illustration of the backside of a soldier in full military gear

The Things They Carried

by Tim O'Brien

Start Free Trial

Chapter 12: The Man I Killed Summary

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

The twelfth story in The Things They Carried is “The Man I Killed.” The narrator, Tim, stands before the body of a man he has just killed. He looks down at the body and notices that the face is mangled. One eye is shut and the other is a “star-shaped hole.” The man had been a soldier because he had a gun and ammo. However, as the narrator looks down at the man he killed, he notices the dead man’s fine wrists and his arched eyebrows. He is poorly muscled. He wears an ammunition belt and a gold ring. The narrator guesses that he was born in 1946 in the village of My Khe, which is near the coastline of Quang Ngai Province. Perhaps his parents farmed there for centuries and perhaps his family fought for independence against the French. He was not a Communist, but rather someone who fought because of Quang Ngai’s tradition of patriotic resistance. He was not a fighter, but a scholar—someone that wanted to someday teach mathematics.

While the narrator considers these things, Azar and Kiowa watch him. Azar boasts over how Tim “scrambled” the man like oatmeal and how “on the dead test, this particular individual gets A-plus.” Tim does not respond and Azar walks away, but Kiowa stays. He tries to comfort the narrator, asking what else could have been done. He reminds the narrator it is a war and that Tim could very well have died in that exchange. Further, all of the other soldiers in the platoon were about to fire on the dead man. After all, he was carrying a gun and ammunition. However, Tim does not respond.

Instead, the narrator continues to look at the dead man. A butterfly passes over his forehead. He thinks about how the dead man had always been small, and how the kids around him made fun of him for being pretty. The dead man would have been afraid to fight, but would not have wanted to reveal that to his family. He had managed to attend the University of Saigon, avoiding politics and focusing on calculus. In his final year at the university, he fell in love with a 17 year-old who admired his narrow waist and liked his quiet demeanor. One day, they exchanged gold rings, and now, the narrator reflects, the dead man has a star for one eye. The dead man is like a “constellation” of possibilities.

Kiowa covers the body with a poncho and encourages the narrator to talk to him about what just happened. He remains silent, still looking at the dead man and thinking about the hole shaped like a star that has taken the place of the dead man’s eye.

Expert Q&A

Why did Azar kill the puppy in The Things They Carried?

In The Things They Carried, Azar kills the puppy as a prank. The other soldiers are displeased by this gruesome act, but Azar, immature as he is, does not feel responsible.

Why does Rat Kiley kill the baby water buffalo in "The Things They Carried"?

In The Things They Carried, Rat Kiley shoots at and eventually kills the baby water buffalo because of his feelings of grief and anger at the death of his friend, Curt Lemon.

Why is the baby water buffalo scene more disturbing than Curt Lemon's death?

The baby water buffalo scene is more disturbing than Curt Lemon's death because the buffalo is innocent, defenseless, and suffers prolonged torture. Unlike Lemon, who dies instantly, the buffalo endures a slow, brutal death at the hands of Rat Kiley, who vents his grief and rage on the animal. The imagery of the helpless, silent creature contrasts sharply with the quickness of Lemon's death, intensifying the emotional impact of the scene.

What is O'Brien's allusion to Thomas Hardy's "The Man He Killed"?

O'Brien alludes to Hardy's "The Man He Killed" to explore the personal and emotional burden of killing in war. Unlike Hardy's narrator, who reflects on killing a foe due to circumstance, O'Brien's protagonist internalizes the act, seeing the victim as a complex individual. The shift from "he" to "I" emphasizes personal accountability. Both works portray enemy soldiers as real people, highlighting the senselessness and moral dilemmas of war.

In "The Things They Carried," what was the young dead VC boy carrying?

In "The Man I Killed" from The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, the young dead Vietnamese soldier was carrying a pouch of rice, a comb, fingernail clippers, soiled piasters (money), a snapshot of a young woman in front of a motorcycle, a gold wedding ring, and a rifle. These personal items highlight the soldier's humanity and parallel O'Brien's life, emphasizing the shared humanity between enemies in war.

Why does O'Brien begin chapter 12 with a vivid description of the dead man's wounds?

O'Brien begins Chapter 12 with a vivid description of the dead man's wounds to convey the harsh reality and personal impact of war. This graphic depiction highlights the narrator's responsibility for the violence and the emotional burden it creates. The detailed account humanizes the victim, emphasizing the theme that war affects individuals profoundly, leaving lasting psychological scars and memories that are heavier than any physical burden soldiers might carry.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Previous

Chapter 11: Church Summary

Next

Chapter 13: Ambush Summary

Loading...