Identity In Tim OBriens The Things They Carried - 1179 Words

People often display their inner self when it comes down to life-changing situations, which can often appear different than what is displayed externally. In the novel, The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien demonstrates the concept of underlying identity in the characters, Mary Anne Bell and Rat Kiley, and describes the Vietnam war environment portraying harmful effects to these characters. Through O’Brien’s exploration of the characters’ actions in the Vietnam war environment, he depicts that the physical environment of the Vietnam war leads to Mary Anne Bell’s and Rat Kiley’s insanity and reveals their underlying identity, which emphasizes that people ignore their true ego to fulfill societal positions. The brutal, Vietnam war†¦show more content†¦Vietnam’s ambiance provokes Mary Anne Bell’s transformation from arriving as a sweet, innocent girl to becoming a vicious, wild predator, which demonstrates her buried barbari c identity hidden by her doll-like appearance to satisfy Mark Fossie, her boyfriend. When she arrives at the army site, Rat Kiley would distinguish her of having â€Å"a complexion like strawberry ice cream† (89). The simile between â€Å"strawberry ice cream† and Mary refers to how innocent and sweet she appears, which is the typical stereotype of what the soldiers thought every girl was like in the US. Rat Kiley would also describe Mary as a â€Å"seventeen-year-old doll in her goddamn culottes, perky and fresh-faced, †¦[and] her pretty blue eyes seemed to glow† (92). The direct characterization of her culottes, perky face, and bright blue eyes also contributes to her innocence, sweetness, and joy that she carries. However, Mary would slowly show her true identity as she experiences the Vietnam setting. She would â€Å"in times of action, [take] †¦ on a sudden new composure, almost serene, [with her] fuzzy blue eyes narrowing into a tight, intellige nt focus† (93-94). The denotation of â€Å"serene† justifies the presence of a new girl who used to be innocent and sweet, but is now bold and unfazed by the horror of Vietnam. Furthermore, the characterization shift from â€Å"fuzzy blue eyes† to an â€Å"intelligentShow MoreRelatedEssay On The Things They Carried1624 Words   |  7 PagesFor the seventeen Soldiers portrayed in â€Å"The Things We Carried† by Tim O’Brien, the physical pain was very minimal weight to carry compared to the emotional scars that they will carry throughout their entire life. This story does an amazing job portraying full human emotion that anyone put into a situation would feel, such as heavy guilt, sadness, anger, lack of motivation, perseverance, horror, and false security. All of these are notorious feelings that every soldier back in history, and now stillRead MoreThe Things they Carried by Tim O ´Brien1948 Words   |  8 Pages(Mazlish 10). The experience of w ar leaves people with physical and psychological scars. Tim Obrien in â€Å"The Things they Carried† brings to light the tribulations faced by the soldiers in their quest to restore peace. He asserts, ‘war is hell (Brien 8).’This is an exhilarating story that brings to light the fact that, despite their participation in the war, soldiers are still human. Stanley Kubrick echoes Obrien’s sentiments in his award winning film the Full Metal Jacket. Both highlight the ugly truths