Stereotypes In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

In modern society, we’ve associated a number of characteristics to define what a man should be; macho, chivalrous, courageous and so tough as to never show any form of emotions. In our story we read about a troop of soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War who witness death on a daily basis, being both men and soldiers with a mission to carry out they hide their fear and other emotions behind superstitions and trinkets. The most important component to a soldier is his psyche, or his ability to think strategically through any situation. With your mind preoccupied your skill declines, which can lead to a number of things going wrong. The theme presented in “The Things They Carried” supports this stereotype while also exposing the negative impacts.

The author then presents us with the idea that unchecked emotions prove to be a greater burden than any physical stress, “They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried” (O’Brien pg. 104). Here the author hints that our protagonists do in fact think of their actions and the repercussions associated, but at this point in the story, no one is willing to open up a discuss how they feel about the war. Whats equally as important is how Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries himself. He sees himself as a squad leader and therefore takes responsibility for everything that goes on, but he’s also preoccupied with another girl back home causing him to lose focus which later leads to

We’ve all heard stories of soldiers coming back from a war and having some form of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and the Vietnam War was no different, but it was, however, one of the only wars where soldiers came back and were publicly criticized and shunned for their involvement. Warfare has many effects on the human psyche and Lt. Cross is no exception, “In part, he was grieving for Ted Lavender, but mostly it was for Martha, and for himself, because she belonged to another world, which was not real, and because she was a junior at Mount Sebastian College in New Jersey, a poet and a virgin and uninvolved, and because he realized she did not love him and never would” (O’Brien pg. 108). He was dealing with both the loss of a comrade and a love interest. From the beginning, up until now, Cross was focused on determining whether or not Martha loved him back but after accepting the truth, he decides to forget about her and focus on doing his job. While he realizes that this simple act couldn’t reverse what was already done it symbolizes his survivor’s guilt and his attempt at