The Things They Carried By Tim Obrien: Literary Analysis

Foreshadowing Faith To find a four-leaf clover is to find good luck. If a black cat crosses your path you will have bad luck. Superstitions, omens and myths exist in every corner of the world and to many people, are beliefs resulting from the fear of the unknown. In Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, Obrien explores the motives behind these mysteries through the breathtaking adventures of soldiers in Vietnam witnessing fear, anger, remorse and love. Through the symbolic implications of Kiowa’s bible, Henry’s stockings and Martha’s photos, the theme of faith is portrayed by providing the soldier’s with a consciousness of controlling their destinies, which communicates to the reader that superstitions play a significant role in the abstractly
He is much more confident when he equips the stockings, therefore they act as a talisman that shield him from the evils of war. “Dobbins was invulnerable. Never wounded, never a scratch…no cover at all, but he just slipped the pantyhose over his nose and breathed deep and let the magic do its work” (O’ Brien 112). O’Brien uses Dobbins as an example to show the implementation of faith and hope. Through Dobbins and his close relationship with the pantyhose, it is shown how mentality can affect reality. The stockings not only display the importance of faith and a positive attitude, but also a yearning for femininity, revealing the softer side of Dobbins. They express his longing for love and home. With the stockings, Dobbins journeys through the war untouched and fearless. “It turned us into a platoon of believers... ‘No sweat,’ he said. ‘The magic doesn’t go away’” (O’Brien 112). The leggings give Dobbins a strong sense of mentality that keep him from becoming feeble and anxious like most of the other platoon members. They began to make the soldiers rely on superstition rather than rationality because the twists of the jungle were unpredictable. Even after his girlfriend dumped him, Dobbins remained immaculately brave which means that the power of the stockings did not come from love or his memories, but Dobbins’s himself. “A heroic warrior whose victories… affirm the country’s
His anticipation for returning home after the war only grows heavier as his thoughts overrun his mind. This uncontrollability leads to Lavender’s death on which Cross can’t ever forgive himself for letting happen. “Lavender was dead. You couldn’t burn the blame” (O’Brien 22). His guilt and remorse builds up to a point where he tries to rid his mind of the tragedy by burning his memories of Martha, changing nothing. This is essential to understanding Cross’ character because no matter what harm comes his way, he ties it back to Martha. Several years after the war, Lieutenant Cross visits O’Brien’s house and tells him about how Martha gave him another photo at a college reunion. When O’Brien tells Cross that he wants to write a story about Martha and Cross, Cross replies, “Why not? Maybe she’ll read it and come begging. There’s always hope, right?” (O’Brien 28). In the war, Lieutenant Cross puts his faith in returning to Martha because it gives him something worth fighting for. He is completely broken when he finds out she doesn’t love him, yet still loves her and wants to be with her. Likewise, O’Brien teaches through Cross that many soldier’s would have the high expectations of coming home after war to find their dreams come true, clearly that is not always the case. Even though Cross isn’t fully satisfied, he still believes that there is a