Ethos And Pathos In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

The knowledge of ethos, logos, and pathos develops and improves yourself as an analytical reader by recognizing the appeals the author uses throughout their text for the readers. It helps reveal the author’s approach in their writing, such as appealing to the reader’s emotions, setting themselves as an credible and reliable source, or uses facts and data to back up their approach. It develops a deeper understanding of the text and the author’s way of addressing the audience.

The things they carry are both physical and emotional burdens that weigh them down. O’Brien repeats the weight of each physical item they carry: “for a total weight of nearly 18 pounds...the M-60, which weighed 23 pounds...starlight scope, which weighed 6.3 pounds…” (page

First, he compares a game of checkers to the war. He claims there is “something orderly and reassuring” (page 31) to the game. You knew where you stood on the board, where the enemy was, and can watch the tactics develop into a larger strategy. He ends the paragraph with “There are rules” (page 31) with the game of checkers to emphasize the comparison with war: the rules do not change, unlike the war. Another comparison with the ruthlessness of a warzone was when O’Brien lists the things he remembers of the war toward the end of the chapter. He begins listing simple things, such as the moon, how the grass swayed from the wind of a helicopter, and a red clay trail. Then it grows more serious, from listing a hand grenade to the sight of a young dead man that he killed. The contrast from the petty memories to the young dead man makes his killing stand out. The purpose of the comparison and contrast is to emphasize the abrupt brutalness of death and fear during a war. The significance of the repetition of his age was to show how much time has passed from serving in the Vietnam War, but is still affected by the memories. The war never leaves him, and he feels it is his obligation to put the story on paper: to write the real truth of the