05/12/08
English 105
The Things They Carried
Symbolism is one of the most effective and powerful elements in writing, enabling us to tell a story one way while all along communicating a different, more profound message. In his story "The Things They Carried," Tim O'Brien uses the items soldiers tend to take with them to war to symbolize what the soldiers are actually thinking and feeling. The themes of the story, “The Things They Carried,” are the title itself and the narrative point of view.
O'Brien uses the word “things” in the title because the soldiers do not only carry equipment and supplies, but also emotions of love, terror, grief, and longing. Henry Dobbins, for example, carries his girlfriend’s pantyhose and, with them, the longing for love and comfort. Similarly, Jimmy Cross carries compasses and maps and, with them, the responsibility for the men in his charge. Cross does not only face with fear, but also with love, for example, O’Brien begins,......

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Title: The Things They Carried
Approximate Word Count: 923
Approximate Pages: 4 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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