The story “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, is set in the Vietnam war, which was a very difficult time in American history. The Vietnam war lasted around twenty years and impacted the whole Untied States, whether people were overseas fighting, at home protesting or working in factories making supplies. Throughout the story the author talks about the harsh conditions the soldiers had to go through and how the Vietnam war was a total disaster for America and its soldiers. He also describes the items the soldiers had with them and how they helped them survive, whether it was mentally or physically. The soldiers were always very hot, they had to carry a ton of stuff on their backs, and they were in a jungle that was very humid and dense. By reading this story, the reader can get a better understanding of how the soldiers survived the war mentally and physically. The things they carried helped them survive and made them mentally strong by reminding them of home. The articles I have chosen best represent the historical context of the story because they describe the conditions the soldiers had to endure, they describe the negative view of the war by the American people, and it shows why the things they carried were so valuable to them. 

One of the reasons the articles help the historical context of the story is by describing the negative view of the war among the American people. The Vietnam war was very controversial within the United States because the American people wish they never went into war with Vietnam. The American people were against the War because of the loss of soldiers and the horrible conditions they had to go through. “Shocked by the horror and hopelessness of war…” (Johannessen 375) emphasizes the traumatic scene that soldiers had to endure. It was normal for society to be uncompassionate about the war, and those involved. The idea of war was still confusing to most. As Johannessen states, written by Cynthia Rylant’s in A Blue-Eyed Daisy, “Confused about wars and killing, Ellie is surprised when Joe and her family avoid the subject (375).” This is right after the main character’s Uncle Joe had come home from fighting in the Vietnam War. While the war was going on, back home people were protesting, trying to get President Johnson to end the war and get our troops home. Nixon, however, ignored the people and the United States ended up losing a lot of men to casualties and prisoners of war without gaining anything. This made American frustrated, especially the family members of the soldiers that died or came back with post-traumatic stress disorder. This is one of the reasons so many historians agree that our involvement in the Vietnam war was a mistake. Not only was the war a bad idea because of its controversy back home, but it also put our soldiers in extreme conditions that we were not prepared for.

One of the big problems with the war during this era were the harsh conditions the military had to endure. Some of the conditions the soldiers encountered were very hot/humid weather, guns not working due to the moist air, leeches from the ponds, and rashes in on their feet and legs from the sweat and mud. Imagine having to survive in these conditions at only eighteen and nineteen years old. “Henry Robbins carried an M60 which weighed 23 pounds (O’Brien 330).” Carrying a twenty-three-pound gun through the jungle of Vietnam would be a challenge for even the strongest man due to the extreme heat and humidity. Not only did they have to battle the enemy, they also had to battle the conditions that the Vietnamese people were accustomed to dealing with which gave them an advantage. One of the reasons the conditions were a huge factor was because majority of the soldiers were high school students that were drafted. They were not used to such harsh conditions that it had a bigger effect on them, which caused the deaths of a lot of soldiers. Along with the harsh conditions, most high school students do not have the mental strength to handle being in battle. The conditions only seemed to add to the stress and agony they endured while fighting for The United States. This is integrated into the story by the author describing how heavy the equipment the characters had to carry, and by how the things they carried helped them mentally. An example of this is Marth, she is used to keep Lieutenant Cross strong mentally by having him understand love and being able to feel it while being on complete opposite sides of the world. This is important because it gives the reader a better understanding of how some of the soldiers could withstand the extreme conditions thrown at them. 

One of the biggest reasons some of the soldiers could come back home alive and somewhat mentally stable were because of the items they brought with them. “Lieutenant Cross received a good luck charm from Marth… a pebble she found on the jersey shore (O’Brien 331).” This is an example of something that the soldiers would carry to help them get through the hardships of war and the extreme conditions of the Vietnam jungle. Being away from things that you are familiar with while also fighting for your life is a very stressful situation to be put in, so having things that remind you of home may help you calm down and realize that you will be home again one day and that things could be worse. This is important to the story because the author describes his personal experiences of being a Vietnam veteran and how he and his friends could calm themselves enough to be mentally strong through the war. This allows the reader to get a better understanding of what a Vietnam veteran went through while overseas and how it changed their lives forever. Some people would hear that they were carrying something as small as a pebble with them and question how that could help them, but you would be surprised at how powerful an object can be to a person. When someone you care about gives you something your mind automatically starts to associate that object with that person. So, when you are down or stressed and hold the certain object your brain is telling that things are ok and this person is thinking about you and is always with you in your mind. The human brain can be a powerful tool and with the addition of an item given by someone important to you, your brain can help you relax and realize that you are strong enough to make it through the war. If anything, the object will motivate you to survive so you can get back to the person you love or have a strong connection with. The idea behind “The things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is very strong and especially during this time when people were questioning the war and were second guessing the idea of seeing their friends or family again, the object was a motivational tool to make it back home for the soldiers. A pebble is only one example but there are many other things soldiers could have carried such as letters or jewelry that could have had the same effect on the soldiers and their families. 

The articles I have chosen best represent the historical context of the story because they describe the conditions the soldiers had to endure, they describe the negative view of the war by the American people, and it shows why the things they carried were so valuable to them. Throughout the story “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien and the two articles I selected as evidence, there was a lot of connection between the two and how the historical theme of the Vietnam war impacted America and its soldiers. With the disagreement of the war back home, and the conditions the soldiers had to bear, this time in American history was very difficult. With the idea of Tim O’Brien’s story and the connections throughout the articles, there is a strong argument that describe the points I chose to write my paper on and how they impact the story and the historical context of the story. This paper taught me a lot and now I can understand O’Brien’s story and how it relates to the Vietnam war. 
