The Things they Carried by Tim O’Brien

In the novel, The Items They Brought, by Tim O'Brien, the author lays bare the story-telling nuggets, especially the war stories, and that is the point of view of the piece of art. As a product of the author's narrative prowess, the novel obviously pulls out a variety of themes. The portrayals of war in Tim O'Brien's literary work are a major theme that he explores (O'Brien 9). In this respect, the book plays an important role in deciding the true image of realistic portrayals, which is the main aim of this article. Accurate portrayals in regard to the book, The Things they carried, are the peculiar attributes of Tim O’Brien that signifies the use of literary acuity in explaining the beauty of his piece of art. Therefore, accurate portrayals are descriptions, facts, and analysis of a given piece of art for instance a story (O’Brien 66). According to the book, a number of lessons, episodes, and characterization depict an art format especially the accurate portrayals. This is evident from a myriad experience as put forward by the writer.

The Things they carried functioned as an art in a number of ways. This is evident by the fundamental portrait of literary skills employed by Tim O’Brien. The book portrays emotional and physical burden (O’Brien 83). The story shows characters with both emotional burdens such as grief, terror, longing, and love. For instance, Henry Dobbins lifts his girlfriend Pantyhose and shows love and longing for her, as the author says, the way Henry Dobbins carried his girlfriend's pantyhose around his neck like a comforter (O’Brien 28). This is an indication of literary skills that clearly portrays feelings of affection used to make the story lively. Also, considering the survivors of the war, they underwent psychological challenges and feelings associated with it. The feelings survivors have include confusion, guilt, and grief thus the collection stories indicate how the war experience is linked to the piece of art. In regard to this, Jimmy in the story laments of the feeling he has about death, as the author in the book sys, Jimmy Cross confides in O’Brien that he has never forgiven himself for Ted Lavender’s death (O’Brien 30).

In addition to that, fear of shame as a motivation is another literary piece of art that is portrayed in the book. This is evident from, on the river stories, where the author claims that the character portrayed confidence amid pain. For instance, as the author says, Curt Lemon decides to have a perfectly good tooth pulled (in “The Dentist”) to ease his shame about having fainted during an earlier encounter with the dentist. The stress of the war, the strangeness of Vietnam, and the youth of the soldiers combine to create psychological dangers that intensify the inherent risks of fighting. This is shows how the story is laid in the book.

The value of O’Brien art of telling a true war story is to relay the message in terms of the feelings people had during and after the war. This becomes the standpoint in discouraging, eliminating, and preventing a repeat of the same in the near future. In regard to this, the lessons from the war story are hard reality that all people have to bear in the society especially America by then (O’Brien 100). In addition to this, the feelings that O’Brien generates by telling the war story enables the readers to follow the storyline with maximum attention since they are bound to get moved. Thus, the flesh and liveliness is added to the story.

Work Cited

O’Brien, Tim. The things they carried. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009.