The Things They Carried Water Archetype Essay 
Talia Hoffman
3-21-15
English 1
Allison Finn
The Archetype of Water in The Things They Carried
Water is the one of the most primal archetypes. It represents resurrection, purification and redemption. In the case of The Things They Carried, water is a constant companion to the characters of the story, whether good or bad. Water, in this book though, can also represent feeling of guilt and shame and the struggle involved with war. In some instances, the characters are desperate to find the purification that water typically provides. Sometimes they get that and sometimes they don’t. In this novel, water, typically mentioned in the form of a river, cannot only symbolize life but also death.
“Across cultures, water is seen as the driving element behind creation; as an archetype, water seems to possess a cleansing, renewing power that is equaled only by its raw power to destroy.”(AOW) Water is life giving, but it’s actually not always pure and about resurrection and purification. It can be equally as pathetic and just sad. For instance, Norman Bowker looking for purification in the lake but finding nothing. After returning from the war, Norman Bowker drives around the lake near his home countless times. He circles the lake trying to find purity in a place, which was “often filthy and algaed”(132). One of his last remarks he makes is about “That night when Kiowa got wasted, I sort of sank down into the sewage with him…Feels like I’m still in deep shit. (156) He ends up hanging himself on not just anything, but on a water pipe, because the purity he tries to obtain is unreachable.
Resurrection is a very powerful image in The Things They Carried, especially in the chapter of “The Rainy River”. The River is a powerful symbol in its own right; it represents not only resurrection, but also a crossroad. Elroy takes Tim fishing and directs the boat within swimming distance to Canada; all Tim can do is cry. He refuses to face the shame and humiliation of that decision. In the
3-21-15
English 1
Allison Finn
The Archetype of Water in The Things They Carried
Water is the one of the most primal archetypes. It represents resurrection, purification and redemption. In the case of The Things They Carried, water is a constant companion to the characters of the story, whether good or bad. Water, in this book though, can also represent feeling of guilt and shame and the struggle involved with war. In some instances, the characters are desperate to find the purification that water typically provides. Sometimes they get that and sometimes they don’t. In this novel, water, typically mentioned in the form of a river, cannot only symbolize life but also death.
“Across cultures, water is seen as the driving element behind creation; as an archetype, water seems to possess a cleansing, renewing power that is equaled only by its raw power to destroy.”(AOW) Water is life giving, but it’s actually not always pure and about resurrection and purification. It can be equally as pathetic and just sad. For instance, Norman Bowker looking for purification in the lake but finding nothing. After returning from the war, Norman Bowker drives around the lake near his home countless times. He circles the lake trying to find purity in a place, which was “often filthy and algaed”(132). One of his last remarks he makes is about “That night when Kiowa got wasted, I sort of sank down into the sewage with him…Feels like I’m still in deep shit. (156) He ends up hanging himself on not just anything, but on a water pipe, because the purity he tries to obtain is unreachable.
Resurrection is a very powerful image in The Things They Carried, especially in the chapter of “The Rainy River”. The River is a powerful symbol in its own right; it represents not only resurrection, but also a crossroad. Elroy takes Tim fishing and directs the boat within swimming distance to Canada; all Tim can do is cry. He refuses to face the shame and humiliation of that decision. In the
Bibliography: (S1) "The Archetype of Water." The Archetype of Water. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2015. Bloom, Harold. Tim O 'Brien 's The Things They Carried. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2005. Print.