Tim Obrien's "The Things They Carried" Short story College English (Literature) class. MLA Format.

Carried Away

There are several instances of repetition in Tim O'Brien's short story "The Things They Carried," which is actually the first chapter in a book he published with the same title. Rhetorically, the author uses both alliteration and anaphora (which is, respectively, the repetition of syllables and the repetition of words or phrases) to punctuate many of his paragraphs. However, O'Brien's usage of repetition actually plays a fairly integral role in his structuring of this particular tale, and even in providing a moral for this story centered around events that took place during the Vietnam War. The author utilizes repetition to emphasize various themes associated with this tale, such as the overwhelming burden of the physical and emotional strain of enduring this armed conflict. O'Brien's constant reliance upon repetition underscores the substantial burden of coping...
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