Themes, Symbols, and Motifs in The Things They Carried
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The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Lesson Plans by Kristy Littlehale
O’Brien calls his novel a work of fiction, but it is based on the experiences of thousands of men, called to fight for their country in the muck and jungle of a part of the world far removed from their own.
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Storyboard Description
The Things They Carried Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
Storyboard Text
- EXAMPLES
- STORIES
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- THE MAN I KILLED
- THE FIELD WHERE KIOWA DIES
- O'Brien talks about how telling his stories is cathartic. Telling war stories makes them come out from the past and into the present, and their purpose is to join the past to the future. It keeps his memories, his friends, and even his mistakes alive.
- This man seems to be one of the bigger things that O'Brien still carries and is a ghost in the stories. He describes the man in detail, then makes a connection with the man, even though he is unclear whether or not he killed him.
- Kiowa, injured, sinks into the field after it's attacked and Bowker lets go of his boot. Bowker says he could have won the Silver Star if it hadn’t been for the smell. O’Brien reveals that it wasn’t Bowker who lost his nerve and the Silver Star that night; it was him.
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