The Things They Carried Group

Question:

twilightfan89
twilightfan89
Student
College - Sophomore

What is the point of the insistent repetition of the words "the things they carried"?

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Posted by twilightfan89 on Tuesday October 21, 2008 at 1:18 PM and tagged with repetition, the things they carried, tim obrien.

Answers:

  1. dbrooks22
    dbrooks22 Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    O'Brien uses the repetition of these words to create an unmistakable realization that the men are always carrying “things,” whether it is a physical weight or an emotional weight. The repetitiveness of the words lets the reader, in a sense, feel how the soldiers feel. The soldiers are unable to forget the weight of the “things they carry,” and by repeating the words, the reader is not able to forget the weight either. The sense of annoyance that the reader may feel by the constant repeating of the words is a technique used by O’Brien to connect the reader to the characters. The soldiers may also feel frustrated that they do not get a reprieve from the constant burden of their weights.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/things-they/summary

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    Posted by dbrooks22 on Tuesday October 21, 2008 at 3:25 PM