Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried Essay

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Pages: 4

In Tim O’Brien’s, The Things They Carried is a collection of short stories about the Vietnam War, but in reality, the book centers around the relationships the men make, their relationships to the world they left there and the relationships that they formed to Vietnam. The author of the book is the narrator of the book, he tells all the short stories and effects of it as he’s writing it after the war. The stories were not all war stories, but stories about love, respect, and the bonds they carried for each other as soldiers when they spent day after day fighting just to stay alive.Most emotions were seen very well through especially when someone passed away in the novel. There were even friendships and relationships that were formed after becoming …show more content…
The guy wasn’t Heidi-he had a weapon, right? It’s a tough thing, for sure, but you got to cut out that staring.” (O’Brien 126).Kiowa was getting scared for O’Brien because of the way O’Brien was reacting towards the death.In this chapter, Tim O’Brien killed a Vietnam soldier with a hand grenade by throwing at him and is troubled with guilt and misery for what he has done . O’Brien is so confused with the guilt of killing a man especially who was a companion and their soldier that he cannot take his eyes off his body. Kiowa’s worry about the mental state of O’Brien, helps to determine and disclose the theme of friendship during the war because Kiowa has a true and genuine concern for the mental state health of his friend. Kiowa is trying to help O’Brien justify his actions and help him through the situation.Kiowa’s encounter or experience in the war allowed him to understand that Tim cannot dwell on what is done which also cannot be undone. He is doing everything he can to get Tim's attention so that Tim does not get himself in trouble or also face death because of the disturbance. This is an important friendship that Tim values throughout the war,beyond, and novel.Curt Lemon's death reveals all the true and pure emotions of Rat