The Death of Kiowa

Throughout Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, O’Brien explores the concept of the death of innocence and morality during war. “In the Field” tells the story of Jimmy Cross’s platoon searching for the body of their fellow dead solider Kiowa.  Kiowa is depicted as a kind and moral man, starkly contrasting the evil and immorality of his surroundings. The death of Kiowa marks a turning point in his fellow soldier Azar. Before, Azar was rude and crass. He frequently harassed the local innocent Vietnamese people and animals. After the death of Kiowa, he apologizes for his actions. The change in Azar marks a loss of innocence. Many of the men fighting in the war were still children and did not know how to handle the atrocities they were forced to witness. Azar had used his anger as a defense mechanism. By letting his walls down, he shows his new maturity. While many view vulnerability as a weakness, it also marks great wisdom and strength. Kiowa’s death mirrors the death of morality in war. Kiowa was a devout Christian and always carried the Bible with him. He was one of the few soldiers in the platoon who seemed to have a conscience.  His death symbolizes that in war, one must turnoff his humanity and morality in order to survive, both physically and mentally.