Journey In Tim O 'Brien's The Things They Carried'
502 Words3 Pages
Dan Levitsky
10/20/14
Floridia
A Long Journey A Journey has two different meanings. For one, literally a journey can be an act of traveling from one place to another. Also it can be described as a long and often difficult process of personal change and development. In Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried , T he characters are faced with a long V oyage marching through the Vietnam War. While marching, the soldiers are reminded of their family and loved ones because of the items they carry. This is to keep them close by and so they feel like their loved ones are with them at all time. These items keep their minds at ease as they travel through treterious war grounds and have to face frightening situations. The characters were faced with extensive journeys, both physical and emotional.…show more content… It was a long M arch through the fields and villages in Vietnam. The extent of the trip is seen when O’Brien explains, “It was not battle, it was just the endless march, village to village, without purpose, and nothing won or lost. They marched for the sake of the march...a dullness of desire and intellect and conscience and hope of human sensibility, their principles were on their feet. Their calculators were biological.” This shows how the march was automatic. The soldiers did not even think of the journey, they just went out and marched for days. There was no desire to continue on but the soldiers knew it was what they had to do. As a soldier is was their job and duty to serve their country, and with no second thought It was understood and taken care of everyday. Physically the men were drained. The physical things they carried gave them the strength and courage to keep moving on. Pictures of loved ones, good luck