Motifs In The Things They Carried And A Temporary Matter

Characterization and motifs are two important literature terms that help give the reader a deeper understanding of the story and the characters. In The Things They Carried” and “A Temporary Matter” these two literature terms are important factors for the story plot. The motifs in the two short stories are symbols that are important to the true meaning behind the author purpose of writing the stories. The characterization in the two short stories helps you understand the characters in the story and the reason behind the actions they do.

The first literary term I will be discussing is a motif. A motif is a recurrent design or pattern in a literary work. Two short stories that this literary term is prevalent through is “The Things They Carried”

It helped give the readers a clear image of the war environment O'Brien was in.. “The things they carried were largely determined by the necessity.Among the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes , salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payments, Certifications, C rations, and two or three canteens of water”.(pg 469) The things the soldiers carried had would catch a reader eye for curiosity on some things that were brought onto the battlefield. In the story “A Temporary Matter the motif was the blackout that happened for a constant five days at eight pm. The blackout was the symbol of Truth and

Characterization in literature refers the step by step process where an author introduces and then describes a character. The character can be described directly by the author or indirectly through the actions, thoughts, and speech of the character. In “The Things They Carried” characterization is revealed indirectly throughout the story which is conveyed from the hardships Tim O'Brien and the Alpha Company went through during the war. “ They carried all the emotional baggage of the men who might die. grief, terror, love, longing -- these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight”.(pg 480) The soldiers were always scared and worried. In “A Temporary Matter” the characterization is also revealed indirectly in the text. When Shukumar and Shoba baby died during labor, Shoba became depressed and sorrowness consumed her. “ Instead he thought of how he and Shoba had become experts at avoiding each other in their three-bedroom house, spending as much time on separate floors as possible”. Shoba desire to be isolated from Shukumar reveals her characteristic of being depressed and sad. This is another sign of her trust for Sukumar, as she doesn't trust him because she blames him for the death of their