The Things They Carried

By Justin Ehrenpreis

Author

Tim O Brian

Setting

Vietnam 1968

Genre

Meta-fiction

Part true part false

Characters

By Justin Ehrenpreis

Lt. Jimmy Cross

In love with collage girl Martha 24 years old

Carries

T- Letters and Two pictures

IT- Cannot have Martha’s love

-responsibility for his men

-Guilt (After Lavenders death)

Henry Dobbins

Big man

Raps girlfriend’s panty hose around neck

Dave Jensen

hygiene

Ted Lavender

Shot urinating on break

Carries-

T- carries dope (pot), tranquilizers

IT- Fear

Mitchell Sanders

Radio Tech Officer

Rat Kelley

Medic

Carries comic books

Lee Strank

Carries T- Slingshot, Tan loation

Norman Bowker

Comes home to Iowa

Lost himself

Seven medals, didn’t get silver star

Fourth of July, Trouble adjusting

Kiowa

Native American Baptist

T- Carried New Testament, moccasins

Azar

Blew up Ted Lavenders puppy

Curt Lemon

Stepped on mine “blown up” into a tree

Literary Terms

Conflict between Norman Bowker and himself-

He had trouble adjusting

Mood- frustration

Imagery- Norman Bowker saw fire works by the water

Conflict

Jimmy Cross- loves her but she doesn’t love her back

Ted Lavender and Azar-

Blew up Ted Lavenders puppy