An Analysis of Storytelling in "The Things They Carried"

Storytelling plays a central role to the plot in The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. The art of telling stories, whether they are told by the soldiers in Jimmy Cross' platoon, by the fictitious Tim O'Brien, or by the actual author Tim O'Brien. However, the stories in The Things They Carried often have a universal theme of a lack of truth, or blatant lying. The art of storytelling and the manner in which you tell a story matters a great deal in The Things They Carried, whether the stories are being told by a soldier or the author himself.

Throughout The Things They Carried, many stories are told by the soldiers of Jimmy Cross' platoon, with the primary storyteller being Mitchell Sanders. Sander's stories often contain a severe lack of truth in them, leaving the reader to decide what is true and what is false. When Sanders is being told stories he often points how the speaker could've done a better job. For example, when Rat is telling Mitchell Sanders the story of Mary Anne, the girl who fought in Vietnam, Mitchell incessantly interrupts him to comment on what he could've improved on. Mitchell says, "...This elaborate story, you can't say, Hey, by the way, I don't know the ending. I mean, you got certain obligations" (pg. 113). This is just one example of a time Sanders interrupts Rat or another soldier to comment on his delivery or the content of his story. Storytelling becomes a very popular, though not always honest, form of passing time in Vietnam for soldiers. The stories often become wildly exaggerated and lack truth, but provide entertainment in a time when these young men need it most.

Not only do the soldiers rely on storytelling for solace in a difficult time, but so does the actual author of the book, Tim O'Brien. In the last chapter of The Things They Carried, "In The Lives of The Dead", O'Brien reflects on the death of young girl he loved and also on the importance of storytelling. After telling the story of Linda, the young girl who died of cancer, O'Brien states,"But in a story I can steal her soul. I can revive, at least briefly, that which is absolute and unchanging" (pg. 236). O'Brien had hinted throughout the novel of the solace that storytelling offered him but it is not until this point that we understand the entire reason why he does. Storytelling doesn't only relax him, but it also allows O'Brien to bring the people he's lost in his life alive, even if only for a brief moment. Not only does it offer O'Brien a sense of comfort, but it also pays tribute to the dead. O'Brien says,"We kept the dead alive with stories" (pg.239). As a soldier in the Vietnam War, O'Brien saw many close friends pass firsthand and it was a traumatizing experience every time, even for the most seasoned of veterans. After the war, when many other soldiers likely suffered from PTSD and sleepless nights, Tim channeled the thoughts in his head onto paper, offering him respite.

Storytelling is a valuable thing for the soldiers whom endured the Vietnam War. During the war, soldiers primarily used storytelling to offer entertainment during the war and keep their minds off the traumatizing things that were occurring around them. When the fighting stopped, many soldiers, including O'Brien, likely suffered from the events that took place in that unforgiving jungle. O'Brien took to storytelling to alleviate some of the stress that engulfed his day-to-day life. Storytelling offered O'Brien a place to clear his mind, and most importantly comfort when he needed it most.