The things They Carried

The Emotions They Had to Leave Behind
“The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien, is influenced by his memories and experiences of his tour of duty in Vietnam. Since O’Brien was born in 1946, the Vietnam War had a major impact on his life. He served in the war, and like many of his other stories, “The Things They Carried” was written about the soldiers in the Vietnam War. Even though O’Brien was against the war, he reported for service and was shipped off to Vietnam when he was involved in the My Lai massacre in 1968 (Knapp). “The Things They Carried,” is a title that tells little about what the story is actually about. It looks past the specific items that the soldiers carried with them that held special meaning. The story focuses on what can happen when soldiers continue to carry their emotions or meditate upon their personal life rather than occupy their mind with what is important on the battlefield. The major points from the story are that it became...