Characters

The main character in “The Man I Killed” by Tim O’Brien is Tim, who is also the narrator. Tim O’Brien’s collection of stories, The Things They Carried, is based on the author’s experience during the Vietnam War, so it is quite likely that the character Tim is based on the author himself.

The story also features other characters, such as the young man Tim has killed and Kiowa. Everything readers find out about the young man is the product of Tim’s imagination. Azar also appears briefly, and his personality suggests insensitive attitudes towards war and casualties. Through Tim, Azar, and Kiowa, the story also illustrates different ways of reacting to the realities of war.

You can read a full characterization of Tim, the young man, and Kiowa in the following pages.