The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien: An Analysis

In Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, O’Brien explains the weight of items as well as the psychological weight the men carried during the war. A few of the men had women back home that they held onto so that they had some kind of strive to make it back home alive. He examines how war changes the men psychologically by what is seen and done during war. O’Brien describes his experiences of death and fear that him and his friends faced during the Vietnam war. These uncertainties, deaths, and fears they build up lead the men to act in atrocious manners. Dave Jensen broke Lee Strunk’s nose, Azar blew up Ted Lavender's puppy, and Rat Kiley repeatedly shot and eventually killed the water buffalo. War brings and fills the men with uncertainty, fear, and death. Men bring with them to war life experiences which explain how they cope with fear, death, and uncertainty. In the story

Azar is the man at war who absolutely loves gore and fighting and can find it in his mind to crack jokes about death during war, even if it is about his own friend. Azar takes part in malicious activities including helping Tim O’Brien play a prank on Jorgenson. He uses this to fuel his hate fire. Azar states, “What’s everybody so upset about?” and “I mean, Christ, I’m just boy” (35). This explains that Azar does not understand why all the men are so upset about his action. He honestly has no idea and pleads that he killed the puppy because of his immaturity. While killing the puppy, Azar was insensitive to the horrendous pain that was inflicted on the puppy which expose his beliefs and personal morals. On the other hand, he feels to blame for Kiowa’s death because he begins to make snide comments which are taken in a jokingly manner. However, Azar is blinded by the brutality of what was happening to the puppy because of his feelings overpowering him which causes him to continue and eventually kill the