The Things They Carried

Chapter 1: Analysis Questions

While reading the introductory chapter, focus on the following elements of craft: symbols,
motifs, imagery, metaphors, repetition, character development, syntax, irony, narrative POV,
order of events, and the title (I know it’s a lot to look for, sorry!). Then answer each of the
following questions in 3-4 concise sentences.

DO NOT RESEARCH THESE ONLINE!

CHALLENGE YOUR INTELLECT AND DO THE WORK YOURSELF!

1. Explain the multiple different aspects of the ambiguous term “carry.” Then make an argument
for which items are the heaviest to bear and support it with a direct quote. *You should be able to
build a theme from this one word, which you will elucidate in the last question.
There are two key aspects of the ambiguous term “carry” within The Things They Carried, one
of which involves physically carrying supplies, weapons, and other objects, the other being the
carrying of emotional and mental weight. O’Brien constantly compares and contrasts the two and
their differences throughout the first chapter of this book, listing physical gear that each man
would carry separately, such as guns or flashlights but ending the list with emotional weight.
O’Brien follows this format for much of the first chapter to show that emotional weight is much
greater than the weight of any of the supplies they carried, even the heavy guns. By juxtaposing
that his officer carried both “a strobe light and the responsibility for the lives of his men” he
shows that any such physical objects were nothing compared to the mental anguish that they
carried with them at all times.

2. Analyze Lt. Jimmy Cross’ character development over the course of the chapter. *Wait until
you finish reading the chapter to answer this one. You should also be able to extrapolate a theme
from his development.
Lt. Jimmy Cross starts the chapter concerned with the lives of his men, but more concerned with
the well-being of Martha, a girl he went on a date with before leaving for the war. O’Brien
repeatedly shows Jimmy’s obsession with Martha every time he is brought up, leading the reader
to understand that he lives in a sort of detached world from the rest of his squad, thinking only of
Martha and not concerned with what he is currently doing. One time, while a squadmate of
O’Brien named Ted Lavender goes off to urinate and is shot while doing so, a tragedy that could
have been prevented had Cross been more alert to the location of the troops under his command.
This is the catalyst in Cross’s character development and causes him to feel the need to
burn/destroy the things he has that remind him of Martha and become a better and more stern
leader of his men to prevent any more deaths under his command.

3. Identify the image that Kiowa repeatedly connects to Lavender’s death and explain how it
connects to the larger idea of the chapter. Examine how the death affects him and the other
soldiers.
The image that Kioqa repeatedly connects to Lavender’s death is the simple phrase “boom
down”, meaning that there was the boom of a firing gun and then Lavender going down, all in
one swift motion. This incredibly strong imagery is repeated by Kiowa over and over, showing
that it deeply affected him but not how you would expect. While some other soldiers such as
Cross feel deep sadness and regret the loss of Lavender, Kiowa feels nothingness other than the
stark reality that it can be over as quickly as “boom down.” We see another soldier, Bowker, feel
a mixture between the two emotions, at first trying to pretend as if he does not care and just
wants to sleep before eventually relenting and asking for Kiowa to finish telling the story.

4. Analyze the phrase: “Men killed, and died, because they were too embarrassed not to.” *This
will also form the basis of one of your themes in the last question.
This phrase has to do with the societal pressure from both squadmates and people living back in
the U.S. to do as your commanding officers told you even if morally a soldier knew it was
wrong. If a soldier refused, it was seen as a weakness and a source of embarrassment when in
reality it took great strength to stand up and say no to the slaughter of innocents. However, this
truth has not come to life until very recently and it is safe to assume that a majority of the
soldiers who participated in the Vietnam war have regrets regarding either signing up or regret
being pressured into the actions that they committed while on duty.

5. Identify at least THREE symbols and/or motifs from the chapter and discuss their meaning.
Do NOT discuss a symbol or motif from previous questions.

1. Virginity, Cross sees Martha as a virgin not only in body but also in mind because she has
not experienced what he has as a soldier so she is mentally “pure” which is what he
desires

2. Helicopters, provided transportation and rations for the soldiers as well as bringing them
both into and out of combat, they represent both an escape and a vehicle of war

3. Mentally Escaping, we see nearly all of the soldiers present have their own way of
mentally escaping from their surroundings, whether through drugs or an obsession with a
girl

6. Visit this website and review the meaning of the literary device known as a vignette. Then,
discuss HOW O’Brien utilizes this device within the chapter and WHY you think he chooses to
do so.
O’Brien utilizes vignettes throughout this chapter by stating all of the items that are carried by
the soldiers multiple times. He chooses to use vignettes this way because it distracts the reader
from the setting that all this is currently taking place. O’Brien chose to list these things in an
ordinary, itemized, and formal format before contrasting the physical items with the heavy
emotional baggage because it draws the reader into a separate story for a short time before
snapping them back into the reality of the situation.

7. Finally, list FIVE themes (these should be in the form of complete sentences that display a
moral lesson) that are conveyed in just this first chapter:
1. The emotional weight of things you have done or experienced is much heavier than the
weight of physical items.

2. Although it is often easier to not be present mentally, not being grounded in reality can
lead to the death or harm of others.

3. Peer pressure and embarrassment are one of the main reasons people commit atrocities.

4. War is brutal, pointless, and pointless and as such should not be forced upon any who do
not actively want to participate.

5. Death is an extremely convincing and powerful motive for people to change the way they
think and act.