The Things They Carried is a collection of loosely related short stories written by Tim O’Brien focusing on a platoon of soldiers during the Vietnam War. The book draws heavily from his experiences in combat, with many of the characters sharing similarities with other characters from his memoir. The book is famous for its use of verisimilitude, the believability of a story and the characters within it, heavily blurring the line between fiction and reality. O’Brien used both his name and the names of real people to maintain that illusion of realism, going so far as to dedicate the book itself to the fictional platoon the story focuses on to make it feel closer to his earlier writings.

      The titular story follows Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, the leader of a platoon of soldiers in Vietnam. The Lieutenant and his soldiers are introduced, the novel describing each individual and their equipment. The baggage ranges from weapons and tools to trinkets and other miscellaneous items, with a dedicated explanation from the narrator on why that individual felt it was important to take with them. 

      In Cross’s case, he is carrying a handful of letters and photos from Martha, a young girl at his university that he has feelings for. The narration makes it clear that Cross’s love for Martha is unreciprocated, but the young Lieutenant holds on to them nonetheless. 

      After one of his men dies, Cross blames himself and he burns the remnants of his life outside of Vietnam so that he can focus on the present.

      Similar themes of emotional conflict and repressed desires are prevalent in the animated series Neon Genesis Evangelion. The show follows an emotionally stunted child named Shinji Ikari, who receives a message from his estranged father that whisks him away to the stronghold-like city of Tokyo-3. Once he is finally face-to-face with Gendo, his callous father, he is informed that his entire purpose for being summoned was to be used as a pilot for an experimental bipedal weapon known as EVA.

      Despite starting off with a premise that’s relatively standard for the genre, Neon Genesis Evangelion quickly shifts its focus from a light-hearted action show with emotional undertones into a full-on character study, as the individuals associated with the EVA project are revealed to be emotionally unstable and unable to cope with their issues. Their problems displayed for the viewer in gruesome detail as the true intentions of the EVA project and its associates are slowly revealed through the course of the show.

      Shinji and Lieutenant Cross share similar problems of repressed emotions creating conflict for them. For Shinji, his lack of self-esteem and constant seeking for the approval of both his father and his peers. Because of this, he will often throw himself into combat with reckless abandon, disregarding the consequences of both himself and his teammates and often suffering for it. Cross finds himself unable to move on from Martha despite his crush on her being entirely one sided, and as such his ability to perform his duty as a Lieutenant suffers, at one point his emotional detachment costs him one of his men.

     Another parallel one can draw from both narratives is the mental toll that results from being constantly surrounded by war and suffering. Before his father summons him, Shinji is a shy, reclusive boy, performing what is asked of him in a vain attempt to gain the acceptance of the people surrounding him. As he is forced to pilot EVA more and more his mental health quickly begins to decline, his once upbeat, if quiet, personality gone as he slips further and further into depression. Many of the other operatives behind the EVA project suffer a similar fate, their personal baggage catching up to them without any way for them to cope properly, resulting in a team of professionals that’s practically falling apart at the seams. This comes to a head when Asuka, another EVA pilot, begins to lose her ability to pilot her unit. As she falls behind her teammates, her inferiority complex kicks in and she abandons the project. Later she’s discovered in an abandoned apartment complex, naked and malnourished in a bathtub where it’s heavily implied she meant to take her own life. 

      Cross and his men suffer from a similar fate, constantly surrounded by the dense Vietnam jungle with no escape, they are described as using self-medication and pitch black humor as methods to deal with the constant barrage of misery and human suffering they are forced to slog through. At one point they discuss soldiers who would shoot off their own fingers and toes to escape the war, a mixture of hatred and envy in their voice as they all wish they could have the gall to do the same.

     Despite the similarities in themes and tones, it’s apparent that the texts were two different approaches to their subject matter.

      Neon Genesis Evangelion is steeped in elements of sci-fi and speculative fiction. Giant robots piloted by humans fight in brutal combat against alien lifeforms in an attempt to save the world. The Things They Carried is a realistic war drama, lifting elements from real life conflicts that author Tim O’Brien experienced firsthand. By the end of Evangelion, Shinji is able to come to terms with his inner struggles, believing in himself and his ability to improve for the first time since his mother passed away. Lieutenant Cross is clearly scarred by his experiences in Vietnam, burning away the remains of his outside life to become a detached, emotionless leader for the sake of his troops.

      While both texts approach their subject matter with different mindsets, genres, and even mediums, the similarities in how they discuss these topics is staggering. Both The Things They Carried and Neon Genesis Evangelion have gone on to become defining texts for their respective genres.
