O'Brien feels deep shame and guilt for killing a young Vietnamese man during the war. He analyzes the corpse in front of him, noticing the man's thin body and wound marks on his face. His companion, Kiowa, tells him not to feel guilty since it was part of the war, but O'Brien continues to dwell on his actions. Another soldier, Azar, mocks the dead body by comparing it to oatmeal. O'Brien then sees a gold ring on the man's finger, thinking of a love he may have had and how his fiancée would react to his death. The story is a reflection on the harsh realities of war and society, and how people respond differently to violence and

1. Argument on “The Things They
Carried; the Man I Killed” by Tim
O’Brien
It becomes clear that this is the description of a man whom O’Brien killed and after
killing he’s analyzing the dead body of a young boy and ashamed on what he has done
like a common man. O’Brien’s companion; Kiowa compensated him by saying that this
is war and you haven’t done anything wrong but he hadn’t get out of guilt and
continuously analyzing the dead body. O’Brien imagined that the young boy was of his
20’s and the wound marks covered his face.
The corpse was thin and bony, not many muscles “a scholar maybe”, by saying this poet
pointing towards the aspect that how the scholars are actually live in poor condition, they
don’t even have enough income to take care of themselves and become thin and bony.
O’Brien pointed that how the country’s intellectuals are poorly live, even anyone can
recognize them by seeing thin and bony body and can assume them a scholar.
Another critical factor is that, when O’Brien ashamed on killing then his companion;
Kiowa compensated him by saying that this is war and you haven’t done anything wrong.
By saying this, poet pointing towards the harshness of society, how people done wrong
things so easily and how people compensated them like nothing happened. This is the
very sad point and the harsh reality of our society, people are easily doing wrong/bad
things and they don’t even realize they are doing terrible job. O’Brien indirectly pointed
towards this harsh reality.
After that O’Brien pointed towards the cold reaction of his platoon mate named Azar,
who compared the dead body of a young boy to the oatmeal. It is a sad turn in this poetry,
in which a killer didn’t even realize that he has done something terrible and mocking on
his body and compared to oatmeal. Azar was mocking even on that situation, where
everyone was serious, even one of them ashamed on what he has done but Azar was
mocking like nothing happened and acting like this man really deserved this death.
In the end, O’Brien noticed small things like gold ring in the corpse’s finger and assumed
that maybe he loved someone and maybe they exchanged rings with each other but now
he’s dead, now who’s going to marry to that girl and what she will react/feel when she
will know about her fiancé’s death. These small things were tearing his heart and he was
becoming more ashamed on what he has done with this young boy.
The conclusion of this poem can be come out as, if we noticed and critically analyzed
ourselves we all are like them, some of us are like O’Brien; who have done wrong and
ashamed and ready to repent, some of us are like Kiowa; who compensate and encourage
wrong habits and some of us are like Azar; who mocked on dead serious situations and
don’t even realize that something terrible is done.