William Timothy O'Brien is a celebrated American short story writer, journalist, and war novelist. The Things They Carried is a reminiscence of interconnected short stories published in 1990. It is a semi-autobiographical work which deals with the different aspects of life. Through the stories, the author exclusively illustrates the painful encounters of the American soldiers in the Vietnam war zone. He largely concentrates on the physical and emotional encumbrances of his comrades. The soldiers in the war always carries something among like the emotional baggage, grief, fear, love, mental and physical burdens. He makes an effort to provide authentic war stories, with a focus on morality, giving voice to the voiceless, and combat experiences, no one can escape from this terrible cycle, which never ends. This work clearly shows how soldiers risking their lives and highlights their bravery, makes harder for them to fully commit themselves in the war. Even though, he returned from the war decades ago, still, he carries the memories with him, and he cannot endure the mental encumbrance. The sense of loss gives him a gloomy feeling. The memories are like a wake-up call which leads him towards the reality