close
test_template

Theme of Guilt in The Things They Carried by Tim O’brien

About this sample

About this sample

close

Words: 794 |

Pages: 2|

4 min read

Published: Dec 3, 2020

Essay grade:
Good
arrow downward Read Review

Words: 794|Pages: 2|4 min read

Published: Dec 3, 2020

Essay grade:
Good
arrow downward Read Review

Some people with a strong guilt often have to live with that guilt their whole liveslife. In the novel “The Things They Carried” Tim O’Brien shows before a war, after a war, or even during a war that guilt is something that can be carried forever, which can be seen through characters like Tim O’Brien, Mark Fossie, and Jimmy Cross.

'Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned'?

The first example of Guilt is one of the main characters Tim’ O'Brien. Tim O’Brien started to show guilt before he went off to war. Tim hated the war and didn’t approve of it, he even tried to protest against the war and did everything to try to avoid the war because of how scared he was to fight, but when he got drafted, he tried to move to Canada so that he wouldn’t have to fight in the war and that was when his guilt started to show. He felt like he was a disappointment to his friends and family, he was also disappointed in himself. “I was afraid of walking away from my own life, my friends and my family, my whole history, everything that mattered to me. I feared losing the respect of my parents. I feared the law. I feared the ridicule and censure.” This shows Tim O'Brien's guilt because he felt like a disgrace to his family and his country, which drove him to later on fighting in the war.

The second example of guilt is seen with Mark Fossie. In chapter 9 “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong”, a group of soldiers were talking and making jokes, then a character named Eddie Diamond brought up bringing in some girls as a joke. Later that night, a young medic named Mark Fossie kept bringing up the subject about bringing in a girl and was serious about it. Six weeks later Fossie’s girlfriend, Marry Anne, shows up in a helicopter and everyone was shocked and confused. Marry Anne is a young innocent girl who wanted to have kids and marry Fossie.

Weeks later Marry was always around the greenies, a group of elite soldiers known as the green berets. Mary Anne was learning Vietnamese, learning how to shoot a weapon, and even becomes more curious about Vietnam. Days later Fossie says it’s getting harder to recognize who she is and starts to become more guilty of himself. Marry Anne goes missing one day and later comes back with the greenies. When Fossie finds out she went out on an ambush with the greenies, he says he doesn’t approve of it, so he yells at her. A couple days later, Fossie’s guilt then leads him to regrets and thoughts about Marry Anne, how she changed and isn’t the same anymore. Mark Fossie then finds Marry Anne lying in some sketchy house with skeletons, moaning softly, and wearing a necklace with human tongues around her neck. “Mark Fossie stood rigid. ‘Do something,’ he whispered. ‘I can't just let her go like that.’ Rat listened for a time, then shook his head. ‘Man, you must be deaf. She's already gone.”

The story of Fossie and Marry Anne stops there but the moment Fossie last saw Marry Anne, he started regretting everything and realized how guilty he is, when he’s standing rigidly staring at Marry Anne speechless. The last example of guilt is Jimmy Cross. Jimmy Cross is the lieutenant of the Alpha Company, and is responsible for a group of soldiers. Jimmy Cross is unsure how to lead his group of men when he is too focused on his girlfriend, Marhta. Because of this, Jimmy Cross is unfocused and leads one of his men to death. “He realized it was only a gesture. Stupid, he thought. Sentimental, too, but mostly just stupid. Lavender was dead. You couldn't burn the blame. Besides, the letters were in his head.” Jimmy Cross was upset with guilt that Lavender died because it was his responsibility to keep his men safe but instead he was just thinking about Martha and looking at her letters to him which led him to burn all of her letters and pictures to him.

Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.

Years later he talks to O’Brien, another character that shows guilt, and says till that day he is still guilty of himself because he led his men to die. Some people with a strong guilt sometimes has to live with that guilt there whole life. In the novel “The Things They Carried” Tim O’Brien shows that guilt before a war, after a war, or even during a war guilt is something that can be carried on with forever, which can be seen through characters like Fossie, Tim O’Brien, and Jimmy Cross. “The Things They Carried” showed many characters with a strong guilt because of this it caused many lives.

Image of Dr. Charlotte Jacobson
This essay was graded by
Dr. Charlotte Jacobson
Essay’s grade:
Good
What’s grading
minus plus
Expert Review
The subject of guilt in Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" is examined in this essay in a clear and succinct manner. The writer provides relevant examples and quotes from the book to support their arguments. The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. The writer's voice is clear and their sentence structure and grammar are strong. However, the essay could benefit from a more critical analysis of the text, as the writer mainly summarizes the plot of the book rather than analyzing the literary devices used by the author to convey the theme of guilt. Overall, the essay provides a solid overview of the theme of guilt in "The Things They Carried."
minus plus
What can be improved
The essay does a decent job of summarizing the theme of guilt in "The Things They Carried," but it might benefit from a more in-depth examination of the text. For example, the writer could have analyzed how O'Brien uses literary devices such as symbolism and imagery to convey the theme of guilt. Additionally, the writer could have provided more specific examples from the text to support their arguments. For instance, when discussing Jimmy Cross's guilt, the writer could have analyzed how O'Brien uses the letters from Martha to symbolize the weight of Cross's guilt. The essay also lacks a clear thesis statement that outlines the writer's main argument. A clear thesis statement would help to focus the essay and provide a roadmap for the reader. Finally, the essay could have benefited from a stronger conclusion that summarizes the writer's main arguments and provides a final analysis of the theme of guilt in the book. Overall, the essay provides a good analysis of the theme of guilt, but it could be improved with a more critical analysis of the text and a clearer thesis statement.

Cite this Essay

Theme of Guilt in the Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. (2020, December 10). GradesFixer. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/analysis-of-the-theme-of-guilt-in-the-things-they-carried-by-tim-obrien/
“Theme of Guilt in the Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien.” GradesFixer, 10 Dec. 2020, gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/analysis-of-the-theme-of-guilt-in-the-things-they-carried-by-tim-obrien/
Theme of Guilt in the Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. [online]. Available at: <https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/analysis-of-the-theme-of-guilt-in-the-things-they-carried-by-tim-obrien/> [Accessed 29 Mar. 2024].
Theme of Guilt in the Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien [Internet]. GradesFixer. 2020 Dec 10 [cited 2024 Mar 29]. Available from: https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/analysis-of-the-theme-of-guilt-in-the-things-they-carried-by-tim-obrien/
copy
Keep in mind: This sample was shared by another student.
  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours
Write my essay

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

close

Where do you want us to send this sample?

    By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

    close

    Be careful. This essay is not unique

    This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

    Download this Sample

    Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

    close

    Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

    close

    Thanks!

    Please check your inbox.

    We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

    clock-banner-side

    Get Your
    Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

    exit-popup-close
    We can help you get a better grade and deliver your task on time!
    • Instructions Followed To The Letter
    • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
    • Unique And Plagiarism Free
    Order your paper now