8. The Things They Carried: The Dentist~Fear

For some, a trip to the dentist means clean teeth and a shiny smile, but for others it is pure torture. O' Brien included this short story in his book to help the reader relate to the story. Most people despise going to the dentist just as this soldier did. Maybe its the fear of the unknown. Not knowing whether you'll be forced to go under a painful operation for a cavity or route canal. A trip to the dentist in this scenario can be connected to war. In war, there is always the fear of the unknown. Soldiers have to deal with the fear that they may come near death several times in the next day or perhaps experience death itself.