Yurtle

Literary Criticism

The Psyche: In an earlier blog (the My Choice one), I mentioned the difference between Tim the character and O’Brien the author. I’m going to explore what unites and separates these two persons in more detail and how that relates to one of the central messages of the story. O’Brien creates Tim as a reflection … Continue reading Literary Criticism

Yurtle

Poetry

The Idea of Escaping: Escapism. We've seen the concept illustrated a thousand times. Movies. Video games. Books. Imaginary friends. Humans are constantly looking for a way to dodge reality. This topic unites almost all of humanity, including Tim O'Brien and Robert Frost. In The Things They Carried, the idea of escapism is realized in every … Continue reading Poetry

Yurtle

Setting

Oh, Canada: During one of my favorite flashbacks, Tim finds himself near the shore of Canada, where a new life could await him. This was during the summer he received his draft letter. After spending a few weeks contemplating what he should do, he realized he couldn’t take the stress of the decision anymore. He … Continue reading Setting

Yurtle

My Choice

Truth? The Things They Carried is labeled as a work of fiction even though it is written by Tim O'Brien and is about Tim O'Brien's experiences. If you're like me, that's definitely a "what?" moment. Throughout the majority of the story, you ponder this. Events are told as though they really happened, and your soul … Continue reading My Choice