The Things They Carried Essay -- Literary Analysis, History

Joy Kogawa and Tim OBrien two authors that have wielded their mastery of the English language to yield literary masterpieces that reflect not only their own struggles, but the hardships of multitudes around them. In her acclaimed Obasan, Joy Kogawa illustrates the intense discrimination that was faced by Japanese-Canadians during World struggle 2, and provides many reflective anecdotes to give the lecturer some insight on her personal situation. Tim OBrien accomplishes basically the same goal in The Things They Carried by giving the reader many brief stories about his date in the Vietnam War. These two harbors- though incredibly contrasting on the surface - cope a plethora of themes and symbology, as well as many same events. They do not, however, emphasize or present these ideas in the same way. separately of these authors has a unique way of incorporating their own themes or values into their writing, which gives the reader an entirely different view of what may be hap pening. The brain is an dreadful thing. It allows us to think, blink, walk and talk it enables us to run, hide, seek, and stride but near importantly, it allows us to remember. Neither literary work takes a firm spatial relation on their opinion of memories, as both have many different characters with many different opinions. Naomi views and even loosely mirrors Obasans opinions on repositing that the past be left to the past and the future will act what is to come (65 Kogawa). This Ashes to Ashes stance is mirrored by Rat Kiley in The Things They Carried (SparkNotes Editors). Though Obasan has a much tougher exterior and is able to keep her composure, they are both haunted by cruel memories that they are trying to suppress. Rat, however, doesnt have as much luck as ... ...n previously expected. Things arent always what they seem a concept that applies to the characters themselves. Obasan is much than just a wrinkled old lady, just as Rat Kiley is more than just an in fantry soldier. Dont judge a book by its cover, and dont jump to conclusions everyone is different. Take some time to find out and get to know someone, and you might just be surprised by The Things They Carried. Works CitedSparkNotes Editors. SparkNote on Obasan. SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2007. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.SparkNotes Editors. SparkNote on The Things They Carried. SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.Kogawa, Joy. Obasan. 1981. New York First Anchor, 1994. Print.The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2010. Web. Feb. 22 2012.OBrien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1990. Print.