In his 1990 novel, The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien uses various motifs, which are recurring ideas, images or symbols, which reinforce important themes in a work of art or literature. Some of the motifs used are
the haze, the jungle, the muck, and the darkness of night
.
How do you explain a motif?
Motif is a literary technique that consists of a
repeated
element that has symbolic significance to a literary work. Sometimes, a motif is a recurring image. Other times, it’s a repeated word, phrase, or topic expressed in language. A motif can be a recurring situation or action.
What are motifs in The Things They Carried?
In his 1990 novel, The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien uses various motifs, which are recurring ideas, images or symbols, which reinforce important themes in a work of art or literature. Some of the motifs used are
the haze, the jungle, the muck, and the darkness of night
.
Who is the savior motif in The Things They Carried?
Michael Stultz, M.A. In the first story, “The Things They Carried ,”
Jimmy Cross
, whose name is symbolic of Jesus Christ’s martyrdom on Golgotha, attempts to take upon the guilt of Ted Lavender’s death. Though he does not sacrifice himself the way Christ did–by turning himself over to his enemies and dying…
What are three themes explored in The Things They Carried?
- Physical and Emotional Burdens. The “[t]hings” of the title that O’Brien’s characters carry are both literal and figurative. …
- Fear of Shame as Motivation. …
- The Subjection of Truth to Storytelling. …
- The Power of Friendship. …
- The Pointlessness of War. …
- Death’s Power.
What literary devices are used in The Things They Carried?
In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien uses many such techniques to provide more depth to his book. Four literary techniques used by Tim O’Brien are
symbolism, pathetic fallacy, irony, and juxtaposition
.
The Things They Carried presents the
metaphorical argument that memories are fragmented, bits and pieces of oddities stuffed into our minds, like things in a duffel bag
.
What is an example of a motif?
Example of Motif in Literature:
A motif in Romeo and Juliet is
“light and dark
.” Some examples include: Throughout the play, Romeo refers to Juliet as a powerful light source. The night (moon) is no match for Juliet’s beauty. Juliet, too, says Romeo lights her.
What is an example of a motif in Romeo and Juliet?
Motif: Light and Dark/Day and Night
One instance of this motif is
Romeo’s lengthy meditation on the sun and the moon during the balcony scene
, in which he describes Juliet as the sun. Romeo uses figurative language to describe her as banishing the “envious moon” and transforming the night into day (2.2. 4).
How many types of motifs are there?
Types of Motifs
A motif is any element in a design. It is usually a repeated element but it doesn’t have to be the case always. In textile design there are only 3 big categories of motifs:
geometric, floral and novelty
.
Why does O’Brien stop hating Jorgensen?
O’Brien glared at him and said it wasn’t this easy to apologize for nearly killing him. Jorgenson kept his hand out, and he looked so genuinely upset that O’Brien felt guilty. But not guilty enough, because he left Jorgenson standing there and drove away. But
he hated Jorgenson
now for “making [him] stop hating him.”
Why does Rat Kiley call his friend’s sister an offensive name?
He calls the sister a
“dumb cooze”
not because he is a misogynist but because it is his way of negotiating anger. Blame must be assigned, Kiley rationalizes in his anger, and O’Brien sees the truth in Kiley’s emotions.
What did Jimmy Cross carry emotionally?
In Tim O’Brien’s historical fiction novel The Things They Carried, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries
letters and pictures from Martha in the bottom of his pack
. He carries them with him as comfort, reading them at night, until Ted Lavender is killed. Cross burns the letters and pictures after Lavender’s death.
What did Tim O’Brien carry physically?
Tim O’Brien: I carried all the standard military stuff:
grenades, ammo, an M16, sometimes an M60
. Letters from mom, dad. Letters from a girl back home. More than the physical, I carried incredible terror with every single step I took.
What are the main themes of The Things They Carried?
The primary theme in the novel The Things They Carried is
the burdens we all carry
. The first chapter of the novel is dedicated to the physical and emotional burdens the men carried with them as they marched: the guns, the gear, the photos, the letters, the hope, the fear, the memories, and the guilt.
What are some of the major themes of The Things They Carried?
- Mortality and Death. The threat, even expectation, of death hangs over all of the soldiers in The Things They Carried. …
- Social Obligation. …
- Morality. …
- Storytelling and Memory. …
- Shame and Guilt.
