In Tim O’Brien’s novel The Things They Carried, the chapter that vividly depicts the burning of villages is titled “The Ghost Soldiers.” In this chapter, O’Brien explores the psychological burdens the soldiers carry along with their physical loads.
The burning of the villages serves as a powerful metaphor for the destruction caused by war, both to the landscape and to the soldiers’ mental states. As the characters confront the horror of their actions and the impact on innocent lives, the imagery of destruction and loss becomes a significant part of their experience. O’Brien’s narrative reveals the moral complexities of war and the haunting memories that linger long after the battles have ended.