Essay about The Things They Carried Literary Analysis

Literary Analysis of The Things They Carried: Metafiction Tim O’Brien brings the characters and stories to life in The Things They Carried. He uses a writing style that brings stories to life by posing questions between the relationship of reality and fiction (Calloway 249). This is called metafiction and it exposes the truth through the literary experience. Tim O’Brien uses metafiction to make the characters and stories in The Things They Carried realistically evocative of the Vietnam War. Metafiction is found early in the novel, The Things They Carried. Tim O’Brien, the protagonist of the novel, has many similarities to the author of The Things They Carried. The author and the protagonist both share the same†¦show more content†¦Also, Mitchell Sanders says some of his story is fiction, Last night, man, I had to make up a few things. . . The glee club. There wasnt any glee club. . . No opera,...But, its still true (O’Brien 83-84). The characters in The Things They Carried use metafiction for the same reason Tim O’Brien does, it creates realistic feelings and sensations about what truly happened. Rat Kiley is able to get his message and the truth across while telling lies because he creates the sensation of what happened. This is the same with Mitchell Sanders, the story is exaggerated but the feelings are true. Characters in The Things They Carried use metafiction to get the real truth about what happened during the Vietnam War. In the chapter â€Å"Good Form,† Tim O’Brien explains the difference between the â€Å"story truth† and the â€Å"happening truth,† (O’Brien 179) The â€Å"happening truth† is a historically accurate summary and told without feeling, while the â€Å"story truth† is told with details and is a dramatization. The â€Å"happening truth† tells while the â€Å"story truth† shows. This example of metafiction shows that sometimes the t ruth cannot be told by facts, it has to be demonstrated through a series of exaggerations to get the realShow MoreRelatedThe Things They Carried Literary Analysis1756 Words   |  8 PagesIn â€Å"The Things They Carried† Tim O’Brien relies heavily on lists as a literary device. O’Brien focuses on three distinct types of lists. These lists include military equipment, personal items and emotional or psychological strain. The lists serve a higher purpose, O’Brien uses these lists to introduce each character in the story and give the reader insight into what mattered most to each of the men. O’Brien’s use of lists as a means of character development then as a way to counteract the chaos andRead MoreEssay On The Things They Carried1624 Words   |  7 PagesFor the seventeen Soldiers portrayed in â€Å"The Things We Carried† by Tim O’Brien, the physical pain was very minimal weight to carry compared to the emotional scars that the y will carry throughout their entire life. This story does an amazing job portraying full human emotion that anyone put into a situation would feel, such as heavy guilt, sadness, anger, lack of motivation, perseverance, horror, and false security. All of these are notorious feelings that every soldier back in history, and now stillRead MoreEssay about Reader-Response vs. New Criticism962 Words   |  4 Pagesevaluated in plenty of ways. Critique methods such as Reader-Response, Deconstructive Criticism, New Criticism, and many others act as examples of literary evaluations. All of the critique methods share similarities, but differ in other ways. Reader-Response and New Criticism, for example, share characteristics but they are also two very opposing things. Reader-Response focuses on attention towards the text influenced by the reader’s thoughts. New Criticism aims towards the text with no influenceRead MoreFiction Analysis Essay710 Words   |  3 PagesFiction Analysis There are many ways to supplement a story in order to add lucidity. It is done through literary devices and Tim OBriens The Things They Carried is no different. The Things They Carried is a narrative about a soldier at war in Vietnam. However, this story provides multiple layers of meaning through OBriens tone and style that help the reader further understand it. Both of these literary devices are embedded in the story and gradually help define it. To begin with, OBrienRead MoreThe Speech Act Of Apology999 Words   |  4 Pages1.1 Statement of the problem Speech acts can be defined as things people do when they speak. This means that they use the language to tell information, make request and express feelings and attitudes, etc. The speech act of apology is an act used by people to express their feelings and attitudes about certain situations and settings. Apologies are very important in resolving conflicts. They aim at maintaining and reforming social fracture caused by the offence done by the speaker. Speech act of apologyRead MoreAnalysis of The Welcome Table by Alice Walker Essay914 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of â€Å"The Welcome Table† by Alice Walker Pamela Crawford Eng 125: Introduction to Literature Instructor: Andrea Pfaff September 24, 2012 Alice Walker who wrote â€Å"The Welcome Table† had issues of race and gender that was the center of her literary work and her social activism. She participated in civil rights demonstrations. (Clugston 2010). This short story has a theme of life and death. It shows the plot of the story, the point of view and has symbolism used to show the deathRead MoreAmbiguity, Stories and Emotion1433 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"All of us, I suspect, can imagine beholding things we ought not to have beheld. All of us can understand such pain† (O’Brien 4). Pain is universal but it is difficult to describe pain to someone who hasn’t experienced it in the way you have. Events affect people differently and without stories it would not be possible to even try and comprehend the pain of others. How a story is told changes the emotional response of the audience and with that their understanding of the events. Tim O’Brien exploresRead MoreThe Great War And Modern Memory By Paul Fussell927 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom 1914 to 1918.† In this paper I will argue, that despite the numerous literary awards this book has won, it contains historical inaccuracies and shortcomings in relation to the accurate information provided that takes away from the prestige of the book. Despite the numerous negative aspects of the book, this paper will also briefly highlight the few positive areas of the book, therefore providing an in-depth analysis of the book. When analyzing any sort of book, it is best for the reader toRead More The Harlem Renaissance Essay1513 Words   |  7 PagesRenaissance marked the first time mainstream publishers, critics took African American literature seriously, and that African American literature and arts attracted significant attention from the nation as a whole (1).† Although it was primarily a literary movement, it was closely related to advancement in African American music, theater, art, and politics. Chapter 2 How did the Harlem Renaissance begin?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Harlem Renaissance emerged in the midst of social and intellectual turmoilRead MoreThe Gift: Lies in Nature’s Lessons1406 Words   |  6 Pagesto survive† (StumbleUpon.com: Discover the Best of the Web). Nature holds the ability to tattoo our minds, we can learn about ourselves, and our interactions, by observation. The organic qualities of these poems are depicted, with the use of literary devices such as imagery and Tone. Nature is the underlying theme to both poems; however, they differ in that Thurston’s, River otters at play, is centered on unprincipled laws relating to love and communication. In contrast, to river otters at play