In my English class, I wrote an essay to finish off the novel The Things They Carried.
I put a lot of thought into this essay in the planning stage – it certainly has personal significance. I wanted to record it here 🙂
The Existence Beyond Tangible Reality
No matter how dauntless one is, there is always the fear of a ghostly, supernatural existence inside every individual’s mind. For instance, when the room becomes pitch-black a young child might instinctively sprint towards their soft blanket after turning the lights off or look beneath their bed for a potential blinking pair of eyes. On the other hand, the belief in a higher power such as Christianity’s Holy Spirit provides many with a sense of security. To borrow a well-known verse from the bible many Christians go back to for comfort, it reads, “So do not fear, for I am with you…”. This concept of being fearless through God is a core tenet of Christianity and is emphasized a myriad of times in the Bible. One’s level of comfort can be dependent on one’s belief in a supernatural existence; Tim O’Brien, the author of the novel The Things They Carried, explores the theme in depth throughout the novel.
O’Brien portrays religion, particularly Christianity, as a source of solace. Faith provides peace to one’s mind, especially amid the unsettled environment of war the soldiers are dealing with. In the chapter “Church”, O’Brien writes, “But we spent the night there, turning the pagoda into a little fortress … It was mostly a very peaceful time” (113). The pagoda O’Brien is referring to is almost abandoned except for a mere pair of monks living inside. Ironically, the abandoned pagoda turns into a “fortress” that acts as a makeshift “church” for the soldiers. His usage of the word “fortress” in a chapter focusing on the role of this temporary “Church” leads one to interpret the word biblically. Along with the usual implication of physical protection, “fortress” is also a metaphor for God’s protection and finding shelter in His presence. O’Brien also uses its association with peace within the passage to emphasize even the mere idea of religion can bring comfort to one’s soul.
Moreover, religion provides peace to one’s conscience and resolves internal moral conflicts. While the soldiers are staying in the pagoda Henry Dobbins and Kiowa have a conversation about how Kiowa was raised religiously and the aspects of religion that Dobbins appreciates, which makes their belief in God a connection that bonds them. Dobbins says to Kiowa: “I believed in God and all that, but it wasn’t the religious part that interested me. Just being nice to people, that’s all. Being decent” (115). The passage shows how Dobbins applies his level of faith practically in the situations he encounters, and how he sees religion as a way to be a considerate and decent individual. “Being decent” is further emphasized in the chapter “The Lives of the Dead”, when Kiowa says, “You did a good thing today … That shaking hands crap, it isn’t decent” (215). As a pious character, Kiowa’s disapproval of making fun of the dead informs one that it is his faith that allows him to distinguish what is moral or not. The soldiers are forced into a morally complex environment, and their religion acts as a compass to guide them toward the best possible moral decision during a time that presents them with many difficult and morally ambiguous situations.
On the contrary, the concept of otherworldly, supernatural beings can also intimidate one and result in more fear, and this fear that stems from uncertainty is heavily amplified amid war. Due to their hyperawareness of potential unknown dangers lurking in the dark, soldiers become prone to believing in the presence of ghosts and terrorize themselves with the thought of it. The author describes how ghostlike the enemy is at night in the chapter “The Ghost Soldiers”: “Almost magical-appearing, disappearing. He could blend with the land, changing form, becoming trees and grass. He could levitate. He could fly. He could pass through barbed wire and melt away like ice and creep up on you without sound or footsteps. He was scary” (193). O’Brien’s usage of anaphora in the passage which is the repetition of “he could”, highlights the enemy character’s ability to defy logical limitations, as well as the uncanny, and extraordinary qualities he possesses. The vivid hallucinations suggest that the soldiers’ fear of phantoms and ghostly apparitions makes the distinction between reality and the supernatural obscure and inscrutable. In addition, the passage engages with multiple sensations. The simile “melt away like ice” allows one to relate the cold fleeting nature that ice possesses to a lurking soldier. When reading “and creep up on you without sound or footsteps,” the eerie silence can fill one’s ears. By immersing one in the war through sensory details, the author helps put one in the minds of the soldiers and feel their fear, which is magnified by the thoughts of the supernatural.
Tim O’Brien eloquently illustrates the ideas of religion, spirituality, and the belief of otherworldly beings in his novel The Things They Carried. Hence one can evidently imply that faith in God brings solace to one’s mind and also plays a role as a moral compass, and the belief in an ethereal, ghostly presence intensifies one’s fear. The metaphorical interpretation of a biblical word and the emphasis on morality and decency suggests that the source of comfort both mentally and conscientiously is one’s belief in the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the bizarre, supernatural attributes the enemy has solely based on the narrator’s description implies how the soldier’s fright results in hallucinations and the blurred barrier between the real world and delusion. Every single person faces frightening, morally complex situations at some point in life. The fact that faith can be a source of comfort and moral guidance is relevant in various circumstances not just in war, and it can help individuals feel a sense of security. Ultimately, the novel draws attention to the border between the tangible reality and the unknown spiritual world and leaves one with a rising question of how much the belief in the supernatural dictates our own lives.
