Wilfred Liautaud

D Block
The Things They Carried
4-17-2017

Imagery

When writing a book, it is important to remember the key narrative terms, to

ensure a clear and effective story. Tim OBrien, author of The Things They Carried, is

not oblivious to this. He uses almost all narrative elements to create an effective story

and scenario. The most important of all in his arsenal, and most effective, is Setting. It

uses imagery and descriptive writing of time, place, and conditions to paint an image in

the readers mind. It is through this that the story becomes clear and explainable, and

therefore more effective.

When a story is told, it is easier to understand when you can imagine the

scenario the event is taking place in, and take in the little details of the story. Descriptive

writing can make even something as small as the sound of the environment the center

of attention. For example, when they describe the sounds emanating from the darkness

as that hum in your earsand in the hours after midnight youd swear you were

walking through some kind of soft black protoplasm, Vietnam, the blood and the flesh.

(OBrien, 145), it is easier to understand the eeriness of the nights and bring some

explanation to the psychological effect it has on the soldiers. The combination of time,

elements, and location is important in telling a clear and transparent story, but

expanding on the little things can give it that much more of an impact. It is the little
things that help create a picture in the mind, which then helps the reader understand the

story.

The mind is a canvas. It can be blank at any time, but it is entertainments job to

paint a picture. This especially applies to books. Books need to be descriptive to aid the

mind in creating the scenario. The Things They Carried is not oblivious to this;

combining short, impactful stories with various, graphic images on each and every

page. The sheer amount of adjectives and time spent detailing the setting explains why

it is so effective when telling the story. If there was a story about a platoon, it would be

much easier to tell what was happening when the setting was explained. It is much

needed to understand the story, and imperative to its effectiveness.

In short, setting and imagery are the most effectively used literary term in The

Things They Carried because of the way they tell the story. The scenarios become

cleared and more real to the mind, and as a result a much more effective story and

impact on the reader. Little details provide necessary clearance to the overall narrative.

Tim OBrien has created a masterpiece of a wartime story, and that is thanks to

imagery.