987 volume of The Best American Short Stories, edited by Ann Beattie.
and the National Book Critics Circle Award
, and won the French Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger
.
Lieutenant Jimmy Cross: Protagonist of the title story, "The Things They Carried". Cross is the platoon leader. He is obsessed with a young woman back home, Martha (who does not return his feelings), and later believes that his obsession led to the death of Ted Lavender. He also decides to camp the team one day on a sewage field–the "shitfield"–in "In the Field", and this move leads to the death of Kiowa.
Bob "Rat" Kiley: A young medic whose exaggerations are complemented by his occasional cruelty. He enjoys comic books, he is brave and takes good care of Tim when he is shot. Eventually, he sees too much gore and begins to go insane as he imagines "the bugs are out to get [him]". He cannot adjust to the new procedure of sleeping during the day, and moving at night. Finally he goes over the top and shoots himself in the foot.
Norman Bowker: A soldier who O'Brien says attempted to save Kiowa the night he died. When Kiowa slips into the "shitfield", Bowker repeatedly tries to save him but is unable to, and as a result he feels hugely guilty for Kiowa's death after the war. His memories continue to haunt Norman at home as he realizes that the world has moved on past the war and wants nothing to do with the ugly stories of tragic battles in Vietnam. He is continually haunted by the fact that he could not save Kiowa from sinking under the "shitfield" on a rainy night. However, O'Brien admits eventually that it was not Norman who failed to save Kiowa, but himself. After the war he briefly assists O'Brien in writing a story about Vietnam, but he hangs himself with a jump rope in an Iowa
YMCA
.
Henry Dobbins: Machine gun
ner. A man who, despite having a rather large frame, is gentle and kind. He is very superstitious, and as a result, wears his girlfriend's pantyhose around his neck as a protective charm even after she dumps him. He briefly contemplates becoming a monk after the war due to their acts of charity for the sake of charity.
Kiowa: Kiowa
is a soldier who is quiet and compassionate, also a devout Christian
. He appears to be Norman Bowker's best friend in the company. Kiowa often helps other soldiers deal with their own actions, such as taking the lives of other human beings. He is eventually killed when camping out in the shitfield. He is hit by a mortar round, and Kiowa slips into the sewage and drowns. Originally Norman Bowker tries unsuccessfully to save him, but O'Brien soon admits that it was not Bowker, but rather O'Brien who tried and failed to save him. Tim O'Brien later reveals a "young soldier" as the true culprit behind Kiowa's death when he says that he was the one that gave away their position when showing Kiowa a picture by shining his light. It is implied that Norman Bowker is this "young soldier."
Mitchell Sanders: He is a relatively kind soldier who is contemptuous of Cross's decision to camp in a sewage field, which led to Kiowa's death. Sanders is also a playboy, or at least tries to make himself out to be one. This is shown when he tells O'Brien about his stories with a Red Cross nurse and also because he carries around pressed tiger fatigues. He is also the RTO for the platoon.
Ted Lavender: A grenadier. He dies in the very first chapter from a gunshot wound to the back of the head. He is notorious for using tranquilizers to cope with the pain of the war, and for carrying a (rather large—six to eight ounces) stash of marijuana with him. Cross blames himself for Lavender's death, as he was fantasizing about Martha when Lavender was shot.
Curt Lemon: A good friend of Rat Kiley who dies after stepping on a rigged artillery shell. In one of the book's more disturbing scenes, Tim and Dave Jensen help to clear the trees of Curt's scattered remains, during which Jensen sings "Lemon Tree". After Lemon dies, Kiley writes a long, eloquent letter to Lemon's sister describing his friendship with Lemon and emphasizing how good a person Lemon was. Lemon's sister never responds, which crushes Kiley emotionally.
Azar: A young, rather unstable soldier who engages in needless and frequent acts of brutality, such as strapping a dog that Ted Lavender had adopted to a claymore mine and then activating the detonator. He also aids Tim O'Brien in gaining revenge on Bobby Jorgenson, but mocks O'Brien when he's not willing to take the revenge further. At one point, Azar breaks down emotionally, revealing that his cruelty is merely a defense mechanism.
Dave Jensen and Lee Strunk: Minor soldiers who are the main characters of "Enemies" and "Friends". Jensen fights with Strunk over a stolen jackknife, but they became uneasy friends afterwards. They each sign a pact to kill the other if he is ever faced with a "wheelchair wound". After Strunk steps on a rigged mortar round and loses a leg, he begs Jensen not to kill him. Jensen obliges, but seems to have an enormous weight relieved when he learns "Strunk died somewhere over in Chu Lai". Jensen also appears in "The Lives of the Dead", where he pressures O'Brien to shake hands with a dead Vietnamese.
Bobby Jorgenson: The replacement medic for Rat Kiley when he shoots himself in the foot. Green and terrified, he is slow to aid O'Brien after he is wounded. Filled with rage after his recovery, O'Brien elicits help from Azar to conspire and punish Jorgenson with a night of terrifying pranks. Afterward, however, O'Brien and Jorgenson become friends. Jorgenson may be a reference to a similarly named character in The Caine Mutiny
.
s'. The fine line of what constitutes fiction versus non-fiction is blurred throughout the book, for though Tim O'Brien claims this book to be fiction, the author and the protagonist share the same name and same profession as writers. Additionally, the character Tim references writing the book "Going After Cacciato" which the author Tim had written and published previously.
starring Kiefer Sutherland
.
Short story cycle
A short story cycle is a collection of short stories in which the narratives are specifically composed and arranged with the goal of creating an enhanced or different experience when reading the group as a whole as opposed to its individual parts...
by Tim O'Brien
Tim O'Brien (author)
Tim O'Brien is an American novelist who often writes about his experiences in the Vietnam War and the impact the war had on the American servicemen who fought there...
, about a platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldiers in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, originally published in hardcover by Houghton Mifflin, 1990. While apparently based on some of O'Brien's own experiences, the title page refers to the book as "a work of fiction"; indeed, the majority of stories in the book possess some quality of metafiction
Metafiction
Metafiction, also known as Romantic irony in the context of Romantic works of literature, is a type of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, exposing the fictional illusion...
. Even though the characters are based on a work of fiction, they show similarities of real soldiers that O'Brien knew during his time in the war. A few of the characters show similarities of characters from his autobiography If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home. That is why O'Brien dedicated his book to the men of the Alpha Company.
Publication
Before publication in 1990, five of the stories, including "The Things They Carried," "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong," "The Ghost Soldiers," and "The Lives of the Dead," had been published in EsquireEsquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
. "Speaking of Courage" was originally published (in heavily modified form) as a chapter of O'Brien's earlier novel Going After Cacciato
Going After Cacciato
Going After Cacciato is a war novel written by author Tim O'Brien and winner of the National Book Award for fiction in 1979. This complex novel is set during the Vietnam War and is told from the point of view of the protagonist, Paul Berlin...
.
"The Things They Carried" was also included in the 1987 volume of The Best American Short Stories, edited by Ann Beattie.
Awards
The Things They Carried was a finalist for the Pulitzer PrizePulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
and the National Book Critics Circle Award
National Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Award is an annual award given by the National Book Critics Circle to promote the finest books and reviews published in English....
, and won the French Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger
Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger
The Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger is a French literary prize created in 1948. It is awarded yearly in two categories: Novel and Essay for books translated in to French.- Prix du Meilleur livre étranger — Novel :* 2010: Gonçalo M...
.
List of short stories
- "The Things They Carried"
- "Love"
- "Spin"
- "On the Rainy River"
- "Enemies"
- "Friends"
- "How to Tell a True War Story"
- "The Dentist"
- "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong"
- "Stockings"
- "Church"
- "The Man I Killed"
- "Ambush"
- "Style"
- "Speaking of Courage"
- "Notes"
- "In the Field"
- "Good Form"
- "Field Trip"
- "The Ghost Soldiers"
- "Night Life"
- "The Lives of the Dead"
Main characters
Tim O'Brien: Author of the story. His personal experiences in the war lead him to write a book about it. He believes that some things cannot be explained at all. For example, he eventually reveals, but can not say that Kiowa's death was his fault. While modeled after the author and sharing the same name, O'Brien is a fictional character and not the author. The author intentionally blurs this distinction.Lieutenant Jimmy Cross: Protagonist of the title story, "The Things They Carried". Cross is the platoon leader. He is obsessed with a young woman back home, Martha (who does not return his feelings), and later believes that his obsession led to the death of Ted Lavender. He also decides to camp the team one day on a sewage field–the "shitfield"–in "In the Field", and this move leads to the death of Kiowa.
Bob "Rat" Kiley: A young medic whose exaggerations are complemented by his occasional cruelty. He enjoys comic books, he is brave and takes good care of Tim when he is shot. Eventually, he sees too much gore and begins to go insane as he imagines "the bugs are out to get [him]". He cannot adjust to the new procedure of sleeping during the day, and moving at night. Finally he goes over the top and shoots himself in the foot.
Norman Bowker: A soldier who O'Brien says attempted to save Kiowa the night he died. When Kiowa slips into the "shitfield", Bowker repeatedly tries to save him but is unable to, and as a result he feels hugely guilty for Kiowa's death after the war. His memories continue to haunt Norman at home as he realizes that the world has moved on past the war and wants nothing to do with the ugly stories of tragic battles in Vietnam. He is continually haunted by the fact that he could not save Kiowa from sinking under the "shitfield" on a rainy night. However, O'Brien admits eventually that it was not Norman who failed to save Kiowa, but himself. After the war he briefly assists O'Brien in writing a story about Vietnam, but he hangs himself with a jump rope in an Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
.
Henry Dobbins: Machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
ner. A man who, despite having a rather large frame, is gentle and kind. He is very superstitious, and as a result, wears his girlfriend's pantyhose around his neck as a protective charm even after she dumps him. He briefly contemplates becoming a monk after the war due to their acts of charity for the sake of charity.
Kiowa: Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
is a soldier who is quiet and compassionate, also a devout Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. He appears to be Norman Bowker's best friend in the company. Kiowa often helps other soldiers deal with their own actions, such as taking the lives of other human beings. He is eventually killed when camping out in the shitfield. He is hit by a mortar round, and Kiowa slips into the sewage and drowns. Originally Norman Bowker tries unsuccessfully to save him, but O'Brien soon admits that it was not Bowker, but rather O'Brien who tried and failed to save him. Tim O'Brien later reveals a "young soldier" as the true culprit behind Kiowa's death when he says that he was the one that gave away their position when showing Kiowa a picture by shining his light. It is implied that Norman Bowker is this "young soldier."
Mitchell Sanders: He is a relatively kind soldier who is contemptuous of Cross's decision to camp in a sewage field, which led to Kiowa's death. Sanders is also a playboy, or at least tries to make himself out to be one. This is shown when he tells O'Brien about his stories with a Red Cross nurse and also because he carries around pressed tiger fatigues. He is also the RTO for the platoon.
Ted Lavender: A grenadier. He dies in the very first chapter from a gunshot wound to the back of the head. He is notorious for using tranquilizers to cope with the pain of the war, and for carrying a (rather large—six to eight ounces) stash of marijuana with him. Cross blames himself for Lavender's death, as he was fantasizing about Martha when Lavender was shot.
Curt Lemon: A good friend of Rat Kiley who dies after stepping on a rigged artillery shell. In one of the book's more disturbing scenes, Tim and Dave Jensen help to clear the trees of Curt's scattered remains, during which Jensen sings "Lemon Tree". After Lemon dies, Kiley writes a long, eloquent letter to Lemon's sister describing his friendship with Lemon and emphasizing how good a person Lemon was. Lemon's sister never responds, which crushes Kiley emotionally.
Azar: A young, rather unstable soldier who engages in needless and frequent acts of brutality, such as strapping a dog that Ted Lavender had adopted to a claymore mine and then activating the detonator. He also aids Tim O'Brien in gaining revenge on Bobby Jorgenson, but mocks O'Brien when he's not willing to take the revenge further. At one point, Azar breaks down emotionally, revealing that his cruelty is merely a defense mechanism.
Dave Jensen and Lee Strunk: Minor soldiers who are the main characters of "Enemies" and "Friends". Jensen fights with Strunk over a stolen jackknife, but they became uneasy friends afterwards. They each sign a pact to kill the other if he is ever faced with a "wheelchair wound". After Strunk steps on a rigged mortar round and loses a leg, he begs Jensen not to kill him. Jensen obliges, but seems to have an enormous weight relieved when he learns "Strunk died somewhere over in Chu Lai". Jensen also appears in "The Lives of the Dead", where he pressures O'Brien to shake hands with a dead Vietnamese.
Bobby Jorgenson: The replacement medic for Rat Kiley when he shoots himself in the foot. Green and terrified, he is slow to aid O'Brien after he is wounded. Filled with rage after his recovery, O'Brien elicits help from Azar to conspire and punish Jorgenson with a night of terrifying pranks. Afterward, however, O'Brien and Jorgenson become friends. Jorgenson may be a reference to a similarly named character in The Caine Mutiny
The Caine Mutiny
The Caine Mutiny is a 1952 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Herman Wouk. The novel grew out of Wouk's personal experiences aboard a destroyer-minesweeper in the Pacific in World War II and deals with, among other things, the moral and ethical decisions made at sea by the captains of ships...
.
Other characters
- Martha - Lt. Jimmy Cross's romantic love, though she has only platonic feelings for him. He burns her letters and photos while trying to get over the guilt he feels for being responsible for Ted Lavender's death.
- Linda - Tim's childhood love. Nine years old, she dies of a brain tumorBrain tumorA brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
caused by cancer. She first gives Tim a reason to write stories, to keep her alive in his memory. - Kathleen - Tim's daughter, who serves as an observer to O'Brien's stories.
- Mark Fossie - A soldier who sends for his girlfriend to stay with him on his base in Vietnam
- Mary Anne Bell - Mark Fossie's girlfriend. She is originally sweet and innocent when she arrives at Vietnam from Cleveland Heights, OhioCleveland Heights, OhioCleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The city's population was 46,121 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cleveland Heights is located at ....
, but soon feels drawn to the culture and the thrill of war. She joins the Green BeretsGreen BeretsA green beret was the headgear of the British Commandos of World War II. Certain military organisations still wear green berets because they have regimental or unit histories that form a connection with the British Commandos of World War II....
in their ambushes and patrols until she walks off into the jungle. - Elroy Berdahl - An 81 year old man who helps Tim come to grips with going to war at the Tip Top Lodge.
Themes
In the short story "Good Form", the narrator makes a between "story truth" and "happening truth". O'Brien feels that the idea of creating a story that is technically false yet truthfully portrays war, as opposed to just stating the facts and creating no emotion in the reader, is the correct way to clear his conscience and tell the story of thousands of soldiers. Critics often cite this distinction when commenting on O'Brien's artistic aims in The Things They Carried and, in general, all of his fiction about Vietnam, claiming that O'Brien feels that the realities of the Vietnam War are best explored in fictional form rather than the presentation of precise facts. O'Brien's fluid and elliptical negotiation of truth in this context finds echoes in works labeled as 'non-fiction novelNon-fiction novel
The non-fiction novel is a literary genre which, broadly speaking, depicts real historical figures and actual events narrated woven together with fictitious allegations and using the storytelling techniques of fiction. The non-fiction novel is an otherwise loosely-defined and flexible genre...
s'. The fine line of what constitutes fiction versus non-fiction is blurred throughout the book, for though Tim O'Brien claims this book to be fiction, the author and the protagonist share the same name and same profession as writers. Additionally, the character Tim references writing the book "Going After Cacciato" which the author Tim had written and published previously.
Adaptations
The story "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" was made into a film in 1998, titled A Soldier's SweetheartA Soldier's Sweetheart
A Soldier's Sweetheart is a 1998 movie starring Kiefer Sutherland, Skeet Ulrich, and Georgina Cates. It is based on a short story by Tim O'Brien, "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong." The story was part of his award winning book, The Things They Carried....
starring Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite...
.
External links
- The Tim O'Brien page at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- The Things They Carried