Wyllow Hildner 09

12/14/17
TTTC Seminar Pre-Write

The Things They Carried

Seminar Pre-Write
1. In The Things They Carried, what is the heaviest thing the men carry? In The Things
They Carried, what purpose does storytelling play for soldiers and veterans?

In The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien, the heaviest things soldiers carry are the memories
that stick with them throughout war and their lives. OBrien states, They carried all the emotional
baggage of 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. They carried shameful memories. [...]
and in many respects this was the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down (Pg. 20)
Physical items, like bags or weapons, could still be considered heavy and unbearable, but those items
can be set down at the end of the day and the carrier can take a break. With memories, there is no way
to set them down when you cant possibly think about them anymore. There is no way to turn off that
part of your mind or erase what you saw in battle. It is with you for your entire life, which is why soldiers
often take their own lives, because they cant stand to think about war any longer. Among these feelings
of constant weight on their minds, they must keep their weight inside for fear of social rejection among
their fellow soldiers. OBrien states, By and large they carried these things inside, maintaining a mask of
composure. (Pg. 21) So not only do these soldiers have to carry this heavy weight, they must also keep
it to themselves. With no release or ability to share it, the weight can begin to seem heavier and heavier
every day. Storytelling often plays a part in the release of this weight. OBrien states, What stories can
do, I guess, is make things present. I can look at things I never looked at. I can attach faces to grief and
love and pity and God. I can be brave. I can make myself feel again. (Pg. 172) Storytelling provides a
coping mechanism for soldiers who are tangled up with the thoughts of war. It lets them communicate
with outsiders and help make sense of what they did and saw. Even if the stories are not completely
true or if they are exaggerated to an extent, the feelings the storyteller expresses are genuine and when
the story is told, the soldiers can embrace a sense of connection and understanding. It helps connect the
past and present. Storytelling can provide an opportunity to vent that these soldiers may not otherwise
have.

2. Is The Things They Carried a true war story? What makes a war story true?

In The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien, a true war story portrays true emotions.
OBrien states, I want you to feel what I feel. I want you to know why story-truth is truer sometimes
than happening-truth. (Pg. 171) When storytelling, the job is to express the real truth of what soldiers
have experienced and felt in battle, more mentally than physically. It is to portray the truth. It is not
about the details included in the story. It is more about the how the storyteller felt about the experience
and how it may have impacted his life. The examples provided by OBrien, about what makes a true war
story, are all things you can feel. For example, he explains that true war stories are never moral.
Wyllow Hildner 09
12/14/17
TTTC Seminar Pre-Write

Whether a story is moral or not is determined by what the listener feels and thinks. He also says that a
true war story is unclear. A clear war story can only be decided if the storyteller and the listener feel it is
clear. Everything comes down to feeling. On this basis, The Things They Carried is a true story. Yes, Tim
OBrien may have changed names or exaggerated details, but the emotions and the feelings that show
themselves through the story are completely true because you can feel them. The story-truth is overall
emotion. Its messy and confusing, but its the truth. The happening-truth are the less important details
that only create an environment for that emotion. Its less about those details and more about the
overall experience.