What did each soldier carry in the things they carried?

They carry weapons: the M-60, the M-16, the M-79, M-14s, CAR-15s, Chi-Coms, RPGs, and bayonets, just to name a few. Lee Strunk carries a slingshot, Mitchell Sanders carries brass knuckles, and Kiowa carries his grandfather's hatchet. They all carry respect for the power of the things they carry.

Also to know is, what did Kiowa carry in the things they carried?

In life, Kiowa is diligent and honest, introspective and compassionate. He is practical, carrying moccasins in order to be able to walk silently and helping his fellow soldiers to rationalize their own unfortunate actions, especially O'Brien's killing of a young Vietnamese soldier.

Furthermore, what does the pebble symbolize in The Things They Carried? The pebble in The Things They Carried symbolizes Martha, a woman who would never love Lt. Cross the same way he loved her, a complex relationship, and an undying symbol of love and affection that can never be destroyed. The pebble has a powerful significance in the life of Lt. Jimmy Cross.

Similarly, what did Dave Jensen carry emotionally?

Henry Dobbins carries extra rations. Dave Jensen carries a toothbrush, dental floss, and soap. Ted Lavender ("who was scared") carries tranquilizers.

Where does Kiowa die?

Kiowa's death is symbolic of the senseless tragedy of war. He dies in a gruesome way, drowning under the muck of a sewage field about which his lieutenant, Jimmy Cross, has a bad feeling.

29 Related Question Answers Found

What did Kiowa carry emotionally?

Character Analysis Kiowa. Kiowa is the emotional compass of Alpha Company, the one who gets everyone else to talk. Kiowa tries to comfort "O'Brien" after he kills the North Vietnamese soldier, and it is to Kiowa that Dobbins opens up about his respect for the clergy.

What does Martha symbolize in The Things They Carried?

Martha seems to represent home and normalcy, and she serves as a form of escape for Jimmy Cross as he struggles through the pressures and horrors associated with the Vietnam War.

Why did Norman Bowker kill himself?

Summary. O'Brien says that “Speaking of Courage” was written at the request of Norman Bowker who, three years after the story was written, hanged himself in the YMCA. O'Brien explains that when he received Bowker's letter he thought about how easily he transitioned from Vietnam to graduate school at Harvard University.

What kind of person is Jimmy Cross?

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is the main character of the title story. Cross is a young soldier, drafted like many others, and committed to the war effort and getting his men out alive. He is not emotionally or patriotically committed, instead simply seeing the war as his assigned job to which he gives his best effort.

Who all died in the things they carried?

The collection is haunted by the deaths of O'Brien's comrades—Ted Lavender, Curt Lemon, and Kiowa.

Who was Kiowa's best friend?

In The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, we are introduced to Kiowa, a Native American Baptist who brought his gentle, kind, compassionate nature to the jungles of the Vietnam War. He is there for his best friend Tim O'Brien when he needs him, as he is for the other men in his company.

How does Kiowa feel about Lavender's death?

Kiowa wishes he could feel deep grief like his fellow soldiers, and experiences guilt over his lack of emotional response. However, Kiowa finds other meaning in Lavendar's death.

Why does Norman Bowker carry a thumb?

The thumb symbolizes that there is no moral to war. The quote is agreeing that none of the men know why they must fight in the war, only that they must. The thumb that was cut off and given to Bowker was a reminder that the war they are fighting has no moral.

What was the heaviest burden of all in the things they carried?

O'Brien describes the weight of fear in particular as “the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down.”

What is the overall message of the things they carried?

The Things They Carried main message is the extreme power of storytelling. Stories can broaden imagination, they make memories, and replace thoughts. Stories continue when people don't, and stories save lives.

What happened to Dave Jensen in The Things They Carried?

A struggle with Dave Jensen over a jackknife results in Strunk's broken nose. Dave Jensen - A minor character whose guilt over his injury of Lee Strunk causes him to break his own nose. Jensen's relief after Strunk's death is an illustration of the perspective soldiers are forced to assume.

How does Ted Lavender die?

Ted Lavender is a young, scared soldier in the Alpha company in Tim O'Brien's book The Things They Carried. Before he is shot, he carries and takes tranquilizers to dull his fear. He dies on his way back from peeing while the rest of the platoon is focused on a tunnel that they need to destroy.

How did Kiowa die in The Things They Carried?

Kiowa. Kiowa's death is symbolic of the senseless tragedy of war. He dies in a gruesome way, drowning under the muck of a sewage field about which his lieutenant, Jimmy Cross, has a bad feeling.

How does Lee Strunk die?

Strunk dies in a medic chopper after most of his right leg is blown off. Before leaving, he begs Jensen not to kill him.

What does Rat Kiley symbolize?

He moves quickly and efficiently, even helping O'Brien after he is shot at one point. Beyond his role as the medic, Rat Kiley takes on significance as a storyteller, a jokester, and eventually, as an example of the tragic effect the stress of war has on a person.

What did O'Brien carry?

He is haunted by the cutting knowledge that his aff-ection will most likely never be returned. The narrator, Tim O'Brien, describes the things all the men of the company carry. They are things in the most physical sense—mosquito repellent and marijuana, pocket knives and chewing gum.

What is ironic about the item Norman Bowker carried?

The irony of Norman Bowker is that he carried a diary; it's never clear whether it's his to write in or his to read, but he carried a tool that people used to deliver their personal stories. In the following chapter, Notes, we see Norman begging Tim O'Brien to tell his story because he was unable to.