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The Things They Carried
Tim O’Brien
Study Guide
Summary
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
Character List
Tim O’Brien
Jimmy Cross
Mitchell Sanders
Kiowa
Mary Ann Foster
Norman Bowker
Elroy Berdahl
Main Ideas
Themes
Plot Analysis
Protagonist
Antagonist
Setting
Motifs
Symbols
Genre
Allusions
Style
Point of View
Tone
Foreshadowing
Key Facts
Is The Things They Carried fiction or memoir?
Quotes
Important Quotations Explained
Quotes By Symbol
The Dead Young Vietnamese Soldier
Kathleen
Linda
Further Study
Context
Protests Against the Vietnam War
The Things They Carried and American War Novels
Movie Adaptations
Full Book Quiz
Section Quizzes
Character List
Analysis of Major Characters
Themes, Motifs, and Symbols
"The Things They Carried"
"Love"
"Spin"
"On the Rainy River"
"Enemies" and "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"
"Ghost Soldiers'
"Night Life"
"The Lives of the Dead"
Study Questions
Suggestions for Further Reading
Companion Texts
Writing Help
How to Write Literary Analysis
Suggested Essay Topics
How to Cite This SparkNote
Further Study
"Love" Quiz
Further Study
"Love" Quiz
1
of 5
Whom does Cross go to visit?
Tim O'Brien
His parents
Martha
Kiowa
2
of 5
When does Cross see Martha again?
Immediately after the war
Never
At their college reunion
On vacation in New York City
3
of 5
How does Martha react to Cross's profession of love?
She says nothing.
She tells him she loves him back.
She tells him she hates him.
She tells him she's in love with someone else.
4
of 5
What does Martha give Cross?
A gold wedding ring
One hundred dollars
A handwritten letter
A new picture of herself
5
of 5
What does Cross ask O'Brien to do in the book he is writing?
Tell the truth
Leave him out of it
Make him look good
Not write it at all
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"The Things They Carried" Quick Quiz
Next section
"Spin" Quick Quiz
Popular pages:
The Things They Carried
Character List
CHARACTERS
Tim O’Brien: Character Analysis
CHARACTERS
Plot Analysis
MAIN IDEAS
Is The Things They Carried fiction or memoir?
MAIN IDEAS
Important Quotations Explained
MAIN IDEAS
Themes
MAIN IDEAS
Review Quiz
FURTHER STUDY
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