How Does Tim O Brien Use Language Techniques In The Things They Carried

Tim O’Brien’s novel The Things They Carried (TTTC) is a collection of short stories detailing the experiences of young soldiers deployed in the Vietnam War. He uses a variety of genres, such as magical realism and an unreliable narrator, to deviate from the traditional war autobiography. In doing so, he provides an insight into the emotional and psychological toll of war, as well as the social structures within groups of soldiers at the time. The experiences of the soldiers range from facing the victims of war to coming to terms with one’s unchosen fate as a soldier. O’Brien makes use of motifs and recurring themes throughout the book to influence the reader’s interpretation of the experiences of soldiers at war. He does so by highlighting

Like you don't even have a body. Serious spooky.”
This excerpt plays heavily into the immaturity of the soldiers, particularly with Sanders’ use of informal juvenile language. This represents not only the soldier’s youth, but the attempt to hide fear in ease of manner. Additionally, the quote offers in-depth imagery as to how little can be seen in that environment. This impacts the reader’s interpretation of the military experience as it allows them to fathom the war-ridden environment, and offers insight into how the soldiers processed it.
In the exploration of darkness, there is a clear attempt to gain the reader's empathy, as O’Brien makes an additional appeal to pathos through darkness is where characters feel the most alone, the most safe, and the most scared. To illustrate this, the character Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’ love for a woman, Martha, led to the distraction which he believes caused the death of the soldier Ted Lavender. The role of darkness in his expression of emotion can be seen in page 15, “He used his entrenching tool like an ax, slashing, feeling both love and hate, and then later, when it was full dark, he sat at the bottom of his foxhole and wept.” The darkness here acts as the place where they experience their raw emotions without fear of judgment for deviating from “acceptable” behavior.

This motif separates the reader from the soldier. Particularly in the opening chapter “The Things They Carried,” there is no attempt to explain any terms to the reader. For instance, objects such as “P-38 can openers” and “C rations” (page 4) are mentioned without any previous introduction. The same is done with abbreviations such as, “RTO,” “R&R,” and “SOP.” (Page 4.) This has a significant impact on the reader’s understanding of the novel, and their subsequent interpretation of it. The repeated use of abbreviations and specialized terms clearly defines the novel’s characters as a group that the reader is not a part of. This alienates the reader from the experiences of the soldiers. The feeling of isolation created in the initial pages of the novel remains with the reader as the story