     Books have been around long before movies and have provided endless amounts of entertainment and knowledge to people all over the world. Books can be very useful to anyone from a student learning, to someone relaxing on the beach. Movies also hold their own end as the movie industry racks in millions of dollars from all types of genres each year. These two mediums have their advantages and disadvantages to the audience they bring in. By looking at Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” and the film Forrest Gump, directed by Robert Zemeckis, we can see that books bring the reader closer to the story than movies, connecting the reader to the dialog in a more emotional and personal way. This is important because it opens the reader to the story and creates a sense of connection to the characters.

     “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is a collection of short stories based on a platoon and their experience in the Vietnam War. The book begins explaining some of the things the men carried. Some of these items were assigned by their title, and others were for sentimental value. The book is written in third person, capturing the emotions of not only lieutenant Cross, but the individual men as well. This is valuable to the reader because when one event happens, the book shows how it effects the different men of the platoon. Over the course of the book, the reader can see how the war begins to burden Cross. In the beginning of the story Cross is laidback and often day dreams of his girl from back home. His most inner thoughts are not always present, leaving the audience guessing how he feels. One thing that is very present within the text are his daydreams, which are described in great detail. Lieutenant Cross would day dream of his girl from back home, “he imagined bare feet… her feet would be brown, the toenails unpainted, eyes chilly and somber like the ocean in march” (O’Brien 332) the details O’Brien uses shows the sincerity of passion and dedication that Cross had toward his girl from back home. As the reader reads the book they can begin to paint a picture in their head as to what they believe each characters looks like and how they function. The use of text is valuable as it conveys the ability for the reader to imagine his or her own world. While each world created by a reader will be different in their head, it will be a reflection of their personal experiences with the text, creating a deeper connection to the story and the characters.

     Being in text form, the book “The Things They Carried” shows the truest feelings and emotions of the characters. After Ted Lavenders death, much of the platoon was in delusion and didn’t know how to react. Lieutenant Cross took out his aggression by ordering the men to “burn everything. They shot chickens and dogs… called in artillery and watched the wreckage” (O’Brien 336) on a nearby village, before returning to their trenches that night. The effects of the day’s events and casualties fell heavily on the lieutenant and “he tried not to cry” (O’Brien 336) while another soldier Kiowa “enjoyed not being dead” (O’Brien 337). The effects of the men become painted in reader’s mind as they imagine how each soldier reacted and persuades a cold emotion. This emotion brings the reader closer to the characters and creates a personal feeling of grief after reading what they went through. These horrific and terrify events continue to go on throughout the story, and the men become closer to each other because of it. The book often mentions how they would help each other out “they shared the weight of memory, they took up what others could no longer bear… they carried each other, wounded and weak” (O’Brien 335) creating a sense of brotherhood among the platoon. This brotherhood creates a feeling of sympathy among the audience. While the men act tough, the 3rd person perspective shows how the men are there for each other through thick and thin. An example of this is when Kiowa opens up to Norman after the death of Ted Lavender. There conversations spark the feeling of brotherhood and a true sense of war, because the men know they are all each other have.

    Forest Gump, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is the story of a male’s journey through life during the Vietnam war era. During the movie, Forest is drafted and exposed to the horrors of war. This medium is in the format of a movie, giving the audience an up close look at a battle field. The benefit of having the narrator be the main character is that the audience is exposed to all sides of the character. When Forest says “I ran and ran, just like Jenny told me to” (Zemeckis, 1994) during an ambush attack, you can begin to see that even in the most horrific war situations Forest is focused on the one he loves. Having access to the narrator’s inner thoughts as he recollects the events, prevents there from being a gap where viewers must guess how Forest is feeling. One important aspect that this medium captures is humor, which keeps the audience entertained and engaged in the film. Forrest is a slightly goofy guy and throughout the film provides some great lines. One line in particular is when Forrest explains how he doesn’t have to worry about money matters any more, “Lieutenant Dan got me invested in some kind of fruit company [Apple computer]. So then I got a call from him, saying we don’t have to worry about money no more. And I said, that’s good! One less thing” (Zemeckis, 1994) Forrest’s interesting personality is extremely engaging to the viewer, his nonchalant attitude makes him out to be an open minded and down to earth character, that the audience could create a relationship to. While he may not be an ordinary person, he is not intimidating, feels like someone you could go up and talk to on the side of the street.

     The sound effects in the movie “Forrest Gump” are strong and powerful, especially shown when Forest and his platoon are ambushed and the sound makes it feel realistic. You can hear bullets flying and men crying. The ability for the medium to capture this allows the audience to see the true emotion through the actions of the men going through the event. This movie is narrated by Forest himself, looking back on his adventures and stories. This gives the audience the capability to understand Forest on a deeper level. Rather than just imagining what Forest might look like or how he would act, the actor allows you to see Forest. The movie was directed by Robert Zemeckis, and while it has been a great success, the medium of movie takes away the personal connection that viewers would get with a book. This movie was made how Zemeckis imagined it, which isn’t how every viewer would imagine the events. 

     The medium of a movie is a visual pleasure to the audience, allowing them to see how the director pictured the story. However, a book is a mental pleasure, giving the reader the capability to create his or her own world in their head. The reader’s world is heavily based on the text of the story, but individually based on their prior experiences. This allows for the reader to become more emotionally attached to the story and become closer to the characters and the events that occur in the book.