“The Things They Carried”

“The Things They Carried”

In Tim O’Brien’s  book “The Things They Carried”, I related to the title story the most.  I found myself being pulled in and connecting to Lieutenant  Jimmy Cross’ love for a girl named Martha.  Cross is conflicted between his responsibilities in the war and his love for Martha.  Even thought Cross is stuck in Vietnam during a war, he can think of nothing but Martha.  He wonders about whether or not she is a virgin, or if she  returns his feeling for her. He keeps two pictures of her , thinks about her letters, and recites lines of her poetry. It is almost like he obsessed with Martha. He is unable to do or think about anything else.  She is always there in his mind.  He finally realizes that her must stop fantasizing about Martha  after Lavender dies.  He decides to stick to his duties and do them without negligence. Cross won’t let things slip and will be harder on his men. He is there to lead his men and not be loved by them.  

The story shows what soldiers have to go through. The horrors of war can make the men gloomy and tired. They want to find ways to get away from all of it. This forces them to have to choose between staying in reality and not slip into fantasy or day dreams. If they do start to let go of reality then they can become negligent. They have to make sure that they don’t get disconnected from reality even though that might be what they desire most. O’Brien showed that disconnect in war can lead to death. He also showed that even though the soldiers might fell disconnected, or want to, they are still connected to each other. He used details of what each of the men were carrying to show details about them. They all carry different things depending on their personalities but they also carry many of the same regulation things. Among the things that they men carry and share are guilt, cowardice, and sadness. Even though they don’t to admit it or show it, it is something that is present in all of them.

For more information on Tim O'Brien and his book go here