The Importance of Friendship in the Things They Carried by Tim O'BrienThe Things They Carried is a collection of stories about the Vietnam War that the author, Tim O' Brien, uses to convey his experiences and feelings about the war. The book is full of stories about the men of Alpha Company and their lives in Vietnam and then the United States. O'Brien captivates the reader with graphic descriptions of the war that make you feel like you're in Vietnam. The characters are unique and the reader feels sadness and compassion for them by the end of the novel. For O'Brien the novel is not only a collection of stories, but also the release of the fears, sadness and anger he felt due to the Vietnam War. One of the non-significant concepts of The Things They Carried is that of the importance of some objects or feelings used by the soldiers of Alpha Company to survive the war. Some examples of these items are the picture of the girl brought by Jimmy Cross, the Bible brought by Kiowa, and the socks brought by Henry Dobbins. All items helped the respective soldier survive day after day and continue fighting the war. One of the most important things that helped the soldiers was their friendship with each other. This bond that the soldiers form helped them survive, excluded someone who was outside of their group, and helped the men of Alpha Company cope with the war after they returned to the United States.