Theme

= Theme, Billy T. and Dylan R .=

The overall theme of __The Things They Carried__ is: remember the fallen. The whole purpose of the story, although the characters are fictional, is to tell of the soldiers that served in Vietnam. " They carried malaria tablets, love letters, 28-pound mine detectors, dope, illustrateed Bibles, each other. And If they made it home alive, they carried unrelenting images of a nigthmarish war history is only begginning to absorb." The story isnt about the things the soldiers carried, but rather, //remembering// what they carried; so that the world would know who they were, what they did, and what they were fighting for. Overall, O'brien wrote the story, because he wanted everyone to know what happened in Vietnam, what those soldiers experienced, and what they had to do to stay alive. He showed us how they felt, in some of the darkest hours of their lives. In general, this story explains that no one can win in war, the victor may be declared, but win or lose, war will bring nothing but bloodshed, and O'Brien clearly explains his morals, and nightmarish memories that were achieved through ignorance and fighting. Nothing good comes from death and suffering.