There is background information that Tim does not necessarily say, but the reader can conclude it from the text. Such as the burden and grief the soldiers carry in the war. 2. Conflict- There is many different conflicts in this book. One
Although O’Brien is unclear about whether or not he actually threw a grenade and killed a man outside My Khe, his memory of the man’s corpse is strong and recurring, symbolizing humanity’s guilt over war’s horrible acts. Norman was right on the side of him when he died, after about a couple of years passed by after the war he was in Kiowa home town he started crying because he didn’t do anything to try to save him. In Fallen Angels Richie see’s how almost his whole team died he and Peewee were the only ones that survived, which emphasizes the theme of youth and innocence. In calling the novel Fallen Angels, the author implies that the soldiers’ youth and innocence are more important than any of their other aspects, such as their religion, ethnicity, class, or race. They wanted them to know what war is really like and wants to help them understand what is experienced.
Before coming to Vietnam none of these men had ever seen anyone be killed or killed anyone themselves. The first time they lose a comrade of theirs, none of them really know how to react. They are not sure if they should cry and mourn the loss of their friend, or if they just continue on as normal because they know thats what they need to do to stay alive. Some of the soldiers have different ways of dealing with death while they are over there. Some learn to laugh and joke about it in order to lighten up the situation.
You were there—you can tell it” (O’Brien, 151). The fact that Bowker chooses Kiowa’s death in the field, over all of the other deaths that he had witnessed, shows that Kiowa’s death particularly scarred him. This is evident by the fact that although Bowker wants to talk about what he witnessed and what actions he performed in the war, he cannot because his emotional scars overbear his ability to explain his physical scars. Bowker also shows his shame after asking that O’Brien keeps him
The Things They Carried Tim O'brien is an American novelist born in 1946, he mostly writes about his experiences in the Vietnam war. His works are mostly about how the soldiers involved in the war were affected. Memories are an inseparable part of human life. Some memories are pleasing and enjoyable whereas some are agonizing, but still all are the part of life. In times of distress, the memories of joyful times provide the strength to bear the sorrow, and owing to this reason numerous people hold on to their memories.
Paradoxes of the Vietnam War that affected America “But the hospital had changed all that…Now I wanted to know what I had lost my legs for, why I and the others had gone at all.”(Born on the Fourth of July, ) Vietnam soldiers return home and realize they have missed out on a lot. Soldiers are left physically and mentally scarred and no legit reasons as to why. The Vietnam War resulted in serious contradictions that changed America as a nation. The American people were split over whether the war was right or wrong. There was the anti-war and pro-war Americans fighting about patriotism and if the government was right or wrong.
Both of these ate away at the men; mind, body and soul. ‘Carry’ means to hold or support while moving, to transport, transmit, or transfer, but figuratively, ‘carry’ connotes bearing a grievance. After Ted Lavender was killed Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried Lavenders burden with him because he felt personally responsible for his death. He was to busy thinking about Martha the one he loved, even though he knew she didn’t love him in return. L.T.
It becomes apparent that his death had a significant impact and in fact can have a strong symbolic meaning. The most obvious symbol of his death could be an awakening. This is apparent when we look at Lieutenant Cross, when after Lavender’s death he recognized that his emotions and in fact his conscience were not present in Vietnam. Once Ted Lavender died, Lieutenant Cross felt as though his daydreaming was perhaps the cause of this tragedy. Lieutenant Cross had an awakening and made a choice to have “no more fantasies…” (Delbanco, 437) and he told himself that, “his obligation was not to be loved but to lead” (Delbanco, 437).
O’Brian’s platoon mates try to get him to talk about what he had done, but O’Brian does not respond to them. He is lost in thought. O’Brian can not help but think about the boys life being cut short, all because of him. After reading “The Things They Carried” I learned a lot about the memory of the Vietnam War. Not many veterans openly discuss the war, and for good reason.
Before his mom and sisters died, he was given plenty of love. After they were gone, the only person left for him to love was his father. Chlomo Wiesel wasn’t the kind of person that shows love and affection to people though. It’s more towards the end of the book that Elie realizes how much he cares about his dad. At one point, when Chlomo was being beaten by Idek, he was ashamed of his father and he didn’t feel any grief for him.