What is the point of view of the things they carried?

The Things They Carried is written from two points of view. The title story and several others are written in first person, from the perspective of the character of Tim. Making use of the third person allows O’Brien to include stories that the character of Tim would not have first-hand knowledge of.

Why does Ted Lavender take tranquilizers?

In The Things They Carried, Ted Lavender carried tranquilizers before he was shot because he needed them to calm his fears. Afraid of being killed at any moment, the only way he could handle the trauma of war was by taking one kind of drug or another.

What is the first chapter of The Things They Carried?

Characters. The narrator opens the first chapter by reflecting about Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, known for carrying the letters written by a girl named Martha. He carries these letters because he wants Martha to love him, though, according to the narrator, she does not.

How is Ted Lavender killed?

Ted Lavender is shot in the head and killed outside a small village during the Vietnam War in The Things They Carried. His death comes entirely out of the blue and deeply impacts his commanding officer.

How does O’Brien define truth?

Throughout The Things They Carried, O’Brien famously distinguishes between “happening-truth,” or an accurate and verifiable account of historical events, and “story truth,” or readers’ genuine experience of the story, even if the details are invented. …

What is third person point of view?

What Is Third-Person Point of View? In the third-person point of view, a narrator tells the reader the story, referring to the characters by name or by the third-person pronouns he, she, or they.

Why did Rat Kiley carry comic books?

Because Rat carries death, he also must carry stolen innocence due to the fact that he longer possesses his own. The comic books Rat carries show that he is not grown up, not mature, and not a man. He enjoys them because he is still a boy and because he is clinging to the role he should still be filling.

What type of character is Ted Lavender?

Ted Lavender is a young, scared soldier in the Alpha company in Tim O’Brien’s book The Things They Carried. He is the most afraid to die, and dies first. Before he is shot, he carries and takes tranquilizers to dull his fear.