Physicians diagnosed sixteen percent of the American soldiers who survived the Iraq war with Post Traumatic stress disorder. Such statistics also echo arguments by Bergman et al. (2019), which places PTSD among solders at 21% worldwide. Going by the short story,the things they carried by Tim O’Brien, these statistics are nothing but the truth. In a third party narration, the narrator, who is also one of the soldiers that fought the Vietnam war, gives a detailed account of the traumatic experiences of soldiers in the Vietnam war. The story that uses the real name of the soldiers who fought alongside the narrator, the story gives in-depth details of different things which the soldiers shouldered as they were going for the war. From the story, it is evident that it is not only the physical items the soldiers carried to the war but also emotional fears and anxiety that would later define their fate in the war. In the things they carried, Tim O'Brien explores the themes of escape, friendship, conflict, guilt, acceptance, and responsibility to showcase the experiences the soldiers face that leads to stress in the war.
The theme of escape from reality is evident in the story through the items some of the soldiers carried alongside them to the war. Through the letters and pictures that Lieutenant Cross has received from Martha, Tim explores the theme of escape by showcasing how Lieutenant was escaping from the reality of the war as he imagines himself to be with Martha. Yet, he was in Vietnam. Tim also mentions Kiowa’s Cross and the bible, which are also significant in this case as they represent Kiowa's attempt to escape emotional from the war. Rat Kiley’s comics and the tranquilizers and dope that Ted Lavender carries with him are also symbols of escape from reality, which is the war. Such items carried to reduce the anxiety and stress these soldiers experience during the war.
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Tim also explores the theme of acceptance as a way to showcase the stressful and challenging experiences these soldiers encounter that they have to accept and live within their lives both during and after the war. For instance, Strunk has to accept the task of searching for the tunnel despite understanding the dangers that my come alongside the task. On the same note, Cross accepts that he, through lack of concentration, may have been responsible for Ted Lavender’s death. Such painful acceptance comes to haunt these soldiers, but they lack options rather than to live with the experiences.
The theme of internal conflict is thus evident from the entire story, and through it, the audience or the reader can explore the truth about each of the soldiers, mostly their fears and anxiety as they approach the war, and the difficult experiences they underwent during the fight. Just after Lavender's death and as Cross is digging his foxhole, O'Brien tells the reader that Cross not only felt shame but also 'both love and hate.' It is just an example, yet there are many instances where different characters explore different issues that show the conflict they have within themselves and later define their decision in the story.
O'Brien explores the theme of the emotional burden that soldiers carry when they are in a war. The physical loads represent the emotional loads, and the narrator makes a great symbolic representation of the emotional burden posed by the physical strains.Dobbins carries his girlfriend pantyhose, which serves to represents his yearning for love and connection. He carries the pantyhose because he longs to be with his girlfriend. Jimmy Cross carries maps and compasses, which represents the emotional burden of being in charge and responsible for the company soldiers (Chattarji, 2005).
Even after the war ends, the soldiers continue carrying emotional burdens as a result of their actions. They experience guilt, grief, and confusion as they try to come to terms with the acts of war and violence they experienced. Cross tells O'Brien that he never forgave himself for Lavender's death and so he carries the burden of guilt. Norman becomes disillusioned after the war and admits he never felt right after the war. He writes a 17-page letter to O'Brien and later commits suicide. O'Brien deals with his trauma by sharing his war stories with us to the audience.
Societal pressure is a theme that is explored heavily through O'Brien's personal story. When he received his draft notice, he found himself in a quandary. He didn't want to fight a war he didn't believe in, and still, he didn't want to be branded a coward by the society. He briefly considers escaping into Canada, but he realizes that he doesn't want to be branded a coward; therefore, he joins the war because of societal pressure (Bonney, 2016).
Societal pressure is explored as using shame to motivate, and it extends even when the soldiers are fighting in Vietnam. Lemon, for example, has the dentist pull a perfectly good tooth because he had fainted when he met the dentist previously. He is ashamed that he wasn't brave and afraid of judgment. From this theme, we learn that soldiers fight in wars not only because of their patriotism but because of societal pressure. Cross, who was the leader of the group, joined the war because his friends were fighting. Social influence and fear of shame are excellent motivation for enlisting in the army.
Through the company, the author explores the theme of friendship. The soldiers tease each other and bicker a lot, but they provide each other with support and understanding that no one else can. When O'Brien struggles to reconcile the fact that he killed a man, Kiowa is there to guide him through his guilt and despair. When they go home, they remain friends. Norman writes a long letter to O'Brien, and Cross asks him to write about the company and tell their stories. O'Brien's relationship with his daughter also reinforces the theme of friendship as she tries as hard as she can to understand what he has been through. O'Brien tells his war stories to her, and in some way, she represents the reader in the story (O'Brien, 1990).
From the stressful and challenging condition these soldiers' experiences in the things they carried, it could be true that PTSD among solders is high. Internal conflicts, worries, an attempt to escape from reality and anxiety throughout the story showcase the nasty experiences of the war which the solders must face. O’Brien bravely used the real names of the soldiers he fought with in Vietnam and through this we are able to experience the themes of societal pressure, emotional burdens and friendship. PTSD among soldiers is high and as seen the friendship and brotherhood of soldiers keeps them sane in times of war.
References
Bergman, H. E., Chan, P. K., Cooper, A. A., Shirley, E., Goto, T., Fine, T., ... &Liberzon, I. (2019). Examining the Relationship Between PTSD Symptomatology and Cigarette Smoking Among Ohio Army National Guard Soldiers. Military Behavioral Health , 1-11.
Bonney, S. (2016). Morality and Pleasure in Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. Criterion.
Chattarji, S. (2005). Imagining Vietnam: Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried’ .
O'Brien, T. (1990). The Things They Carried.
Walker, D., &Kaysen, D. (2018). Improving Voluntary Engagement for PTSD Treatment among Soldiers . University of Washington, Seattle United States.
