What is the summary of The Things They Carried?
The Things They Carried (1990) is a collection of linked short stories by American novelist Tim O’Brien, about a platoon of American soldiers fighting on the ground in the Vietnam War. His third book about the war, it is based upon his experiences as a soldier in the 23rd Infantry Division.
What does Kathleen represent in the story?
Kathleen serves as the skeptical reader and symbolizes the gap in understanding between not only the storyteller and the story’s listener but also the traumatized soldier and his or her friends and family back home who might not fully understand the horrifying experiences the soldier experienced at war.
What does the dancing girl represent Tttc?
The Dancing Girl Symbol Analysis The dancing girl is symbolic of this amorality and senselessness that pervades the soldier’s feelings and actions throughout their time in Vietnam, as well as those who found difficulty finding any purpose in life after the war ended (e.g. Norman Bowker).
What happens in chapter 4 of The Things They Carried?
Chapter 4 of The Things They Carried gives us the story of how O’Brien ends up in the Vietnam War. We learn that he is drafted. He does not agree with the war and he does not want to go, but because of the draft, he has little choice.
Why does Mitchell Sanders carry condoms?
By carrying around condoms, he believes that he will have plenty of time for women in Vietnam.
What did Jimmy Cross carry?
As leader, for example, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries the maps, the compasses, and the responsibility for his men’s lives.
Why did O’Brien take his daughter Kathleen to Vietnam?
In this story, O’Brien physically revisits a war experience in hopes of alleviating his guilt over Kiowa’s death. Under the guise of a trip for his daughter, O’Brien comes to Vietnam to bury his guilt, bearing Kiowa’s moccasins and wading into the muck to deposit them there.
Why did Obrien set off the grenade?
O’Brien was scared. He wasn’t thinking about killing; he was using the grenade to make the man leave, “evaporate.” He remembers he had thrown the grenade before telling himself to.
What does Dobbins mean when he says dance right The Things They Carried?
What does Dobbins means when he says “Dance right!”? Dobbins’s comment to Azar to “Dance right” is that what Azar was doing with his mocking dance was wrong, and that if he wants to dance he should dance right without making fun of the girl.
What did Henry Dobbins carry emotionally?
Physical and Emotional Burdens 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.
Why did Jensen break his own nose?
Afterward, Jensen is nervous that Strunk will try to get revenge and pays special attention to Strunk’s whereabouts. Finally, crazed by apprehension, Jensen fires his gun into the air and calls out Strunk’s name. Later that night, he borrows a pistol and uses it to break his own nose in order to even the score.
What happens in Chapter 5 of The Things They Carried?
Chapter 5 deals with the tensions between two men in O’Brien’s platoon, Dave Jensen and Lee Strunk. The tensions between the two come to a head when Dave Jensen realizes that he is missing his jackknife.