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The Things They Carried Kiowa Character Traits

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Character Analysis Essay Throughout the story, The Things They Carried, written by Tim O’Brien, the author presents Kiowa as a complex and intelligent troop by using multiple indirect and sometimes confusing quotes like, “The earth is slow, but the buffalo is patient…” (O’Brien 35). It is for these mystical and spiritual quotes/characteristics why I chose to write this essay over him. I found some of these characterizations through the character’s thoughts, his actions/what he says, and what others say about him. Overall Kiowa was known for being a kind troop, a man with his beliefs straight, and a well respected human being. Kiowa indirectly sets himself up as a very well rounded, gentleman numerous times in this book by what he says and thinks. For example, While everyone else harassed the inexperienced soldier Tim O’Brien for not shaking the dead Vietnamese man’s hand, Kiowa consoled him by saying, “‘You did a good thing today...That shaking hands crap, it isn’t decent.’” (215). It was rare to find characters in this very gruesome and distasteful war story that were as compassionate and kind as Kiowa was and that is why I easily …show more content…

Also by mainly using this method he forced us to really analyze the characters to completely understand their role. Sometimes he used more than one method of characterization because the character trait was really important in the story he was telling, For example, O’Brien really emphasized how benevolent and sympathetic Kiowa was multiple times by using Kiowa’s quotes and the quotes from the other soldiers. I think he did this so the readers could see how Kiowa played a major role in counseling the group and helping most of the guys get through some difficult times. If a reader was trying to describe Kiowa they could possibly say he was an amiable soldier, a man with a stable spirit, and a greatly admired human

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