Objects written into stories
Often times, there is much more to a story line than characters, narration, and dialogue. Physical objects many times plays an important part in the plot of the story. Significant objects in stories can be very simple objects, but have a nonliteral meaning that is important to the plot. "The Things They Carried," by Tim O'Brien is an example of a story in which objects significantly enhances the characterization of all of the characters. This story takes place in Vietnam during the Vietnam war, in approximately 1968. This war setting is appropriate for its publication date in 1990, the first year of Desert Storm. Tim O'Brien's, "The Things They Carried" uses objects to make statements about character traits, to contrast the non-literal 'objects' that the men carried and they also make Jimmy Cross a changing character. O'Brien uses objects to make indirect statements about the characters of the story, by listing the things that they carried. The reader does not get a vivid picture of the character, but rather a hint of his personalities and interests. In paragraph two, O'Brien lists briefly what each of his men had in his possession (Roberts and Jacobs 61). By saying that Dave Jensen carried a toothbrush, soap, and denta
That is one reason that may have inspired him to write this story. Jimmy Cross changed considerably by the end of the story. Because he allowed his thoughts to wander and not concentrate on the war, he placed an even bigger weight on him, letting Ted Lavender get killed. Another example of objects bringing out personality traits is Ted Lavender carried tranquilizers, seven ounces of weed, and the "unweighed fear. " If we could put a numerical mass on the "unweighed fear" and the burdens that were placed, the number would be enormous. This goes to show that war can not only bring out the bad in people, but it can also bring out the good. The mass of the literal objects that they carry later seem a minute fraction to the mass of this new burden that he has placed on himself. Another way in which objects play a significant role in the overall plot is that they contrast the figurative objects, such as Jimmy Cross's love for Martha, a girl back home. At the time that this was written, it was the beginning of the Gulf War, which may have brought back memories for O'Brien. Paragraph ninety-two also states, "He [Cross] loved her, but he hated her(71). O'Brien state, "Imagination was a killer (71) Cross is the only character that seem to be bothered by Lavender's death. The other men laughed and cracked jokes about it, saying "zapped while zipping," and how it was a "mind blower," and the repetition of "Boom. " He appears to be very nervous and gets uptight easily.
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Acceptance Essays
