The Things They Carried Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering characters, key objects, deaths, themes, and conceptual terms from the study guide notes on The Things They Carried.

Ted Lavender

A soldier who carried tranquilizers to cope with fear and extra ammunition, and was shot and killed while returning from going to the bathroom.

Curt Lemon

A soldier killed by a booby-trapped 105mm round, whose death is described through the strangely beautiful way sunlight and the jungle appeared.

Kiowa

A soldier who carried a Bible and a hatchet, and died in a sewage field after a mortar attack, sinking into the mud.

Norman Bowker

A veteran compared to America itself who struggles with guilt, drives around his hometown lake unable to find someone to talk to, and eventually dies by suicide.

Tim O’Brien

The narrator who was shot twice during the war, opposed the draft after working in a meatpacking plant in the summer of 1968, and uses storytelling to cope with painful memories.

Rat Kiley

A soldier who shoots himself in the foot in order to be evacuated from the war.

Bobby Jorgenson

A medic who panics and takes too long to treat Tim after he is shot.

Jimmy Cross

The platoon leader who carries letters and pictures from Martha and feels profound guilt over the deaths of Ted Lavender and Kiowa.

Henry Dobbins

A soldier who carries his girlfriend's pantyhose as a personal and emotional item.

Dave Jensen

A soldier who carries hygiene supplies among his gear.

Tip Top Lodge

The place near the Canadian border where Tim stays while contemplating running away to avoid the draft.

Elroy Berdahl

The man at the Tip Top Lodge who helps Tim face his decision regarding the draft without passing judgment.

Mary Anne Bell

Mark Fossie's girlfriend who arrives in Vietnam, becomes fascinated by the war, undergoes a transformation, and eventually disappears into the jungle.

Martha

Jimmy Cross's love interest back home whose letters and photographs he carries, though she does not return his romantic feelings.

Linda

Tim's childhood love whom he took to a movie on their first date, serving as a primary reason he writes stories to keep the dead alive.

True War Story

A narrative that does not always have a clear lesson or happy ending, is often confusing and difficult to believe, and prioritizes emotional truth over exact facts.

Green Berets

U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers trained for specialized missions, including unconventional warfare, reconnaissance, and training allied forces.

The Weight of Things

The physical items carried by soldiers that symbolize their emotional burdens, including fear, love, guilt, and grief.

Storytelling

The process Tim uses to understand his experiences, process painful memories, and preserve the lives of the deceased.