The Things They Carried

Chapter 4: Analysis Questions

While reading the chapter, focus on the elements of craft commonly found in prose literature,
while also using the following questions to help guide your analysis and annotations. Then
answer each of the following questions in at least 3-4 concise sentences.

DO NOT RESEARCH THESE ONLINE!

CHALLENGE YOUR INTELLECT AND DO THE WORK YOURSELF!

1. Discuss the narrative form of this chapter and how it produces a different effect on the reader
than previous chapters:
This chapter is in a narrative format, a deviation from the more sporadic format of previous
chapters that interweave small stories together. This produces a completely different effect on the
reader than previous chapters because it makes the reader feel as if this is confessional and more
personal than any other piece of the novel so far, drawing the reader in and making them feel as
if they were O’Brien faced with the same dilemma. O’Brien likely chose to use a narrative form
on purpose to better tell this story since it has much more depth and nuance than any other story
told so far as narrative form allows for more emphasis on detail and more character development.

2. What are O’Brien’s personal thoughts on the politics of his time period, such as the
justification for the Vietnam War and the implementation of the draft system? Support your
analysis with TWO woven-in quotes:
O’Brien does not support the current politicians in power and does not think the implementation
of the draft system is fair, even before he was drafted O’Brien was “ringing doorbells for Gene
Mcarthy”, a starkly anti-war candidate (O’Brien 26). By actively participating and supporting a
candidate that opposed the war, we see O’Brien also shares similar views. In regards to the draft,
O’Brien feels it to be extremely unfair that politicians’ relatives somehow always manage to
avoid the draft. O’Brien believes that politicians who support the war and the draft “should have
to put their own fluids on the line” meaning that he believes that the draft is legitimately unfair in
who it selects (O’Brien 26).

3. Analyze the meaning or purpose of the following symbols and weave-in a direct quote for
support:

1. The Pig Declotter: O’Brien’s role as a pig declotter and work on an assembly line
prepares him for the bloody and orchestrated things he experiences in Vietnam. The
assembly line in its entirety representing the army and government while he is just a small
part of it. Similar to his time in Vietnam, he is forced to “stand[]... under a lukewarm blood
shower” and, also like his time in Vietnam, does not find it to be “pleasant work” (O’Brien
27).
 2. The Draft Notice: The Draft Notice represents the stripping of choice or opportunities
from a person. O’Brien turns the draft notice into this by describing all of his
accomplishments and by claiming that he had “a full-ride scholarship for grad studies at
Harvard” until the draft reduces him to only being able to work at a meat processing plant
for the summer, showing his lack of opportunity from the highs he once had (O’Brien 26).

3. The Rainy River: The Rainy River represents the choice or split between dodging the
draft or returning home and going to Vietnam. Both sides of the river also represent
cowardice or bravery for different reasons. On one hand, on the Canadian side, O’Brien is
being brave by not following the expectations of his community but cowardly due to his
fear of fighting in the war. On the American side, he would be considered heroic for going
off to fight but is in reality too cowardly to say no to the people of his community.
Eventually, O’Brien chooses to “not swim away from his hometown… [and to] not be
brave”, in his choice to return.

4. Thoroughly explain the main theme of the chapter--and, yes, there is a right answer to this
when it comes to what is the main theme…
Despite differing from their personal values, extreme social pressure forces people to cower and
conform to meet society’s expectations because they fear social rejection. The heightened stress
O’Brien experiences as he conflicts with his two options of joining the war or running away
proposes an attempt of truthful morals. However, the consistent mockery from society that the
author perceives heightens the difficulty to oppose. While the extremity of social rejection was
likely exaggerated, O’Brien admitted that he would rather give up his morals than defy society’s
expectations. This choice allows readers to appreciate the truthfulness of O’Brien but also to
recognize an overarching social dilemma concerning ideas of the greater good and conformity
against one’s beliefs. While O’Brien allows society’s expectations to triumph over his own
values, he avoids social rejection and lets readers recognize his realization that he is no hero, but
merely a sheep.

5. Discuss the intentional placement of this chapter at this point in the novel:
O’Brien places this chapter at this point in the novel to break the author-reader barrier and
confess the reasoning for his acceptance of becoming a soldier despite increasing conflict with
the decision. While the author has already spoken in first-person pronouns, O’Brien uses these
pronouns to discuss more himself rather than supporting characters and ideas as he did with
Jimmy Cross in chapter 2 or the sentiments of war in chapter 3. Breaking the barrier and almost
talking directly to the reader through this narrative creates a more personal relationship and
because he never told the story to anyone, it projects O’Brien’s lingering discontent with his
actions. The internal conflict O’Brien continues to face several decades after the war also allows
the reader to recognize the true and honest author that was pressured into war. The situation
O’Brien described may be used as an excuse for the foreshadowed future descriptions of war
atrocities, thus presenting possible authorial bias.
6. Explore two Global Issues within the chapter, first identifying the FULL category and
providing a frame sentence of investigation, and then supporting them with an explanation and
specific passage from the text:

1. Culture, Identity, and Community (peer pressured)

a. The influence of predetermined expectations on conformity despite conflicts with
personal beliefs.
i. Passage: “All those eyes on me — the town, the whole universe — and I
couldn't risk the embarrassment. It was as if there were an audience to my
life, that swirl of faces along the river and in my head I could hear people
screaming at me. Traitor! They yelled. Turncoat! Pussy! I felt myself
blush. I couldn’t tolerate it” (O’Brien 57).
ii. Explanation: Because the war-time ideas held by the older population
align with the invincibility gained from WWII and the defeat of Hitler,
American society perceives war as a righteous duty of its male citizens.
The social and peer pressure felt from defying society’s notion of common
virtue, therefore, makes conformity easier than the opposition. O’Brien’s
struggle for preserving his values heightens as he reflects on the social
rejection he will most definitely face if he does not enter the war. Despite
strongly described inclinations that he should follow his conscience and an
emotional breakdown, O’Brien conforms and allows society’s
expectations to triumph.

2. Politics, power, and justice ($ gov’t don’t send own relatives to war)
a. The influence that authoritative figures have on defining responsibilities within
the social hierarchy.
i. Passage: “...Or one of LBJ's pretty daughters, or Westmoreland’s whole
handsome family — nephews and nieces and baby grandson. There should
be a law, I thought. If you support a war, if you think it's worth the price,
that's fine, but you have to put your own precious fluids on the line. You
have to head for the front and hook up with an infantry unit and help spill
the blood” (O’Brien 40).
ii. Explanation: In an attempt to validate his differing views, O’Brien
identifies that the wealthy and authoritative figures lack a true connection
to the war. By consistently demanding more from the lower classes,
authoritative project responsibilities and claim that it is for the greater
good. This perceived heroism connects even further to the Vietnam War as
the leaders of the US attempt to “save” Vietnam from communism, yet
don’t take into account the turmoil at home. Overall, the umbrella
assumptions made by authorities create difficulties for the opposers under
the umbrella.