Francisco Gomez Sanchez

English
Block F
12th April 2017

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

The setting of time in this book is between late 1960s and late 1980s, it takes

place primarily in Vietnam and some parts of the United States like Massachusetts and

Iowa. After reading four chapters of the book is very clear to understand about the

setting of the stories throughout the book. O'Brien uses effectively a narrative element

like setting across each chapter to tell the story, by telling the reader how the setting of

the Vietnam war was at the time in the chapters; In the field, Field Trip and

Nightlife.

In the field effectively uses setting across the reading to tell the situation in the

war. The chapter In the field begins like this; At daybreak the platoon of eighteen

soldiers side by side through the deep much of the shit field. (Page 155) The writer is

making the setting of this scene very miserable as it was in the Vietnam war. We can

understand that how it was to be in that situation as a soldier. This chapter takes place

on a shit field and the setting across the chapter is very effective.

Secondly the chapter Field Trip effectively uses setting across the reading to

make the reader aware of how it looked in the chapter. The field was still there, though

not as I remembered it. Much smaller, I though, and not nearly so menacing, and in the

bright sunlight it was hard to picture what had happened on this ground some twenty

years ago. ( Page 172) Now the reader doesn't only talk about the setting of the place,

but also about the setting of the time. The protagonist comes back to the same field one

chapter after In the field chapter twenty years after and things have changed a lot.

Now that changes rapidly the setting of the book from three chapters and makes the

reading effectively.
 Last of all, Nightlife is a chapter that is completely different to the other two

talked about but also very effective towards the setting of it and the war. It is obvious

that it takes place at night. The usual crazy rumors: massed artillery and Russian tanks

and whole divisions of fresh troops. No one took it seriously, including lieutenant Cross,

but as a precaution the platoon moved only at night, staying off the main trails and

observing strict field SOPs. (Page 208) This quote gives the reader the exact picture of

war. With tanks, and troops, moving at night. This is effective towards the reader's

thoughts about war.

In conclusion, the author O'Brien, makes each chapter effective by using setting

to give the reader a better image of the Vietnam war, especially in the chapters In the

field, Field Trip and Nightlife. The setting represents a big role in a story. Especially

in a book as you cannot see anything about the story.