Keeping Them Alive: Tim O'Brien The Things They Carried In the novel The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien shares many stories and events from his experience as a soldier in the Vietnam War. Of these, one stands out from the others. That death appears to be Linda's death. What makes Linda's death particularly significant is the impact her existence has on the novel and the strong inspiration it has on the narrator. Linda is one of the intangible things that O'Brien carried with him as a soldier and even now as an author he still carries her with him. Although Linda is not an active character in the novel, she helps illustrate the importance of remembering the dead; this memory will bring them back, in a certain sense, to life. When Linda was alive, the love shared between her and Timmy thrived. He was nine years old, “he had composure and great dignity. Her eyes…were dark brown like her hair, and she was slender, very quiet, and frail-looking (O'Brien 216). Timmy, who was O'Brien as a child, was in love with Linda. He describes their connection as “deep and rich as love will ever get” (O’Brien 216). What they shared was deeper than what many people find in a relationship because, although they were young, O'Brien describes their love as having the same aspects and depth of adult love, but perhaps more so because at the time they weren't in a relationship. elaborate way to illustrate it (O'Brien 216). In 1956, Timmy and Linda went on what O'Brien considers "the first real date" of his life (O'Brien 216). [….]. He felt so many different emotions towards and about Linda that it was sometimes difficult for him to even speak when he was around her (O'Brien 217). Even though the two were so young, O'Brien believed that... middle of paper... story-telling was actually a great way to keep the dead alive. Whether it's a loved one or a friend, the memories, dreams and stories of the dead will allow them to live alongside us long after they are gone. It is the job of the living to share and express the memories and dreams of the dead so that some or even parts of them continue to live. O'Brien has taken it upon himself to keep Linda alive, and by keeping her alive, she reveals to him the power of storytelling. O'Brien realizes that even if he loses her, he can still hold onto a part of her through his dreams, his memories, and most importantly, his stories. He uses this realization throughout his war experience, and it not only helps him deal with the trauma of war, but it helps him escape the pain of losing Linda because, as a writer now, he still keeps her alive in exactly the same way. has in his novel (O'Brien 232).