When one thinks of war, the general thought is that it inspires acts of patriotism and heroism. No one really looks deeper into the topic to find that along with patriotism and heroism there are often feelings of shame and loneliness. In The Things They Carried it is clear that most of the soldiers in the war do not come back with a sense of pride or honor. Most come back wishing they had never gone at all. Tim O'Brien reveals that because Vietnam precipitated such traumatic experiences, his storytelling is a great way to cope with his shame and loneliness, emphasizing that the war experience is not one of patriotism and heroism, but one of loneliness and guilt.
The "things" part of the title represents not only the physical things that the soldiers carried but also the emotions and superstitions. The longing for love and companionship is expressed in the character Henry Dobbins. He wraps a pair of his girlfriend's pantyhose around his neck for good luck. Even after she had broken......

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Title: The Things They Carried
Approximate Word Count: 765
Approximate Pages: 4 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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