Enveloping action plays an essential role in how a reader perceives the plot within a story. As defined in The Glossary of Literary Terms, enveloping action is, “The general setting of a story including its sense of historical period or culture. This term- popularized by the New York Critics, also covers how characters interact with events and social currents going on in the larger world around them” (Literary Terms, 910). Instead of observing at what lies solely on the surface, enveloping action is meant to examine the plot at a new and deeper level.
In the short story, The Things They Carried, the plot and setting might seem easy to figure out. Instead of just looking at the setting, by using enveloping action the reader is able to establish links between the different characters and the time period those characters are in. Tim O’Brien does a magnificent job at putting together a puzzle for the reader to figure out the time period and the surroundings that the characters are put into. “Setting is the time and place where a scene occurs.
It can help set the mood, influence the way characters behave, affect the dialog, foreshadow events, invoke an emotional response, reflect the society in which the characters live, and sometimes even plays a part in the story. It can also be a critical element in nonfiction as the setting provides the framework for what is being discussed” (The Writing Place). In order for the setting to flourish in a story, it is crucial for the details to be precise and descriptive. On the flip side, having too much sensory details can ruin the story.
Furthermore, giving a complete background of where the scene takes place could overwhelm the reader and turn them off to the rest of the book. By giving the story the pertinent amount of details, the reader is able to construct the setting and scene themselves, which keeps the story flowing forward instead of backwards. As the story begins, the reader is introduced to two characters: First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and a girl named Martha. As the scene start, the Lieutenant was reading letters from Martha.
These “were not love letters, but Lieutenant Cross was hoping, so he kept them folded in plastic at the bottom of his rucksack” (Seagull Reader Stories , 345). Immediately the story unfolds a connection between the two characters showing affection and possibly love. The reader can tell right away that Lieutenant Cross is overseas and the setting is a war scene. With reference to the letters, it’s clear that Lieutenant Cross has feelings for Martha, but she does not reciprocate the same feelings that he does.
After Lieutenant Cross finishes reading the letters, the reader finds out that the book is taking place in Vietnam with the soldiers marching to where they are instructed. The setting of the book provides the background to the story, but by taking a step back, and really looking at the details, there is much more to the title and first paragraph than meets the eye. The things that the soldiers carry, both impalpable and materialistic, play a significant role throughout the story and helps to shape what the title is really trying to express.
Looking at the title alone, the reader can safely infer that something is being carried, and that’s exactly what O’Brien writes about. The book shows two different types of baggage, physical and intangible. Some of the physical items include books, gear, and mementos while the intangible things range from guilt to love. The importance of these various items outline who each character is. Besides carrying their gear, each solider carries fear and sadness for their safety and for those who they long to see.
But, the main character Jimmy Cross carries more than the rest of his men; he carries the responsibility of keeping these men safe and keeping them alive. As the story progresses, there are comparisons between war and love relating to the physical objects that are being carried O’Brien creates a contrast between heavy and light with light being a metaphor for a joyous memory burning bright in one’s mind. He always associates the war with weight and love in terms of lightness.
For example, when speaking about the war or anything to do with the war, weight is always referenced as the weight of a weapon, the weight of a radio, or the weight of a grenade. When spoken about, the items are always given their weight in ounces or how much each item weighs. In the terms of love, it is associated with a feeling of joy. By thinking of Martha, no matter the situation Cross is in, a smile appears on his face. It is not solely based on a happy feeling, it is also based on a physical memory followed by a feeling of regret for not taking a chance while he had one.
Not only does the author use physical objects to describe emotions, he also uses symbolism. The symbolism is not just metaphorical but physical as well. With the opening of the book, the traits of each man is categorized and assessed by the physical and emotional baggage they carry. As the characters march across Vietnam, the narrator explains the weight of item that is being carried. The narrator then poses the question if that item is worth carrying all the weight. He tries to decide if the item makes the soldiers feel safe, happy, or less like they are fighting a war.
The men are given a choice, if that item is worth the weight in safety and security, or if the weight of guilt and responsibility is too much of a burden that they need to lose baggage. ““They carried the common secret of cowardice barely restrained, the instinct to run or freeze or hide, and in many respects this was the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down, it required perfect balance and perfect posture” (Seagull Reader Stories, 368). Besides comparing war and love with light and weight, O’Brien also uses an inciting incident to set the main chain of events into motion.
After Ted Lavender is shot in the head, Lieutenant Cross vows to separate himself from the other soldiers and from his fantasies about Martha, so that he can be a more suitable leader for his men. He blames himself for Lavender’s death and for that reason he destroys the letters from Martha and begins to distance himself from his men: On the morning after Ted Lavender died, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha’s letters. Then he burned the two photographs.
There was a steady rain falling, which made it difficult, but he used heat tabs and Sterno to build a small fire, screening it with his body, holding the photographs over the tight blue flame with the tips of his fingers. He realized it was only a gesture. Stupid, he thought. Sentimental, too, but mostly just stupid. Lavender was dead. You couldn’t burn the blame… No more fantasies, he told himself. Henceforth, when he thought about Martha, it would be only to think that she belonged elsewhere… It was very sad, he thought. The things men carried inside.
The things men did or felt they had to do. (Seagull Reader Stories, 370, 371) At this point in the story, the reader truly gets a sense of what Lieutenant Cross has to carry. The burden which has been placed on his shoulder is immense. He forces himself to disregard being a friend, so that he can become a better leader. Lieutenant Cross feels obligated to be a leader, and even though his soldiers may not like him, they will be safe and that’s all the matters to him. By using sensory details and describing the land where these men are, the setting and theme become apparent.
The use of sensory details guides the tone of the landscape, and makes all the difference in figuring out the main plot of the story. In the Vietnam war, “If you weren’t humping, you were waiting. I remember the monotony. Digging foxholes. Slapping mosquitoes. The sun and heat and endless paddies. Even deep in the bush, where you could die any number of ways, the war was nakedly and aggressively boring” (Gnauss, 31). The details captured within the story prove to be the difference between a story about the war and feeling like part of the war.
As Katie Kazoo said, “The setting is the location of the action. An author should describe the environment or surroundings of the story in such detail that the reader feels that he or she can picture the scene” (Katie Kazoo). Through the use of enveloping action, O’Brien is able to create links between characters and their struggles that aren’t visible to the naked eye. By taking a closer look at the story and evaluating each character, the development of the plot, and events setting the plot into motion, it is easy to see why this story carries significance.
The reader is able to draw lines, and figure out the underlying message behind the story. While each solider carried a considerable amount of baggage with them, each was still scared. As a solider, they felt the responsibility to perform and not be scared for the sake of their country and loved ones. By making each man human, O’Brien created a work of art. He constituted a hierarchy of qualities for each character and established a persona for each man, making them vulnerable and afraid instead of someone who is invincible.
