Female Characters In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

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"Women are made to be loved, not understood" (Oscar Wilde). In the novel The Things They Carried several female characters that are present in parts of the book are not clearly understood by the main characters. These females have some relation to the main characters whom are at war, but have a more significant symbol in the novel rather than just a character. The author, Tim O 'Brien uses these females to show different sides to the war and the interpretations that the females have compared to the males whom are living and breathing the war in order to show the contrast in ideas and opinions on the war. These females include: Lieutenant Jimmy Cross ' girlfriend back home named Martha , Mark Fossie 's girlfriend who joins in on the battle …show more content…

I don’t know.” (268). This quote shows how it is hard for the narrator to get Kathleen to understand and to explain the situation. People who were not there will not fully understand the physical and mental toll that war has on humans. Kathleen is confused on why her father focuses on " Some dumb thing happens a long time ago and you can’t ever forget it" (269). She represents the people that do not understand and probably will never fully understand what the Vietnam War was like and why it is such a big deal that haunts her father. Kathleen like many others think they can just put the painful memories behind them and not worry about it after it happens. The narrator has a hard time trying to explain to these kinds of people about their past experiences. The women all symbolize and reflect different things to the reader, but all have to do with the idea of being misunderstood either with gender expectations, gender roles, or even just the time period. In the book The Things They Carried the author, Tim O 'Brien uses these females to show different sides to the war and the interpretations that the females have compared to the males whom are living and breathing the war in order to show the difference time, place, and situation have on

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