ipl-logo

Rhetorical Devices In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

537 Words3 Pages

The Things They Carried was a very powerful and emotional book from the authors first person perspective. While he managed the art of good story telling by keeping the memories of his platoon mates alive through his stories, he also achieved good story telling by the use of specific narrative elements and rhetorical devices. Many people never really notice these specific things in novels or books until they are pointed out. So, what are these devices and how would they have any effect on the way he told the stories? To begin with, during the first chapter, Tim O'Brien uses anaphora as a rhetorical device. Throughout the whole chapter, he consciously repeats the phrase "they carried" and "the things they carried". “They carried all the emotional baggage of men that might die. They carried…”. (pg.20) Additionally, the phrase "he would" is used multiple times on page 24 at the end of the first chapter. “But from this point on he would comport himself as an officer…”. O'Brien repeats these three phrases to emphasize his point. I think the phrases "they carried" and "the things they carried" are stressed continuously in order to really state the fact that war can be burdensome and grueling. These words are thrown at the reader repeatedly because they hold weight. …show more content…

Enumeratio is a rhetorical device that lists several details or aspects of something, often to emphasize its importance or to induce emotions in the reader. O'Brien uses enumeratio to illustrate how soldiers' obsessions, fears, and memories could shape their identities and alienate them from the world they once knew. The use of lists to emphasize the weight of physical and emotional objects, the soldiers' fears and anxieties, and their yearning to return to normalcy creates a poignant and realistic representation of the psychological cost of

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Devices In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

    244 Words  | 1 Pages

    Tim O'Brien uses intentional narrative and rhetorical devices in his book "The Things They Carried" to advance various themes within it, such as storytelling, memory power and emotional baggage. O'Brien examines each theme through these narrative devices. O'Brien effectively explores these themes through imagery. His vivid descriptions bring home both physical and emotional burdens that soldiers carry, such as Lt. Cross's love for Martha being like "a stone in his stomach" (O'Brien 5). Such images create a powerful depiction of emotional weight soldiers carry with them and highlight its importance within military lives.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Devices In The Things They Carried

    227 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Things They Carried by American author Tim O’Brien, who was drafted in the Vietnam war, describes the experience of the American infantry fighting in Vietnam. O’Brien utilises various rhetorical devices to illustrate the immense emotional & physical burdens the soldiers were to bear to enlighten the reader about the true horrors of war. For example, O’Brien employs asyndeton & polysyndeton in sentences listing the many things the soldiers carried. “They carried Sterno, safety pins, trip flares, signal flares, spools of wire, razor blades…,” (O’Brien). The lists of items carried carry on, overwhelming & exhausting the reader of the physical burdens of war.

    Read More

  • How Does Tim O Brien Use Language Techniques In The Things They Carried

    1768 Words  | 8 Pages

    This motif separates the reader from the soldier. Particularly in the opening chapter “The Things They Carried,” there is no attempt to explain any terms to the reader. For instance, objects such as “P-38 can openers” and “C rations” (page 4) are mentioned without any previous introduction. The same is done with abbreviations such as, “RTO,” “R&R,” and “SOP.” (Page 4.)

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Devices In The Things They Carried

    606 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien uses many rhetorical devices and specific narrative elements to enhance the overall themes by using point of view, imagery, and metaphors. Tim O’Brien uses his friend’s point of view to elaborate on the war experiences and the feelings of his fellow friends. On Page 62, O’Brien states, “Rat almost bawls writing it. He gets all teary telling about good times they had together and how her brother made the war almost fun.” This shows the emotions and feeling Rat was experiencing during the war.

    Read More

  • Things They Carried Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    553 Words  | 3 Pages

    This brings focus specifically to the things the men are carrying, both tangible and intangible, without deemphasizing the narration. O'Brien gives only straight forward descriptions in these sections and the writing is nugatory of any feeling or sentiment whatsoever. On the other hand, when describing the intangible items, the writing is automatically perceived as more in tune with the emotions of the characters in the novel. The author's writing tends to be taking more sentimentality in these segments and adds a great deal of emotional weight for the reader. The soldiers all clearly want to escape the reality of what is going on around them in the war.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Precis For The Things They Carried

    686 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tim shows the reader a plethora of experiences that each soldier had, whether it be sad or happy, and how it affected them individually in different ways. As O’Brien describes the tangibles, he also discusses the different objects each soldier had whilst they were on their tour. Tim states how, “…every third or fourth person carried a Claymore antipersonnel mine – 3.5 pounds with its firing device…they carried fragmentation grenades – 14 ounces each…they all carried at least one M-18 colored smoke grenade – 24 ounces…” (O’Brien 7). Repetition is utilized throughout this quote and is used to engross the reader about what the true setting and circumstances were for the soldiers.

    Read More

  • Stress In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

    608 Words  | 3 Pages

    Have you ever been in such a stressful situation while trying to think normal? In “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, the author describes the situations these troops are put through. Along with the situations, the author tells the audience the thoughts and feelings going on with the men. Showing that the men are affected by the situations they are exposed to. In “The Things They Carried” O’Brien explains the equipment that the characters need to carry to be prepared for the worst.

    Read More

  • Of Third-Person Narration In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

    1421 Words  | 6 Pages

    Tim O’Brien’s use of third-person limited omniscient narration in “The Things They Carried” allows him to objectively develop the characters based on the physical objects they carry and their conversational interactions with one another. His use of third-person point of view allows him to not only differentiate each of the grunts based on their individual values and roles, but also to illustrate their common mindset of obedience. Much like the actual historical context of the Vietnam War, most of the grunts maintain a light, humorous atmosphere throughout the story in order to cope with their fears, and O’Brien’s depiction of their antics helps humanize the soldiers despite their orders to destroy communities in Vietnam. O’Brien’s description

    Read More

  • The Message In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

    620 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Things They Carried In the historical fiction The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien presents himself, the narrator, being faced with a war draft to a war he didn't agree with, in order to convey a message about going to war instead of fleeing the draft ultimately illustrating that message of being a coward for going against what he believed in. Tim O’Brien conveys a message of himself being a coward for going against what he believed in. In the text Tim had recently graduated from college when he got drafted to the war, O’Brien stated “In June of 1968, a month after graduating from Macalester College, I was drafted to fight a war I hated.” O’Brien makes it extremely clear that his views did not align with the war.

    Read More

  • The Things They Carried Rhetorical Analysis

    964 Words  | 4 Pages

    O’Brien lists the items the soldiers are carrying, such as "matches, C-rations, malaria tablets, and two or three grenades. " These descriptions create a sense of realism and specificity, as well as emphasize the weight and burden of the soldiers' physical possessions. The soldiers are described as carrying their emotions with them at all times, even when they are not actively participating in the conflict. Yet, the emphasis on these tangible goods also helps to underline the weight of the soldiers' emotional baggage, which is intangible but no less substantial. For example, the line "They were afraid of dying

    Read More

  • The Things They Carried Rhetorical Analysis

    1139 Words  | 5 Pages

    Employing softer language conveyed that the soldiers are trying to detach themselves from the horrors of war. For instance, words like “grease…offed, lit up,” and “zapped while zipping” were used instead of “killed” (604). By deliberately repeating the phrase “they carried” and “the things they carried” at the start of several sentences, it is evident that O’Brien uses anaphora as a rhetorical device in his writing in order to assert the fact that war can be burdensome and grueling. These phrases are stressed repetitively throughout the story to denote the weight of war also becoming heavier for the soldiers the longer it continues. Another rhetorical and stylistic device used to emphasize the tone is the asyndeton.

    Read More

  • The Things They Carried Literary Analysis

    1178 Words  | 5 Pages

    A lot happens in Tim O 'Brien short story "The Things They Carried", at first, the reader speculates what the short story is about and why it is called "The Things They Carried". The narrator Tim O 'Brien tells and describes all the things that the men have to carry while "in-country" during the Vietnam War in the1960 's. The text 's artistic value comes from its plot, characters, conflict, and style. In the plot of the story the protagonist, Tim O 'Brien starts by describing circumstances that happened while he was in Vietnam. In the beginning of "The Things They Carried" we are introduced to each character by the things they carry.

    Read More

  • The Things They Carry Rhetorical Analysis

    702 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tim O'Brien's “The Things They Carry,” tells a story about the lives of young men during war. The narrator tells his story from first person, marking all of his adventures and experiences of his companions. O’Brien crafts his piece through the use of repetition, symbolism, and metaphors to convey the idea of physical and psychological hardships of soldiers during war. Though the literary device of repetition, O'Brien portrays the physical and psychological hardships of a soldier.

    Read More

  • The Things They Carried: An Analysis

    688 Words  | 3 Pages

    In The Things They Carried, O’Brien reveals his view on war through telling his readers how the Vietnam War had no point, was emotionally devastating, and displaying that there is no purpose in war unless the soldiers know what they are fighting for. O’Brien shows the pointlessness of war by

    Read More

  • Emotional Burdens In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

    1509 Words  | 7 Pages

    The author was writing the story “The Things They Carried” expressed so many thoughts and feelings about what the soldiers had faced, they showed their feelings and duties, life or death, and overall fear and dedication. This story shows the theme of the physical and emotional burdens that everyone is going through in the war. By showing his readers what the soldier’s daily thoughts are and how they handle what is going on around them. Tim O’Brien expresses this theme by using characterization, symbolism, and tone continuously. In the story, physical and emotional burdens plagued several characters as they all had baggage weighing them down.

    Read More

More about Rhetorical Devices In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

Open Document