The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien: An Analysis

Julius Nevin

11/13/11

Eaten Alive

Some things in life become part of you. People, places, feelings; you can become so close that you are one. But sometimes, these things can consume you; swallow you whole. In Tim O'Brien's novel, The Things They Carried, many characters become one with the land of Vietnam. Vietnam consumes characters in different ways, but it always results in a character's unity with the land. Unity is defined as “the state of being one; oneness”. Kiowa physically becomes part of the land in “Speaking of Courage”, when he sinks into the shit field, where Jimmy Cross ordered his troops to camp out. In this case, Kiowa is literally swallowed by the land. Mary Anne becomes part of the land differently in “Sweetheart
There was a ville nearby... fifty meters downstream... and right away a dozen old mama-sans ran out and started yelling... about how the field was bad news... not a good spot for GIs.” (144, 145). Cross decides to set up camp, regardless, and “the rain kept getting worse... by midnight the field turned into soup.” (145). A soldier soon realizes that “it was a shit field... the village toilet.” (145). The Viet Cong troops attack the platoon, and hell breaks loose. “...he heard somebody screaming... It was Kiowa... Kiowa's wide open eyes settling down into the scum... Kiowa was almost completely under... There were bubbles where Kiowa's should have been... Kiowa was gone.” (148, 149). Kiowa gets sucked into the shit, and physically becomes part of Vietnam. Tim O'Brien's writing emphasizes Vietnam, the land itself, as a character. Vietnam does as it pleases; takes what it wants. It selfishly takes Kiowa away, so that both of them can be in unity until the end of
Rat Kiley tells a remarkable tale about an American war medic, Mark Fossie, who ships his girlfriend, Mary Anne, over to Vietnam to be with him. “..the guy sends her the money. Flies her over. This cute blonde... just barely out of high school... Comes right out to the boonies.” (90). The troops stationed at the medical base take a liking to Mary Anne; she reminds them of the girls back home. Time passes, and Mary Anne begins to evolve. She's curious about everything, especially Vietnam; the people, the land and the war. “She was curious about things... she liked to roam around... asking questions... She had a good quick mind... The war intrigued her. The land, too, and the mystery.” (95, 96). Soon, Mary Anne hangs around with the elite Green Berets stationed at the medical base. She goes on ambush and patrols the wilderness with them. Mary Anne enters Vietnam as a naïve child, but the land changes her into a brutal she-warrior. Vietnam infatuates her; it fills her body and soul with the desire to be free within its mysterious realm. “...everything around it, the entire war, the mountains... villages... the trails and trees... rivers and deep misted-over valleys... Sometimes I want to eat this place. Vietnam. I want to swallow the whole country... I just want to eat it and have it there inside me... you can't feel like that anywhere else.” (111). Mary Anne loses