At the beginning of the book, The Things They Carried, O’Brien was very timid, and not as into the war as he was towards the end. O’Brien had no friends at the beginning of the book, but towards the end he made some very close friends, and made family that could never be forgotten. All of Tim’s comrades were sort of the same way with knowing what to do. They all carried things with them. One carried panty hose around his shoulders, and another marijuana to help calm himself down. Other just carried important valuables with them to keep them company.
When O’Brien first finds his friends as being close, he begins to grow strong feelings for them. For instance later in the book when Kiowa dies, Tim O’Brien feels terrible, like he could have