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The Things They Carried
Tim O’Brien
Study Guide
Summary
Plot Overview
Five Key Questions
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
Style
Point of View
Tone
Foreshadowing
Key Facts
Is The Things They Carried fiction or memoir?
Quotes
Important Quotations Explained
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
"Night Life" Quiz
"Night Life" Quiz
1
of 5
Who is sent to Japan?
Dobbins
Sanders
Cross
Kiley
2
of 5
How does Kiley react to sleeping during the day and marching all night?
He breaks down mentally.
He is invigorated by the excitement.
He accepts the grind of it.
He complains to Cross.
3
of 5
What does Kiley confess to Sanders?
He likes killing the Viet Cong.
He’s in love with Martha.
He can’t be a medic anymore.
He’s responsible for Kiowa’s death.
4
of 5
What does Kiley do to get himself out of the war?
Admit to being gay
Shoot himself in the toe
Kill his commanding officer
Intentionally fail a psych test
5
of 5
How does the rest of the company respond to Kiley’s actions?
They resent him.
They kill him.
They copy him.
They understand him.
Previous section
"Ghost Soldiers' Quick Quiz
Next section
"The Lives of the Dead" Quick Quiz
The Things They Carried: Popular pages
CHARACTERS
Character List
CHARACTERS
Tim O’Brien: Character Analysis
MAIN IDEAS
Plot Analysis
MAIN IDEAS
Is The Things They Carried fiction or memoir?
MAIN IDEAS
Important Quotations Explained
MAIN IDEAS
Themes
FURTHER STUDY
Review Quiz
