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Tim O'Brien is the protagonist, author, and narrator of the book "The things they carried", he was mentioned all over the book talking about many different people in his life and also events in his life from before to after the war explaining significant moments in detail and how it changed his life.
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The Vietnam War is where the setting of all the characters in the book "The things they carried" by Tim O'Brien each characters story was either set already in the war or their story was about how they ended up in war. There were also chapters where they shared a bit of their lives after and how the War significantly changed their lives.
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In chapter 1, The narrator shares objects that were sent to Jimmy Cross from his lover Martha that he carried with him during the war which included letters of encouragement, photographs of her, and a pebble for good luck. This made him feel loved by her and fed into his delusions of her.
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In Chapter 1, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is introduced as the platoon leader and the narrator tells us about his emotional baggage that he carried during the war from a love he had at home and how distracted he would get of fantasies of her during this battle.
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In chapter 1, Norman Bowker was introduced as a quiet man who carried a diary and a corpse's thumb during the war. later on the Author shares more stories of Norman and his experience during the war, and later on his life after the war which didn't end well but in tragedy.
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In chapter 4, Tim O'brien after getting drafted to the war he took some time to think on his own and fear took over his mind, he decided to run away and ended up in the tip top lodge where he met Elroy who took him in and didn't ask any questions. one day Elroy took Tim on a boat to Canada where after some time he had a revelation and when he got back to the lodge at night he left leaving money for Elroy as thank you. Tim was embarrassed not to go to war afraid of shame and exile.
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In chapter 9, Mary curiosity led her to a village where she saw how people lived and explored, after days she became very involved and a drastic change in her happened she cut her hair stopped wearing makeup and jewelry and became more quiet and different her boyfriend got uncomfortable and tried to "fix" her but she didn't agree she started to disappear more and more into the wilderness where she had changed completely till one day she vanished, her and her belonging were never seen again.
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chapter 9, A girl named Mary Anne Belle was introduced as Mark Fossies girlfriend they were sweethearts and were so happy together, by other characters she was described as young, blonde, and very friendly. she had arrived in Vietnam curious about the war but maybe she should have stayed curious.
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In chapter 15, Norman speaks about courage and deep feelings of his experience during the war and his situation post-war receiving metals and about his courage. He sends a letter to O'brien about his struggles after the war and how he can't find meaning to his life he asked O'brien to write a story about a guy like him including the death of Kiowa. O'brien agreed but time after he finished Norman had hung himself. so O'brien dedicated the story to him with all the correct events.
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Chapter 22, In this Final chapter the Author states why he writes stories about the war even years later. It is clear to him it keeps people that have passed alive, like the soldiers they lost during the war and his former lover Linda that passed away as well. He also shared how storytelling allows him to confront and process the experiences and losses he went through by writing about them. The ending shows how he wanted to share the things each character carried during this period of time.