Question

In "The Things They Carried," what does it mean to hump something?

1) To carry it with you
2) To throw it away
3) To hide it
4) To give it to someone else

Answer 1

In Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," the term "to hump" means to 1) carry something with oneself, often referring to the soldiers carrying both essential and personal items during the Vietnam War.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Tim O'Brien's novella The Things They Carried, the term "to hump" refers to the act of carrying something.

Specifically, the soldiers in the story are described as humping various items, which means they 1) carry them with them during their service in the Vietnam War.

This includes both essential equipment for survival, like weapons and rations, as well as personal items that reflect their identities and emotional connections to life back home, such as photographs, good luck charms, and religious icons.

In the context of the story, these items also represent the psychological burdens that the soldiers bear.