Tim O’brien's Use of Figurative Language to Portray The Theme of Death in The Things They Carried

Introduction

The novel The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien delves into the profound experiences and emotional turmoil encountered by soldiers during the Vietnam War. O'Brien not only reflects on his own emotional experiences but also offers insight into the thoughts and feelings of his fellow soldiers amidst the chaos of warfare. Central to the narrative is the theme of death, as O'Brien grapples with the loss of close friends and comrades. Death is portrayed as final and inescapable, often arriving suddenly and leaving those who survive struggling to move forward. Through the use of vivid imagery and powerful figurative language, O'Brien conveys the harsh realities of war and its emotional toll on soldiers.

Tim O'Brien's Use of Figurative Language to Portray The Theme of Death in The Things They Carried

Death is frequently depicted through graphic and painful imagery. O'Brien vividly describes the appearance of his close friend Kiowa after his death: "Kiowa came sliding up to the surface... A piece of his shoulder was missing; the arms and chest and face were cut up…” (O'Brien, 1990, p. 163). By detailing Kiowa's missing limbs and wounds, O'Brien creates an unsettling image of death during the Vietnam War, emphasizing its suddenness and brutality. Similarly, O'Brien observes the appearance of a man killed during the war: "His neck was open to the spinal cord and the blood there was thick and shiny" (O'Brien, 1990, p. 118). Through such imagery, O'Brien highlights the physical and emotional risks of war, underscoring the life-threatening and deadly outcomes soldiers face.

O'Brien further conveys the theme of death through impactful figurative language. Upon revisiting a field he once fought in, he reflects, "This little field I thought, had swallowed so much... My best friend... My pride" (O'Brien, 1990, p. 187). The personification of the field as swallowing O'Brien's pride and friend illustrates its significant impact on his life during the war. The field, where his best friend Kiowa died after being trapped for days, symbolizes the demoralizing and life-altering effects of war. O'Brien also explores the concept of death through Linda's perspective, who remarks, "I’m not dead… But when I am it is like… being inside a book… an old one… upon a library shelf" (O'Brien, 1990, p. 232). Linda's simile, comparing death to an old book on a library shelf, suggests the melancholy and sadness associated with death, as it becomes something outdated and unused.

Conclusion

Death is a prevalent and central theme in Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. The detailed descriptions of Kiowa's body and the man O'Brien killed employ graphic imagery to depict the war's numerous life-threatening and fatal consequences. O'Brien's extensive use of figurative language reinforces the idea that death is melancholy, demoralizing, and filled with sadness. Through his vivid descriptions and figurative expressions, O'Brien illustrates the theme that death is final and inescapable, leaving those who remain unable to move on. This exploration of death's impact on soldiers deepens our understanding of the emotional burdens carried by those who survive the horrors of war.

References

O'Brien, T. (1990). The Things They Carried. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.