Glorified Heroism In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

Growing up, many young boys idolized the war heroes in movies such as Saving Private Ryan and American Sniper. However, the glorified heroism that is depicted in these films is far from the reality that is war. A more realistic rendition of war is seen in Tim O’Brien’s short story, “Things,” which is included in his book, The Things They Carried. Throughout the story, O’Brien uses metafictional characters to portray the physical and emotional burdens carried by American soldiers who were forced to conform to societal expectations upon being drafted for the Vietnam War. The literary elements O’Brien uses throughout the story to convey this theme to the reader are symbolism, imagery, tone, and inner conflict. The Vietnam War, which lasted from

These horrors perpetuate the physical and emotional burdens bestowed on them as a result of their societal expectations. One important example of this imagery comes when Kiowa explains the death of fellow soldier, Ted Lavender: “There was no twitching or flopping…it was like watching a rock fall, or a big sandbag…just boom, then down – not like the movies where the dead guy rolls around…” (Backpack 325). The comparison of Lavender’s death to the falling of common objects allows for the reader to easily picture what it might have looked like. It also demonstrates to the reader that war is nothing like they had seen before. Daniel Robinson in “Getting It Right: The Short Fiction of Tim O’Brien,” wrote, “O’Brien’s characters do not die filled with the notions of courage, honor, and camaraderie: they just die. Ted Lavender dies while zipping up his pants…” (Robinson 288). Although bluntly stated, O’Brien’s depiction of death is to be exactly that, blunt. The realization that they could die at any moment, coupled with the fact that it is neither dignified nor honorable, increases the soldier's fear of blushing. Therefore, their emotional burden also increases, as does their physical burden from the weight their fallen comrade. O’Brien’s use of imagery depicts the true horrors of war and how they have perpetuated the physical and emotional burdens of the soldiers who

Throughout the story, Cross finds himself daydreaming of Martha, a woman back home whom he writes to. In her letters, “…she never mentioned the war, except to say, Jimmy, take care of yourself” (Backpack 322). Martha’s refusal to discuss the war has important implications, as mentioned by Lorrie Smith, in The Thing Men Do’: The Gendered Subtext in Tim O’Brien’s Esquire Stories, “…she represents all those back home who will never understand the warrior’s trauma” (Smith 240). As a result, the reader is able to understand that nobody back home can comprehend what the soldiers are going through, nor do they want to. Another example of Jimmy Cross’s inner conflict is seen during a mission where Cross is standing guard while Lee Strunk crawls into a tunnel labyrinth to plant explosives. However, Cross was unable to focus, “…he was thinking about Martha…he tried to concentrate on Lee Strunk and the war…but his love was too much for him…He could not bring himself to worry about matters of security” (Backpack 328). Shortly after Cross’s daydream ends, Ted Lavender is killed by an enemy sniper. Tina Chen accurately depicts Cross’s inner conflict in, “Unraveling the Deeper Meaning” when she