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Summary Of The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

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Tim Obrien is famous for his staunch anti-war stance and his stories revealing the harsh realities of war. His works often detail recounts of his or her’s experiences during Vietnam. One of his works, “The Things They Carried,” describes the brutalities of the Vietnam war in two main ways: the droning of day-to-day orders and the weight of the things they carried physically and mentally. One of the brutalities O’Brien details in his work is the soulless droning of day-to-day orders. O’Brien demonstrates this soulless nature in his work by saying “it was not battle, it was just the endless march, village to village, without purpose, nothing won or lost” (35). This describes their daily missions as monotonous and purposeless. O’Brien also describes it as boring, but …show more content…

But it was strange boredom... the kind of boredom that causes stomach disorders... Well, you'd think, this isn't so bad. And right then you'd hear gunfire behind you... and you'd be squealing pig squeals” (quoted in Mahini et al. 1287). The. In short, O’Brien describes the war as boring and monotonous, but terrifying, causing a unique conflict of emotion that would be quick to drain any emotion out of most people. O’Brien also details the burdens of the things they carried, physically and mentally. He goes into great detail when talking about the physical things they carried, with him describing the weight of many items most soldiers carried. Among these things, he mentions, “P-38 can openers, pocket knives... mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes... Lighters...

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