The Things They CarriedTim O'BrienThis artwork is a story of war, with love, tragedy and personal responsibility, giving details of what you carry, we survive and meditate during events that happen outside of our control. The Thing Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien, describes human beings just like us who cannot choose what happens around us, but how to survive with the things we care about and that help us get through. He also shares with us the fear, risk, and consequences of the death of one of their men and the personal responsibility the narrator feels as the loss of one of the men under his care. The setting of the story is integral as it takes place in the village of Than Khe. The Vietnam War was a tragic and messy war that affected many lives. The setting takes readers to a geographical location where these and countless other men have spent months and years experiencing life and death, tragedy and camaraderie, fear, loss, and the ultimate test of character and strength. Without it, the story wouldn't have the same effect. The use of vivid descriptions and images of the things each soldier carries gives readers a better understanding of the weight load and burden these men were subjected to. The author describes the needs of what they carried: “The things they carried were largely determined by necessity. Among the necessary or nearly necessary items were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat pads, wrist watches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, gym chews, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid , lighters, matches, sewing kits, military payment certificates, C rations and two or three canteens of water. (626-627)Not only did they carry these things, but each man had a specific t...... middle of paper....... He insisted on having clean weapons. He would confiscate the rest of Lavender's drugs.”(636) Tim O'Brien's story describes human nature of mistakes, guilt, humility, personal responsibility, and things we can protect ourselves from. This doesn't always mean we can control life events, but we can make choices to prevent these things. It also shows how we deal with the difficult challenges we face. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross uses Martha to cope, while Ted Lavender uses drugs. Henry Dobbins uses food, while Kiowa relies on his faith. History provides us with information about war, but also about human nature itself. Works Cited Literature, An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing, XJ Kennedy, Dana Gioia, The Things We Carried pg 625 How To Tell A True War Story” Metafiction in The Things They Carried, Catherine Calloway, http:// web.ebscohost.com