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Search all of SparkNotes
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Suggestions
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Lord of the Flies
Pride and Prejudice
The Crucible
The Outsiders
The Picture of Dorian Gray
No Fear Shakespeare
Literature
Other Subjects
Teacher
Blog
Help
The Things They Carried
Tim O’Brien
Study Guide
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 Quotes 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
"Enemies" and "Friends" Quiz
Further Study
"Enemies" and "Friends" Quiz
1
of 5
What does Jensen think Strunk has stolen from him?
A jackknife
A gun
A chocolate bar
A magazine
2
of 5
How does Jensen resolve the conflict with Strunk?
He ignores him.
He kills him.
He breaks his own nose.
He buys a new jackknife.
3
of 5
How is Strunk mortally wounded?
He is stabbed in the stomach.
He is shot in the heart.
He steps on a mine.
He is blasted by a mortar shell.
4
of 5
What does Strunk ask Jensen to do?
Not kill him
Tell his wife that he loves her
Put him out of his misery
Run and save himself
5
of 5
What is Jensen's reaction to Strunk's death?
He is saddened.
He commits suicide.
He is relieved.
He loses his mind.
Previous section
"On the Rainy River" Quick Quiz
Next section
"How to Tell a True War Story" 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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