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Jimmy Cross's Use Of Characterization In The Things They Carried

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In Tim O’Brien’s aptly named story, “The Things They Carried,” detailed lists of items carried by each of the characters are presented to the reader. Each character carries varying physical and emotional burdens on their shoulders as they march through the jungles of Vietnam. The technique of listing the things they carried is an excellent use of characterization and gives the reader an in-depth understanding of each individual which, in return, allows O’Brien to achieve a connection between his characters and his audience. The list of internal and external burdens carried by the extensive cast of characters acts as a form of characterization. One example of this is when the text states, “As a first lieutenant and platoon leader, Jimmy Cross carried a compass, maps, code books, binoculars, and a .45-caliber pistol that weighed 2.9 pounds fully loaded. He carried a strobe light and the responsibility for the lives of his men” (O’Brien). In such a short paragraph, the character of Jimmy Cross is expanded and mapped out to the reader. One is able to determine the natural leadership Cross possesses. It is clear that he not only sees the protection of his men as a responsibility, but as a value as well. The reader can also determine Cross’s preparedness for the platoon’s march through the wilderness by the sheer amount of items …show more content…

The point of the story is to relay to the reader everything they carried and more, but O’Brien uses this to expand on his characters and establish a connection between character and reader. If he had simply written a narrative about the men marching through Vietnam, the reader would not be able to truly understand the emotional weight on their shoulders. The characters would be flat and boring, yet the technique allows for the narrative to maintain a constant flow without disruption to develop

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Throughout “The Things They Carried”, Tim O’Brien tells stories about the lives of young men during the Vietnam war with a fictional twist on each one. He not only tells the stories of those men around him, but of his own life too, often dwelling on those people who have made a significant impact on his life as a soldier. He sheds light on the tangible and intangible things while the soldiers trudge through the gruesome war for years. Through the stories told, O’Brien explores multiple specific narrative elements and rhetorical devices to depict the themes within the book. In this novel, O’Brien’s primary purpose for compelling these war stories is to describe the burdens they carried through usage of polysyndeton and asyndeton.

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Authors tend to make their opening scene the most important because in all reality it is the first chapter that hooks the reader. To help make this scene the most important, authors add themes and interesting information to convey the reader. In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien uses themes such as courage, guilt, and the truth of the war to project his feelings. The significance of the opening scene is used to provide background information about the characters, the war, and the things they carried so that the reader can make connections to the rest of the novel and understand what is going on in later chapters. The Things They Carried has an effective opening scene because it shows what each individual soldier carried and the physical

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This is important because it outlines how he deals with emotional distraught on his own and how he wants to keep to himself relating with internal problems. An example form The Things They Carried is in the quote, “...I headed straight west along the Rainy River...” (P. 45). This quote refers to when O’Brien received his draft notice for the military during the Vietnam War. He became very upset and responds to it by driving on his own towards Canada in hopes of avoiding the draft and isolating himself from his family and friends.

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Readers, especially those reading historical fiction, always crave to find believable stories and realistic characters. Tim O’Brien gives them this in “The Things They Carried.” Like war, people and their stories are often complex. This novel is a collection stories that include these complex characters and their in depth stories, both of which are essential when telling stories of the Vietnam War. Using techniques common to postmodern writers, literary techniques, and a collection of emotional truths, O’Brien helps readers understand a wide perspective from the war, which ultimately makes the fictional stories he tells more believable.

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An example of this is when O’Brien is describing Curt Lemon’s death for the first time when he says “They were just goofing…white blossoms” (44). This passage has many specific details about Lemon’s death like how his face looked and how instantaneous the scene turned from bright to dark. Lemon’s face is described as brown, shining, and handsome which gives the reader a clear image of a young innocent soldier. His death is described as a sudden flash of light and being “sucked away”. This sharp contrast of detail shows how brutal death can be and helps explain O’Brien’s shock after the death.

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He purposely started off the book this way so that there would be a distinct connection between the people and the stories. This connection is not as vague as a run of the mill war novel that connects the people, places, and battles they fought. Instead this seems more like a peek into the minds of these soldiers, we get a sense of how they felt and what they were going through. In one chapter, O’Brien talks about stories. He states, "Stories are for joining the past to the future.

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For example, Lieutenant Cross carries the weight of responsibility for his men, as well as his unrequited love for Martha. Kiowa carries a Bible and a hatchet, which represent his faith and his heritage. Norman Bowker carries the thumb of a dead Viet Cong soldier, which serves as a reminder of the violence he has witnessed and participated in. The things they carry are deeply personal and reflect their individual experiences of the war.

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The Things They Carried, written by Tim O’Brien, illustrates the experiences of a man and his comrades throughout the war in Vietnam. Tim O’Brien actually served in the war, so he had a phenomenal background when it came to telling the true story about the war. In his novel, Tim O’Brien uses imagery to portray every necessary detail about the war and provide the reader with a true depiction of the war in Vietnam. O’Brien starts out the book by describing everything he and his comrades carry around with them during the war. Immediately once the book starts, so does his use of imagery.

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The author was writing the story “The Things They Carried” expressed so many thoughts and feelings about what the soldiers had faced, they showed their feelings and duties, life or death, and overall fear and dedication. This story shows the theme of the physical and emotional burdens that everyone is going through in the war. By showing his readers what the soldier’s daily thoughts are and how they handle what is going on around them. Tim O’Brien expresses this theme by using characterization, symbolism, and tone continuously. In the story, physical and emotional burdens plagued several characters as they all had baggage weighing them down.

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The Things They Carried “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is a short story set during the Vietnam War. In the story, O’Brien lists many different items soldiers in the Alpha Company carried with them as they humped across the rugged terrain. Many carried necessities such as rations, matches, ammunition and things of that nature; however, many soldiers also carried quite peculiar objects such as condoms, pantyhose, and M&Ms. Readers can grasp a closer insight of the characters’ lives after further examination of the symbolism and meaning of the things they carried.

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A lot happens in Tim O 'Brien short story "The Things They Carried", at first, the reader speculates what the short story is about and why it is called "The Things They Carried". The narrator Tim O 'Brien tells and describes all the things that the men have to carry while "in-country" during the Vietnam War in the1960 's. The text 's artistic value comes from its plot, characters, conflict, and style. In the plot of the story the protagonist, Tim O 'Brien starts by describing circumstances that happened while he was in Vietnam. In the beginning of "The Things They Carried" we are introduced to each character by the things they carry.

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He fought a war in Vietnam that he knew nothing about, all he knew was that, “Certain blood was being shed for uncertain reasons” (38). He realized that he put his life on the line for a war that is surrounded in controversy and questions. Through reading The Things They Carried, it was easy to feel connected to the characters; to feel their sorrow, confusion, and pain. O’Briens ability to make his readers feel as though they are actually there in the war zones with him is a unique ability that not every author possess.

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Tim O'Brien's “The Things They Carry,” tells a story about the lives of young men during war. The narrator tells his story from first person, marking all of his adventures and experiences of his companions. O’Brien crafts his piece through the use of repetition, symbolism, and metaphors to convey the idea of physical and psychological hardships of soldiers during war. Though the literary device of repetition, O'Brien portrays the physical and psychological hardships of a soldier.

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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.

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