Book Analysis
The Things They Carried”, a novel by Tim O’Brien reveals the lives of many Vietnam War soldiers, both before and during the war. Many of the soldiers in this story are dealing with the psychological effects that other people have on them without even knowing it. Expectations can lead soldiers to act in a heroic manner, but they may also cause them to perform actions that are not their best. Soldiers often obsess over the possibility of not meeting the expectations placed on them.
Tim O’Brien’s author struggled with it a lot. O’Brien was thinking about his reaction to others the night before he left for war. Tim imagined others’ reactions, neighbors’ conversations, and the conversation began to focus on O’Brien’s young child. Tim was often unable sleep and would have intense arguments with people. Tim is now in a battle he cannot escape.
Tim meets Curt Lemon in the war. Curt is eager to retain his newfound brotherhood. Curt was cowardly to the men when he fainted in the dentist’s chair. They looked at this and said, “He seemed to be a bit dazed.” He might be snorting and bawling every now and again. Curt lemon was far too emotional to laugh off the incident.
Curt Lemon feels a heavy burden when he thinks about not being a good soldier. Because he won’t let go, he feels like a coward. Curt then pulled out his tooth in an attempt to show he wasn’t a coward, despite his teeth being fine.
Soldiers seem too concerned with what other people think, even if they don’t care. While the soldiers had fulfilled their family’s expectations, the situation they found themselves in was much worse than expected. Characters like Norman Bowker struggle to reconnect with their father and others. Norman Bowker’s father was misled by his expectations of what he would become in war, and how many awards he would win.
Norman returns home with several medals, but can’t help feeling disappointed about not receiving The Silver Star. He only brought up the Silver Star when talking about his experience with others.
Norman Bowker’s inability to let go his medal obsession and need for better relationships with his father are not healthy. Norman feels distant and reminisces about the dark times of war. Norman shares a lot of similarities with Tim, as they both regret their past failures. Tim’s feelings are revealed when he tells the reader that he survived the war but it was not a good ending.
I was cowardly. Tim was never interested in going to war. He believes it was a mistake. When he agreed to go along with this, his self-esteem was destroyed. Others might say that expectations for soldiers are important as they encourage them to achieve a war standard. But they don’t know that when they reach that standard. Jake Wood spoke to a reporter about Clay Hunt, another soldier who committed suicide.
Jake admits to his responsibility in Clay’s suicide. “I was Clay’s sniper partner, and you don’t let anyone down under any circumstances,” Jake said. Jake wanted to be there for his men always, even when the war ended. Jake put pressure on him which no one else did, but the necessity of war.
It is clear that expectations on soldiers are detrimental, no matter how high they may be. Soldiers are put under pressure to achieve unrealistic goals. Their own beliefs and feelings of unhappiness are ignored in the pursuit of avoiding disappointment. Young men are often expected to perform great feats, but when it comes to something as vague and confusing as war versus school or job, they find it difficult to achieve.
Citing sources
Bloom, Harold. Tim OBriens They Things they Carried. Chelsea House published a book in 2011. “The Life and Death of Clay Hunt.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, www.cbsnews.com/news/the-life-and-death-of-clay-hunt/3/.
