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Guilt In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

1073 Words5 Pages

Guilt and shame can change a man for either good or bad. Guild and shame was a very repetitive through the soldiers' journey. It was a downright impact on their personalities, actions, and future. The war can do many things to one. In the novel The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien concentrates on how shame and guilt that was created by the Vietnam War, affected the soldiers’ lives and, was stuck with them endlessly.
The soldiers were shattered and traumatized by the death of their fellow brothers. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross blamed himself for the death of Ted Lavender. He might still blame himself until this day. Tim O'Brien mentions how Jimmy Cross lamented and wept, and he said, "He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was now dead, and this was something he would have to carry like a …show more content…

The soldiers felt guilty and ashamed after each and every death that took place in Vietnam and it was hard for them to cope with reality. Norman Bowker blamed himself for the death of Kiowa even through Kiowa was already dead when Bowker was trying to save him. Tim O'Brien stated, ""The truth" Norman Bowker would've said, "is i let the guy go"" (O'Brien 127). At other points, they all blamed themselves for the death of Kiowa. Even Azar, the soldiers who killed a puppy, took the blame. When all of them started blaming others or themselves for Kiowa's death, Norman Bowker said, "[…] I felt sort of guilty almost, like if I'd kept my mouth shut none of it would've ever happened. Like it was my fault." […] "Nobody's fault," [Bowker] said. "Everybody's" (O'Brien 105) Some of them blamed Jimmy Cross for stationing them in such a treacherous setting. Mitchel Sanders blamed Jimmy Cross for the death of Kiowa, he said "Ten billion places he could've set up last night, the man picks a latrine" (O'Brien 28). No one knew who should take the blame for the deaths of soldiers, so they blamed themselves and

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Things They Carried By Tim O Brien: A Literary Analysis

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Tim O’Brien states, “Lavender was now dead, and this was something he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war” (O’Brien 16). In this quote, Tim O’Brien explains that since Jimmy Cross blames himself about Ted Lavender’s death, he will always be in lieutenant’s head. Thus, the lieutenant will always feel the guilt. With this, Tim O’Brien makes the reader think that Jimmy Cross is the person to blame since he is the head of the group and he has to pay more attention to his plans. Having questions about his love, Martha, in his mind instead of being careful about his men is the reason of him feeling guilty that “the lieutenant’s in some deep hurt” (17).

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Moral Confusion In The Things They Carried

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Thesis For The Things They Carried

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The True Weight of War “The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien, brings to light the psychological impact of what soldiers go through during times of war. We learn that the effects of traumatic events weigh heavier on the minds of men than all of the provisions and equipment they shouldered. Wartime truly tests the human body and and mind, to the point where some men return home completely destroyed. Some soldiers have been driven to the point of mentally altering reality in order to survive day to day. An indefinite number of men became numb to the deaths of their comrades, and yet secretly desired to die and bring a conclusion to their misery.

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During the Vietnam war soldiers took many sacrifices, including leaving their families and being outkast’s in society. But during the war they made really good friendships. The Vietnam war made people lose their lives, friends, and families. Many people didn 't support the war so they protested, and when the soldiers came back from war they were treated like outcasts. In the novel “The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien, the book shows the themes friendship and sacrifice through key details like when someone dies they still remain friends even though they had a sacrifice.

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