The Things They Carried

Chapter 20: 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 juxtaposing reactions of Mitch Sanders and Azar when Tim asks for their help
with his revenge scheme. What might O’Brien be communicating through this use of
characterization?
Mitch Sanders believes that Tim’s attempt to scare Jorgenson is not morally correct and that he
should not follow through with his plan. Azar, on the other hand, believes that justice must be
served and that it’s only fair for them to scare Jorgenson. Through this use of characterization,
O’Brien may be communicating that it is more intelligent to not attempt to get revenge. We see
this because O’Brien makes it a point that Azar “didn’t have Mitchell Sanders intelligence” and
as a result wants to get revenge for Tim (O’Brien 129).

2. Briefly discuss each of the following motifs in the chapter and identify a main idea/theme that
O’Brien conveys through each one. Support your analysis with a direct quote(s) for each.

A. Ghosts:
Ghosts literally represent dying or dead soldiers as told by O’Brien. However, ghosts
represent more than just the already dead soldiers, they represent the images and feelings that
haunt the soldiers for long after they’ve left Vietnam. This is reinforced by O’Brien’s claim that
when alone, soldiers felt as if there were “ghosts behind [them] and in front of [them] and inside
[them]” showing the sticking power of the horrors and death they experienced within Vietnam
that permeates them. This goes back to the theme that the things the soldiers carry with them are
mostly emotional rather than physical.

B. Movies:
Within TTTC, movies represent a way to distract oneself from reality. This is shown by
O’Brien not necessarily enjoying the movie, and believing it to be a “lousy movie” considering
that it had been shown for “[eight] straight nights” because, at this point, he feels much safer and
does not necessarily need to be distracted or mentally removed from the situation at hand due to
him working inside the base (O’Brien 132). Azar on the other hand is still out in the bush for the
majority of his time and as a result, enjoys the movie as something to make him forget about the
reality of his situation. This creates the theme that soldiers need ways to cope and use various
media to escape reality.

C. Luck/Superstition:
 Luck and superstition represent the soldier’s realization that these things don’t actually
exist or work. Despite the soldiers all sharing with each other and discussing how luck works,
they all actually think about “how luck worked and how it didn’t and how it was impossible to
calculate the odds” (O’Brien 125). This creates the theme that luck and superstition are not real
things but are instead ways for the soldiers to cope with reality.

3. Make a case for whether Tim is justified in his anger and resentment of Jorgenson. Then,
analyze O’Brien’s shift in character at this point in the novel and the point he is making about the
realities of war (this will be the main theme of the chapter!).
Tim is absolutely justified in his anger and resentment towards Jorgenson. As a combat medic,
the main thing that Jorgenson needs to be is reliable, like Rat Kiley was. However, we see that
Jorgenson freezes during his first firefight, something that he was trained to do the opposite of.
At this point in the novel, O’Brien becomes much more unforgiving and becomes more what a
stereotypical soldier would be. The realities of war have driven much of the kindness and love
that was within O’Brien out and has replaced it with coldness.

4. Choose your own adventure! Identify a theme, element of craft, or Global Issue other than
what has already been discussed and thoroughly explore O’Brien’s intentions. Please support
your analysis with a direct quote.
One element of craft that O’Brien uses is allusion when referencing the terrors that the soldiers
faced. O’Brien mentions that “Charlie Cong was the main ghost”, an allusion to the fact that
Charlie Cong was what the Vietnamese were called by the soldiers stationed in Vietnam, due to
Charlie representing C in the NATO phonetic alphabet and standing for Communist (O’Brien
129). This usage of military slang provides a more authentic feel to the chapter and lets the
reader feels as if they were with O’Brien and Alpha Company.