The Things They Carried: Study Guide

The Things They Carried is a collection of short stories by Tim O’Brien that was first published in 1990.

Summary

Read a Plot Overview of The Things They Carried or a chapter by chapter Summary and Analysis.

Plot Overview
Key Questions and Answers
What Does the Ending Mean?

Summary & Analysis
“The Things They Carried”
“Love”
“Spin”
“On the Rainy River”
“Enemies” & “Friends”
“How to Tell a True War Story”
“The Dentist”
“Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong”
“Stockings”
“Church”
“The Man I Killed”
“Ambush”
“Style”
“Speaking of Courage”
“Notes”
“In the Field”
“Good Form”
“Field Trip”
“The Ghost Soldiers”
“Night Life”
“The Lives of the Dead”

Characters

See a complete list of the characters in The Things They Carried and in-depth analyses of Tim O’Brien, Jimmy Cross, Mitchell Sanders, Kiowa, Mary Anne Bell, Norman Bowker, and Elroy Berdahl.

Character List
Tim O’Brien
Jimmy Cross
Mitchell Sanders
Kiowa
Mary Anne Bell
Norman Bowker
Elroy Berdahl

Main Ideas

Here's where you'll find analysis about The Things They Carried as a whole, from the major themes and ideas to analysis of style, tone, point of view, and more.

Themes
Motifs
Symbols
Plot Analysis
Protagonist
Antagonist
Setting
Genre
Allusions
Style
Point of View
Tone
Foreshadowing
Key Facts
Metaphors and Similes
Is The Things They Carried fiction or memoir?

Quotes

Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of The Things They Carried by reading these key quotes.

Important Quotes Explained

Quotes by Symbol
The Dead Young Vietnamese Soldier
Kathleen
Linda

Quotes by Setting
Vietnam

Further Study

Test your knowledge of The Things They Carried with our quizzes and study questions, or go further with essays on context, background, and movie adaptations, plus links to the best resources around the web.