Things They Carried Criticism

Tim O’Brien’s, “The Things They Carried,” contains a wide range of views based on criticisms such as historical, romantic, Marxist, and biographical. By referencing World War II, Vietnam, and his love for Martha, O’Brien relates to these criticisms through his main character. The war setting of this story plays a large part in its analysis. Presenting Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, the main character, in World War II gives the reader knowledge relating to the issues of the time period. Jimmy’s display of affection for Martha shows that she is a powerful figure for Jimmy. He dreams of being with her even though she is unaware of his love for her. By applying the past and present to his story, O’Brien intertwines romanticism and history and introduces a sociological aspect as well by

including his reconnection with Martha, his pre-war past, and flashbacks to post-war experiences.
In his story, O’Brien’s weaves a complex fantasy of gruesome tales and harsh nights. This story tells of the exaggerated facts of the Vietnam War through the eyes of a foot soldier. The author combines fiction and nonfiction to bring attention to certain details the audience may use to decipher the characters' personalities; for example, O’Brien states, “What they carried varied by the mission” (688). His historical view of the war and the isolation of the soldiers presents O’Brien’s view of an American soldier's life. O’Brien is a Vietnam War veteran himself and recounts his many experiences. Even though O’Brien uses primary information, the reader may still doubt what is true and what is false. The lack of glory and pride conveyed in the story can be referenced to Jimmy’s social status back at home. His status is a reflection of Marxist criticism; even though he is a leader of his platoon, he still cannot have the girl of his dreams: his social status in Alpha Company is high while his pre-war status is lacking. “The Things They Carried” depicts the war as a bloody battle of many hardships. O’Brien uses historical and biographical elements to present an aspect of war that is considered too violent for the audience to see. O'Brien served in the Fifth Battalion, 46th infantry, for a thirteen-month tour in-country from 1969 to 1970 with Alpha Company in the American Division, making him a primary source of his historical account. Many aspects presented in “The Things They Carried” refer to O’Brien’s personal experiences in the Vietnam War; it is seen as a representative of his own autobiography. He presents the different stages of himself throughout the narrative as a young boy and a soldier. Using biographical criticism, one can depict that O’Brien experienced the misfortunes of war. He saw both death and blood and was not afraid to share his view of the world. By writing from his own past endeavors, O’Brien is able to produce a mixture of tales allowing the audience to decide if what is happening in the story is a recurrence of true events.
A psychological standpoint is exhibited throughout O’Brien’s work in the characters' personalities. The author intertwines himself with Jimmy and presents the main character as an emotional figure who leads others. He gives the readers insight into Jimmy’s past in order for the audience to predict what his next actions will be, creating a personal connection to the audience. O’Brien is haunted by the events of the Vietnam War just like Jimmy is haunted by the love of his life. In the beginning of his story, O’Brien starts by telling the reader what he carries with him every day. The things he carries include necessities, choice objects, and ones having sentimental value; these objects are pictures and letters he holds dear to him. All the characters in the short story seek a resolution of some kind: Jimmy wants to be Martha's significant other ,and O’Brien as the soldier wants to reconcile with lost platoon members. This is all a reflection of O'Brien's personal feelings expressed through a detailed war story.
The things the soldiers carry are not only literal or physical objects, but also psychological objects: regret, fear, sorrow, pain, enjoyment, and past memories. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries the responsibility for the lives of the men who follow him. This is a type of Marxist criticism; Jimmy carries the burden of a leader because he has a higher rank than others in his platoon. They all look up to his leadership and orders. In the short story, the Lieutenant focuses on his love and fantasies of Martha, resulting in the death of one of his men. He feels the guilt of it all, and cannot stop thinking of Martha. Martha is his distraction; she is seen as a proper woman who does not return his love; this is portrayed when O’Brien states, “In his wallet, Lieutenant Cross carried two photographs of Martha. The first was a Kodachrome snapshot signed “Love,” though he know better.” He regrets his pre-war choices and wishes he would have tried to create a relationship between himself and Martha. This regret is reflected in both Jimmy’s life and O’Brien’s life. The author regrets his choices twenty years after he was part of the Vietnam War, just as Jimmy regrets his own past decisions twenty years after he has returned home. Jimmy tries to have a relationship with Martha upon his return, but is rejected and loses his chance with her, just as O’Brien cannot change his own past.
The short story, “The Things They Carried”, gives readers the opportunity to be a part of O'Brien's wartime experience.

The author uses historical, romantic, biographical, and Marxist criticism to create a complex tale of love, regret, and leadership. His story of an Alpha company life before, during, and after the Vietnam War gives the readers a personal connection to each of the characters and the story’s setting. O’Brien’s goal is to tell people war stories of true value and to immerse the audience in the lives of the soldiers. He uses his personal experience of the war, focusing on real background information, giving him the opportunity to portray a detailed life of men on the battlefield. O’Brien’s ability to reflect these past experiences plays a large part in historical and biographical criticism. O’Brien not only tells stories of war, he relives the stories by letting the reader know exactly how personal and responsible one person can be while under the pressures and influences of his surroundings. He allows the audience to become submerged in the tales of love and sorrow without feeling the true regret and troubles that O’Brien may have battled while living the life of a

soldier.