War is a central theme in books of numerous authors, and Tim O’Brien is no exception to the rule. What makes him stand out from the rest is the source of information he uses and the way he presents the war. Being a war veteran, O’Brien writes about his personal experience rather than some abstract issues. The year he spent in the Vietnam War had a significant impact on his work, and his impressions have turned into the stories he wants to share with the readers. In a series of stories named “The Things They Carried,” O’Brien narrates not only about the horrors of the wartime, but also about the beauty that a person can always find even in such a terrible place as the one where one has to fight.
The details of specific events in history can sometimes tell the readers even more than the general narrative, and this is the approach O’Brien uses in his book. The stories are about the little things people carry with them when they go to war. The idea of the author to focus on these details of the soldiers’ lives gives the impression that it is not about the war itself but the place of a human in it. At the beginning of the first story, O’Brien writes about the typical things a soldier might have with him:
…P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C rations, and two or three canteens of water. (O’Brien 2)
The first things that appear in the stories are not the ones a person can be sentimental about, but those that would somehow help them to survive the war. There are some objects that are important to a soldier; however, in contrast to the list of necessities, they represent some threat as well. The little things reminding people of their homes might distract them from the war itself and result in their death. Hence, the main message of the book is the need to leave the normal life behind if one wants to survive the present, which is war.
Despite the possible harm that sentimentality can cause a soldier, these precious little things take the central place in the stories. The feelings of the soldiers are much more important than the items that keep them alive, such as can openers or pocket knives. The memories of the peacetime resonate with the experience of the wartime. The reader realizes that what every soldier is carrying is not physical things but the feelings they evoke. Thus, the memories of the soldiers are just a part of their lives divided into the time at home and at war, as well as their courage is the flip side of their fear.
The book “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien allows the reader to see the world through the eyes of a soldier. However, it is not about the war itself but about its perception. Whereas most people writing about the Vietnam War focus on the events, O’Brien puts the feelings and memories first. Due to this approach, one can not only see the war but also feel it. The little things representing the memories tell more about the inner world of a soldier than a mere description of events.
Work Cited
O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009.