Vietnam Weights

Soldiers from the Vietnam War experienced things that no one should ever experience. At the time Vietnam was horrific, the war and the instances within the war that Tim O’Brien portrays is miserable. In Spite of his use of meta-fiction within the whole novel, his emphasis on negative “Fake” events seems to bring readers to the realization of how negative and atrocious the war really was. He speaks about how many individuals who go to war never come back, metaphorically because of the trauma that they endured. Tim begins to give us an understanding of the weight that they carry throughout the novel. He gives inanimate objects that are carried and metaphorical objects that are carried. Chewing gum, marijuana, mosquito repellant, and pocket knives are some of the real things that they carried. These are just essentials that were needed in order to participate in the war, to make it a little more enjoyable. When O’Brien describes his experience of when he received his letter, he shows the negativity towards the letter by explaining how he is going to pass the border at Canada and escape from the war. This event portrays how when soldiers were enlisted in the war without question how negative and terrible it would feel for people of that time to receive that letter. Solder’s like O’Brien in Vietnam carried many real objects but the ones that they didn’t carry and developed over war, lasted a lifetime.

The physical things they carried were simple, marijuana, pocket knives, mosquito repellant, and chewing gum. Many of the soldiers carried these items because they come in handy. Many of the characters carry objects based on their priorities. Ted Lavender was the only one in the war who carried tranquilizers, he used this to take the edge off of all the pressure and stress from the war. Henry Dobbins carries extra rations because he wants to be prepared for anything that happens. Henry also carries his girlfriend’s pantyhose around his neck to bring him some support and hope about home. Kiowa carries an illustrated new testament because it was a gift from his father that he wanted to remember him by. All the men carry an M16 and some carry objects that would be helpful in the long run like, tents, raincoats compressed into a poncho, some even carry grenade launchers. Depending on your role in the war you carry different things, Jimmy Cross carries compasses. Rat Kiley carries morphine, malaria tablets, and supplies for the injured. Other people’s objects were used widely among each other when Ted Lavender got shot, all of his friends around him waited for a helicopter but smoked his marijuana to reduce the stress of the situation. In the end, before Ted got picked up, they were perceived as laughing and joking around about the situation. When each of the characters carries objects of their own, they come together and have many objects that can help many people. Whether short term or long term, the objects that they carry allows for trust among each other. Trust in this war is essential because the brotherly ties that they create causes for a better experience in the hardships that they are enduring.

Negative and difficult events happen throughout the war; moreover, the objects that they carry contribute towards the things they don’t carry, yet feel. Every character carries the weight of the back home. The Jimmy Cross lives his life as the lieutenant, the object that he has to carry is the responsibility for the men’s lives. He is the man that has to deal with every time someone gets shot or hurt and has to make the executive decision towards how to move forth. They carry the weight of expectations and the weight of everyone watching back home. They carry the weight of supporting your fellow soldiers. The weight of not knowing what you will come home to after the war.  O’Brien one night received a seventeen-page letter from Norman Bowker explaining how his life is useless after the war. Norman came back home and tried to get a job. When he finally got a low-income job he then found that he could not maintain it. Keeping a job after the war was difficult because the employees working with you did not support the war as well as everyone around you. Not only this but the result of how PTSD affects your daily life causes you to go crazy. The objects that they don’t carry are the ones that affect them the most. It is the object that they are always thinking about and eventually consumes you.

The effect of the things they carry is everlasting throughout their life. The literal things they carry is for support and to keep the soldiers sane. The metaphorical yet real weight that they carry has an everlasting effect. The weight they carry leads from the war to home too. Solder’s like O’Brien in Vietnam carry many real objects but the ones that they didn’t carry and developed over war, lasted a lifetime. War is traumatizing, it is miserable, Tim’s description of war and the effects on him and everyone around him are dramatic an especially real. We need to step back, read this book, move past the common use of metafiction and pay attention to the ideas and moments of reality that go right over our heads.