Guadalupe Merizzi

Guadalupe Merizzi
Olga A. Liberti
Academic Writing
April 2013
Imagining the Vietnam War
War i hell! but that" n#t the hal$ #$ it! becaue %ar i al# m&ter& and terr#r and
ad'enture and c#urage and dic#'er& and h#line and pit& and depair and l#nging and
l#'e. War i nat&( %ar i $un. War i thrilling( %ar i drudger&. War ma)e &#u a man(
%ar ma)e &#u dead*. +hee are #me #$ the %#rd +im O",rien ch#e %hen %riting hi
h#rt t#r& +he +hing +he& -arried*! %ritten a$ter the Vietnam War! %hich re$lect
+im O.,rien. per#nal e/perience in thi %ar. +he +hing +he& -arried* i
characterized b& a di$$erent per#nal techni0ue becaue it i n#t #nl& a h#rt $icti#nal
t#r& but al# a c#llecti#n #$ per#nal acc#unt. +he dene and detailed lit #$ #b1ect
that the #ldier carr& thr#ugh#ut the t#r& eem t# be tedi#u and e'en irrele'ant! but
b& menti#ning all the #b1ect and al# b& peci$&ing the e/act %eight #$ e'eral #$ thee
item! including $##d! %eap#n! and gear! the auth#r gi'e the reader a 'er& tangible
idea #$ %hat it %a li)e t# truggle under uch %eight and! in turn! hi techni0ue enable
the reader t# $eel the %eight #$ the #ldier. burden %hich are n#t 1ut thee tangible
item! but the #ther m#re int#lerable #ne imp#ed #n their #ul b& the 'er& train #$
the %ar.
In #rder t# undertand the t#r&! it i imp#rtant t# anal&ze it hit#rical bac)gr#und.
+he +hing +he& -arried* %a %ritten b& +im O",rien! %h# %a b#rn in 1234 in
Minne#ta. 5h#rtl& a$ter hi graduati#n he %a enr#lled t# er'e in the Vietnam War.
Guadalupe Merizzi
+hi War6 it hit#r&! it p#litic and it e$$ect up#n humanit&6 pr#'ided the d#minant
theme $#r hi h#rt t#r&( he %r#te ab#ut hi e/perience in the Vietnam War and the
impact the %ar had #n the American #ldier %h# $#ught there. 7it#ricall&! the h#rt
t#r& +he +hing +he& -arried*! t##) place in Vietnam! during the Vietnam War
bet%een the 8#rth #$ the 9em#cratic :epublic #$ Vietnam and the 8ati#nal ;r#nt $#r
the Liberati#n #$ Vietnam againt the 5#uth Vietnamee! bac)ed up b& the <nited
5tate! #pp#ing their attempt t# anne/ and imp#e a c#mmunit &tem #'er the entire
Vietnamee nati#n. +he %ar in Vietnam #ccurred during the -#ld War! and i generall&
'ie%ed a an indirect c#n$lict bet%een the <nited 5tate and the 5#'iet <ni#n. +he
Vietnam War %a a l#ng! c#tl& armed c#n$lict that began in 12=3. M#re than three
milli#n pe#ple! including =>!000 American! %ere )illed in the War. ,& 1242! gr#%ing
#pp#iti#n t# the %ar in the <nited 5tate led t# di'ii#n am#ng American. In 12?=!
c#mmunit $#rce t##) c#ntr#l #$ 5aig#n! ending the Vietnam War! and the c#untr& %a
uni$ied a the 5#cialit :epublic #$ Vietnam the $#ll#%ing &ear. In the <nited 5tate! the
e$$ect #$ the Vietnam War %#uld remain l#ng a$ter the lat tr##p returned h#me in
12?3. +he nati#n pent m#re than @120 billi#n #n the c#n$lict in Vietnam( thi mai'e
pending led t# a general %idepread in$lati#n! e/acerbated b& a %#rld%ide #il crii.
A&ch#l#gicall&! the e$$ect %ere e'en deeper. +he %ar had pierced the m&th #$
American in'incibilit&! and had di'ided the nati#n. On returning h#me! man& #ldier
$aced negati'e reacti#n $r#m #pp#nent #$ the %ar 6th#e %h# 'ie%ed them a ha'ing
)illed inn#cent ci'ilian and th#e upp#rter %h# a% the #ldier a ha'ing l#t the
%ar. Al#ng %ith thi came the ph&ical damage including the e$$ect #$ e/p#ure t# the
harm$ul chemical herbicide Agent Orange! milli#n #$ gall#n #$ %hich had been
dumped b& <.5. plane #n the dene $#ret #$ Vietnam
1
. In thi c#nte/t! +he +hing
1
7it#r&. Vietnam War*. 7it#r&.c#m
httpBCC%%%.hit#r&.c#mCt#picC'ietnam6%ar
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Guadalupe Merizzi
+he& -arried* preent the t#r& #$ the Alpha -#mpan& and Lieutenant Dimm& -r#!
%h# carrie 'ari#u reminder #$ hi l#'e $#r Martha. Led b& Lieutenant Dimm& -r#!
the c#mpan& #ldier march carr&ing man& thing %ith them. All #$ the thing the&
carr& igni$& a great burden! but n#ne igni$ie m#re than their em#ti#n. All #$ them
carr& great l#ad #$ mem#rie! $ear and deire. +hee abtract #b1ect are an eential
part #$ the #ldier. li'e and! there$#re! cann#t be put d#%n. A Dimm& -r# c#me t#
realize! It %a 'er& ad E the thing men carried inide.*
+he immediate impact #$ +he +hing +he& -arried* i baed #n O.,rien. $idelit& t#
detail. M#t #$ the t#r& c#nit #$ traight6$#r%ard lit #$ thing the #ldier carr& a
i$ it %a a )ind #$ catal#gue &et! O.,rien. electi#n and decripti#n #$ the item gi'e
igni$icance t# thee. +he t#r& i baed #n a #rt #$ accumulati'e e$$ect and detail i
built up b& pa&ing pecial attenti#n t# h#% item b& item! piece b& piece and ecti#n b&
ecti#n are care$ull& decribed and l#%l& tran$#rmed int# a %#r) #$ art. +he +hing
+he& -arried* decribe! a the title tate! all the thing the c#mpan& men carr&. +he
+hing* that O.,rien. character carr& are b#th tangible and intangible item and %hat
thee item are depend up#n each indi'idual #ldier. +he& carr& the baic FneceitieF
$#r ur'i'al( am#ng the neceitie #r near neceitie are can #pener! p#c)et )ni'e!
heat tab! m#0uit# repellent! che%ing gum! cigarette! lighter! e%ing )it! - rati#n*.
,ut the& al# carr& mem#rie! and $ear! and intangible item li)e thee are the $irt
$#cu #$ the t#r&( thi em#ti#nal burden that the #ldier bear i the hea'iet becaue it
i abtract and it cann#t be dip#ed #$( there$#re! it mut be enduredB FGrie$! terr#r!
l#'e! l#nging 6 thee %ere intangible! but the intangible had their #%n ma and
peci$ic gra'it&! the& had tangible %eight.F +#gether %ith the lit #$ burden that the
#ldier carr&! O",rien decribe h#% much each item %eigh. F+he %eap#n %eighed
?.= p#und unl#aded! >.2 p#und %ith it $ull 20 r#und magazine. +he ri$lemen carried
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Guadalupe Merizzi
an&%here $r#m 12 t# 20 magazine...adding #n an#ther >.3 p#und at minimum! 13
p#und at ma/imum.F +hi gi'e the reader a ene #$ the burden that the men are
bearing %hen carr&ing thee thing! %hich in turn! engage the reader" imaginati#n #
that the& can begin t# $eel the ph&ical %eight #$ the burden #$ the %ar! and! e'entuall&!
the p&ch#l#gical and em#ti#nal burden t##. O.,rien. attenti#n t# en#r& detailB
G#u hear tu$$ n#b#d& h#uld e'er hear* #r +he m#rning %a h#t E he l##)ed at the
tunnel E acr# a dar) padd& E 8#thing m#'ed. 8# cl#ud #r bird #r pe#ple*! al#
upp#rt thi primar& #b1ecti'e #$ e'#)ing a real rep#ne in the reader! helping them
t# )n#% h#% the character $eel li)e in a peci$ic ituati#n. A$ter thi $idelit& t# detail!
O.,rien hi$t bac) t# a m#re traditi#nal narrati'e. Get! he ne'er ceae t# enumerate
the thing the #ldier carr&! %hether c#ncrete #r abtract! #r t# pla& %ith the %#rd
carr&* and related term uch a burden*.
One narrati'e techni0ue that O",rien ue i repetiti#n( he eem t# ue thi literar&
de'ice t# gi'e hi t#r& imp#rtance #r ma)e it dramatic. O",rien $re0uentl& retell
certain incident! #$ten adding incremental detail %ith each telling. One e/ample #$ thi
i La'ender. death! %hich! ret#ld man& time! i the c#re #$ m#t #$ Lieutenant Dimm&
-r#. burden. :epetiti#n i a t&litic techni0ue %hich O",rien empl#& brilliantl& in
#rder t# illuminate the truth #$ the t#r&( thr#ugh thi #lidit& #$ peci$icati#n* t#gether
%ith hi $aith$ulne t# detail! the auth#r manage t# create a realit& #$ Vietnam $#r the
reader.
An#ther imp#rtant de'ice in +he +hing +he& -arried* i that there i n#t a
narrat#r! but a narrat#r agenc&. In telling the t#r&! O.,rien trie t# gain #me ditance
$r#m the pain$ul e/perience he had in Vietnam( thi i the rea#n %h& the t#r& i t#ld
$r#m a third6per#n p#int #$ 'ie%! # that O.,rien can utain a ditance $r#m hi
mem#rie %hich! #ther%ie! %#uld ha'e been imp#ible t# utain. +he ue #$ the third
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Guadalupe Merizzi
per#n al# gi'e a certain am#unt #$ uni'eralit& t# the %#r)! that i t# a&! O.,rien
d#e n#t thin) that hi e/perience i an& m#re h#rri$ic than that #$ the #ldier in the
t#r&. Dimm& -r#! $#r e/ample! i n#t the #nl& #ne %h# e/perience La'ender. death
and each #ldier e/perience it di$$erentl& and 1ut a 'alidl&. +he %#r) i entitled +he
+hing +he& -arried*! rather than +he +hing I -arried*! becaue O.,rien i n#t
pea)ing impl& $#r himel$! #r e'en $#r hi c#mpan& #$ #ldier. It i e'ident that
O.,rien i n#t e'en %riting ab#ut Vietnam #nl&( the idea that pe#ple carr& hea'&
em#ti#nal a %ell a ph&ical burden i a uni'eral #ne! and the alternati#n in the t#r&
#$ the dial#gue! the decripti#n and the third per#n narrati'e i a re$lecti#n #$
O.,rien. belie$ that b& telling hi #%n t#r&! he i telling the t#r& #$ man& pe#ple.
An#ther re#urce the %riter ue t# ma)e thi t#r& m#re attracti'e i a pattern #$
$lahbac) chr#n#l#g& and brie$ interrupti#n in time. ;#r e/ample! %hen O.,rien
decribe the thing that are carried b& ran) #r pecialt& he tate he %a dead %eight
E Hi#%a a% it happen E the p##r batard 1ut $lat6$uc) $ell* and then! he c#ntinue
decribing the thing the& carried! In additi#n t# the three tandard %eap#n E the&
carried %hate'er eemed appr#priate*. In additi#n t# thi pattern! O.,rien al# ue the
n#n6linear preentati#n #$ the acti#n in the t#r&. O",rien d#e n#t maintain temp#ral
c#ntinuit&B the acti#n are narrated in the pat( then! he ue the preent( then the ditant
pat and then he g#e bac) t# the preent. O",rien d#e n#t narrate the t#r& in a
chr#n#l#gical #rder and he include re$erence t# the ditant pat! uch a %hen he i
decribing that the men carried ph#t#graph and Lieutenant -r# carried t%#
ph#t#graph #$ Martha! the %riter interrupt the decripti#n and tate 7e h#uld.'e
carried her up the tair t# her r##m and tied her t# the bed and t#uched that le$t )nee all
night l#ng*. In a %a&! thi c#ntant hi$ting in mem#r& lead the reader d#%n a path #$
mem#r& imilar t# O",rien" #%n! in'#l'ing them m#re acti'el&.
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Guadalupe Merizzi
+hr#ugh the ue #$ all thee literar& de'ice! the %riter help the reader t#
rec#gnize the particular apect #$ the %ar and t# a#ciate them %ith the #ldier and
their di$$erent t#rie. In thi %#r)! O",rien manage t# blur the limit bet%een realit&
and $icti#n! bet%een li$e and literar& creati#n.
-O8-L<5IO8
+im O",rien" F+he +hing +he& -arriedF i a $icti#nalized acc#unt #$ the Alpha
-#mpan&! a gr#up #$ #ldier tati#ned in Vietnam in the late 40" and earl& ?0" during
the %ar. What ma)e O",rien" %#r) uni0ue i the %a& thr#ugh %hich the h#rt t#r&
de$ie it #%n genre! gi'ing little attenti#n t# the e'ent #$ the %ar itel$ and intead!
centering the reader. attenti#n r#und the p&ch#l#gical e/perience and the a$termath #$
the %ar. -learl&! O.,rien. techni0ue n#t #nl& all#% the reader t# $eel the %eight #$
the #ldier. grie'ance but hi %#r) i al# a clear e/ample #$ the ue #$ meta$icti#n.
A Aatricia Waugh! c#nidered a leading e/pert #n p#tm#dernit literature! ha %ritten
in her %#r) Metafiction: The Theory and Practice of Self-Conscious Fiction!
Meta$icti#n i a term gi'en t# $icti#nal %riting %hich el$6c#nci#ul& and
&tematicall& dra% attenti#n t# it tatu a an arte$act in #rder t# p#e 0ueti#n ab#ut
the relati#nhip bet%een $icti#n and realit&*. In hi %#r)! O.,rien clearl& e/clude the
ab#lute #n %hich traditi#nal $icti#n i built( he c#mment #n the t#r& a he tep #ut
#$ hi r#le #$ narrat#r! he in'#l'e himel$ %ith hi $icti#nal character! he e$$ecti'el&
re1ect the c#n'enti#nal chr#n#l#gical pl#t # that there are n# c#hei'e erie #$ e'ent
and! m#t interetingl&! there i n# real emphai #n the #ldier. mii#n #r #b1ecti'e
in Vietnam and! a a reult! there are alm#t n# re$erence t# c#mbat. O.,rien ma)e the
t#r& m#re intereting and m#re ali'e b& the ue #$ meta$icti#n and he ma)e hi %#r)
re$lect %hat he $eel! blurring the limit bet%een $icti#n and realit&. A he tate! I %ant
&#u t# $eel %hat I $elt. I %ant &#u t# )n#% %h& t#r&6truth i truer #metime than
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Guadalupe Merizzi
happening6truth.* IO",rien! F+he +hing +he& -arriedF! page 1?2J +hr#ugh thi
tatement he dem#ntrate pe#ple that %hat reader are reading i $icti#n! #nl& %#rd #n
a page( in thi %a&! hit#r& and language %ere c#mbined in #rder t# create a t#r& but
thi t#r& %ill #nl& ac0uire real meaning %ith the reader. acti'e participati#n! %ith their
#%n eniti'it& and imaginati'e capacit&.
W#r) -ited
O",rien! +im. F+he +hing +he& -arriedF ,ac)pac) LiteratureB An Intr#ducti#n
t# ;icti#n! A#etr& and 9rama. 8e% G#r)B L#ngman! 2004.
?
Guadalupe Merizzi
,eidler! Ahilip. American Literature and the Experience of Vietnam. AthenB
<ni'erit& #$ Ge#rgia! 12>2.
Haplan! 5te'en. nderstandin! Tim "#$rien. -#lumbiaB <ni'erit& #$ 5#uth
-ar#lina Are! 122=.
Vietnam War*. 7it#r&. Web. 1= 8#'ember 2012
-#lella! Dill. -li$$8#te #n +he +hing +he& -arried. Web. 1 March 2013
9#n! :ingnalda. Fi!htin! and %ritin! the Vietnam %ar. <nited 5tate #$
AmericaB <ni'erit& Are #$ Miiippi! 1223. Web. 20 ;ebruar& 2013
Waugh! Aatricia. Metafiction: the Theory and Practice of Self-Conscious Fiction.
8e% Kditi#n. L#nd#nB :#utledge! 12>3. Web. 12 April 2013
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