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A list of all the characters in The Things They Carried. The Things They Carried characters include: Tim O’Brien, Jimmy Cross, Mitchell Sanders, Kiowa, Mary Anne Bell, Norman Bowker, Elroy Berdahl.
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In The Things They Carried, O’Brien shows how soldiers...
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“The Things They Carried” catalogs the variety of things his...
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- Elroy Berdahl. The man that Tim O'Brien considers to be his "life hero." Berdahl takes O'Brien in after O'Brien attempts to dodge the draft and head for Canada.
- Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. The Lieutenant of the Alpha Company. He never wanted to go to war, nor did he want to have to lead men. Instead he's preoccupied with how much he's in love with a girl… read analysis of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross.
- Martha. The love interest of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. They went on a single date in college. She sent him letters in the war and a pebble for good luck. After Vietnam, they see each other… read analysis of Martha.
- Norman Bowker. Awarded seven medals in the war. He returns from Vietnam tortured with guilt about the death of Kiowa and feels responsible. He hides this guilt under the regret that he didn't win the Silver Star… read analysis of Norman Bowker.
In The Things They Carried, protagonist "Tim O'Brien," a writer and Vietnam War veteran, works through his memories of his war service to find meaning in them. Interrelated short stories present themes such as the allure of war, the loss of innocence, and the relationship between fact and fiction.
Explore the complex characters in Tim O'Brien's 'The Things They Carried,' from Lt. Jimmy Cross to Martha, and their emotional journeys during the Vietnam War. Discover how these individuals embody themes of trauma, guilt, transformation, and the human experience amidst conflict.
- Tim O'Brien
- Jimmy Cross
- Kiowa
- Ted Lavender
- Curt Lemon
- Rat Kiley
- Linda
- Norman Bowker
- Henry Dobbins
- Martha
The author is the protagonist of the text, though he is largely separatefrom much of the action in the story. He is a pensive intellectual who findshimself on the ground as a soldier in Vietnam. He learns a lot about death andlife through his experiences there, which ultimately go on to shape hisauthorial style and identity.
Jimmy Cross is the affable lieutenant who leads O'Brien's unit. Cross isexamined in depth in the first chapter of the book, which reveals that hisfoolish romanticism and lax enforcement of the rules indirectly led to thedeath of Ted Lavender. Because this was the first death of someone in the unit,it jars Cross into understanding that he needs to g...
Kiowa is a Native American Christian who has a general distaste for whitemen. He becomes the voice of reason in the group. From the beginning, Kiowa'sreligious beliefs help him cope with the injustices of war, and he oftenfollows his moral compass when making decisions. His death affects O'Brien themost out of all the other soldiers.
Ted Lavender is the nervous soldier who is killed while coming back fromurinating. Lavender's overwhelming fear and anxiety made it difficult for himto cope with the demands of war, and as a result he took tranquilizers inmassive doses. Lavender is significant mostly because his death is the firstone in the unit, thereby making it a turning point.
Curt Lemon is a young man who is killed by a land mine while he and RatKiley are playing a game. Lemon was best friends with Rat Kiley, and O'Brienrecalls in vivid detail how he had to peel pieces of Lemon out of the treeafter the explosion. Lemon's gruesome death represents the cruelty andunfairness of war.
Rat Kiley is the most animated storyteller among the men in the unit, oftenrelating colorful (if not strictly true) stories to the men, including thelegend of the girlfriend-turned-vigilante-assassin Mary Anne Bell. Kiley isdeeply affected by Lemon's death, losing control and torturing a baby waterbuffalo to death via a series of gunshots. Kiley's ...
Linda is the young girl from O'Brien's youth who died at an early age due toillness. O'Brien vividly recalls the pure love he felt for Linda, even thoughthey were only nine years old. Linda's death was O'Brien's first experiencewith mortality, and he frequently returns to these memories when interrogatingthe nature of death and his relationship to ...
While not heavily featured in many other chapters, Norman comes to representthe problems of returning to civilian life in "Speaking of Courage." Afterleaving Vietnam, Norman just wants someone with whom he can discuss the war,but he can’t seem to find anyone who understands. This drama is played outduring a lonely Fourth of July holiday when Norman...
Henry Dobbins is the brutish machine gunner for the Alpha Company who is, athis core, a simple and kind man. His exterior does not match his interior. Hisrole in the text is to serve as the embodiment of Vietnam's contradictions.
Martha is the college student with whom Jimmy Cross is so infatuated that hecan't concentrate on the war. Martha always tells Cross to take care ofhimself, and she writes him frequent letters, which he reads every night.However, Cross comes to realize that Martha does not feel the same way abouthim that he does about her, and he understands that hi...
Complete List of Characters in Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. Learn everything you need to know about Tim O'Brien, Norman Bowker, and more in The Things They Carried.
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The Things They Carried study guide contains a biography of Tim O'Brien, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes.
