The Things They Carried Rhetorical Analysis

The short story, “The Things They Carried,” written by Tim O’Brien (1990), appears to be an unpretentious narration that list the tangible items carried by the soldiers while fighting in the Vietnam War. Upon further review it becomes clear that the lists of “things” have a much deeper meaning and carry an abundance amount of emotional weight. Not only is their load a physical burden that consist of hefty equipment that is necessary for survival, but they also bear the burden of internal conflict. The internal conflicts identified in the story center around the disturbing afflictions carried by the soldiers revealing that the men long for an escape from their dreadful surroundings, feel responsible for the lives of their fellow soldiers,

While fighting in a war soldiers form a special kind of bond. It is a unique brotherhood that only other soldiers of war can understand. O’Brien states that, “They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die” (pg. 86, para. 10). In the article, “Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried: Initial Reception and Detailed Analysis,” Robert C. Evans (2015), explains that O’Brien uses this phrase as a way to remind the reader of the emotional baggage carried by the soldiers and how it can be at least as burdensome as physical weight, if not more so because emotional baggage is harder to shed or put down. We see proof of this obligational torment in the aftermath of Ted Lavender’s untimely death. Due to his “carelessness and stupidity” (O’Brien, 1990, pg. 88 para. 9), Cross believed that he was responsible for Lavender’s demise. He becomes struck with guilt and shame because he blames himself for the accident. He is conflicted with the emotional burden of loving Martha and his responsibility to his men. Cross is the Lieutenant of this platoon, meaning that he is their leader and ultimately responsible for the outcome of all their lives. Even though it is easy to see how these men need an escape to help them survive the daily task of fighting, the illusions of being somewhere else can result in additional weight being

Their fear stems from several different wells. For one, the soldiers are in constant fear of their own life. O’Brien writes about the moments during heavy artillery as being chaotic and full of