The Things They Carried, By Tim O’Brien

The Things They Carried

by Tim O’Brien

Study Questions

"The Things They Carried"

1. What are some things you would expect soldiers in war to carry?

2. What are some non-typical things you think soldiers might carry?

3. After reading about the items the soldiers carry on pgs. 2-3, what items surprise

you? Why?

4. What do the following words or acronyms refer to? RTO, Grunt, KIA, PFC, SOP,

"freedom bird," "hump."

5. Why do you think Rat Kiley, the medic, carries M&M’s (the chocolate candy) for

"especially bad wounds"?

6. What does Lt. Cross think about all the time?

7. Why do you think O’Brien said: “Imagination was a killer” on page 11? What does

that mean?

8. What was the young dead VC boy carrying?

9. How does what he carries differ from what the American soldiers carry?

10. What was, "in many respects…the heaviest burden of all" (p21)?

11. What did Cross do with Martha’s pictures after Lavender’s death?

12. How did his feelings for her change?

13. What might Martha stand for or signify? 14. On pg 22-23, read the 4th full paragraph out loud. What did the soldiers dream

"Love"

1. What could Jimmy Cross never forgive himself for doing?

2. What does Jimmy ask Tim to do when he writes his story?

3. What does he tell Tim NOT to mention?

"Spin"

1. How was the war NOT like a game of checkers?

2. How did the "old poppa-san" help the platoon? What was his special skill?

3. What does Norman Bowker wish for, more than anything?

4. What did Azar do to Ted Lavender’s puppy?

5. What does Azar say about his action?

6. What do you think about his excuse?

7. According to Tim, what are stories for?

"On the Rainy River"

1. While Tim was at college, how did he feel about the Vietnam War?

2. What was Tim’s job in the summer of 1968?

3. What were Tim’s options once he received his draft notice?

4. Whom did he think should go to war instead of him?

5. What does Tim say is Elroy Berdhal’s role in his life? 6. Where did Elroy take Tim on day six?

7. What typical images of boyhood did Tim remember about himself while on the

river?

8. Why do you think those particular images came to Tim’s mind?

9. What are your thoughts on being a conscientious objector of war? On the draft?

Journal Prompts & Literary Devices

1. In "On The Rainy River," we learn the 21-year-old O'Brien's theory of courage: "Courage, I seemed to think, comes to us in finite quantities, like an inheritance, and by being frugal and stashing it away and letting it earn interest, we steadily increase our moral capital in preparation for that day when the account must be drawn down. It was a comforting theory."

Is this theory true? Do you think it would work? Why or why not?

2. The first chapter, “The Things They Carried,” is written in ______point of view. The next chapters switch to ______point of view.

WHY does the author do this? What effect does it have on how we relate to the story?