The Emotions They Had to Leave Behind “The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien, is influenced by his memories and experiences of his tour of duty in Vietnam. Since O’Brien was born in 1946, the Vietnam War had a major impact on his life. He served in the war, and like many of his other stories, “The Things They Carried” was written about the soldiers in the Vietnam War. Even though O’Brien was against the war, he reported for service and was shipped off to Vietnam when he was involved in the My Lai massacre in 1968 (Knapp).
“The Things They Carried,” is a title that tells little about what the story is actually about. It looks past the specific items that the soldiers carried with them that held special meaning.
The story focuses on what can happen when soldiers continue to carry their emotions or meditate upon their personal life rather than occupy their mind with what is important on the battlefield. The major points from the story are that it became dangerous to be Lieutenant Cross because his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Martha, the story is basically a coming of age story, and Cross was dangerously holding on to items of sentimental value. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, the main character in this story, is the leader of his platoon. He is frequently thinking about Martha, a girl from back home in New Jersey. The story talks about several letters that Martha wrote to him and how she signed them, “Love Martha.” He knew, however, that this was not the love that he longed for. He often dreamed that she was in love with him, as he was in love with her.
The Essay on Vietnam War 7
Vietnam was a small Asian country, 9000 miles away from the United States. Yet America felt that its national interest was threatened strongly enough to fight a war there. The explanation for this lies in the fear caused by the spread of communism at that time. The role of communism was extremely important in this conflict. You see, the US had to enter the war to stop the spread of communism in ...
He was entertained so much by these thoughts, while he should have been thinking about what was going on in the was, he was with Martha at the beach or thinking what he could have done differently on a date. The story goes on to list many items that the soldiers carried along with them. The soldiers carried many various items like, a Bible, empty sandbags that could be filled and used for extra protection, extra rations or candy, a toothbrush and other things of that sort. Those were the items that were important to them. They would never leave these items behind to lighten their load. These items are what helped them not forget what their lives back at home were like.
An Indian man named Kiowa carried the memories of his grandmother’s distrust for the white men. Jimmy Cross his memories of Martha. These memories consumed his mind so deeply that he loved her more than the men under his command. Cross had two photos of Martha that he carried around in his wallet. He also had a rock that was sent to him from Martha, along with all of her letters. These, in a way, held him back.
They caused him to be unable to let go of her and his life back at home, and unable to focus on what was happening around him in the war. He didn’t realize this until one of his men was shot by a random sniper. At the time when Ted Lavender was shot in the head, Cross was thinking about Martha. Cross knew that he was at fault for what had happened. He let his men slack off and be inattentive and unprepared.
After they loaded Lavenders body into the helicopter, Cross knew that he had to do something to forget about Martha. “On the morning after Ted Lavender died, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha’s letters” (282).
Cross knew that Martha was living half-way across the world and had nothing to do with the war he was fighting. He knew that he had to forget all the emotions that filled his head and his heart. If he did not let go of theses precious items, he knew that he could not be the man that he had to be and lead his soldiers the way he was supposed to.
This story, like many others, can be translated as a coming of age story. Jimmy Cross is a twenty-two-year-old man who is put into the position of leading a platoon of men into a war. At first he doesn’t do a very good job and has his mind on things that did not concern his position in the war. He allows his men to dispose of supplies that could be used in the war, and he even allows them to smoke dope. He is too busy dreaming about another place instead of watching out for his men’s lives. After Lavender was shot, he realized that he had to be a man ad do his job.
The Essay on Short Story – War
As Len thought back, he could see his mum drop to the ground trembling. “ What's wrong I cried”.*SMASHLen came back to his senses. The waves of bodies cleansing themselves in the foam of the beach broke his haven from the reeking smell. Looking over he sighed, “ more”. Glancing left then right he counted the crosses protruding from the white bleached sand and whispered, “twenty-seven”. “ They'll ...
He had to forget about his home, for the time being, and also forget about the women that he loved. Martha, to me, played a major role in this story. She symbolized a Jimmy Cross that was still back in New Jersey. A Jimmy Cross that does not have to protect the lives of several other men. She represents a Jimmy Cross that is allowed to imagine about Martha, and think about what he said at a certain moment.
Also, this story is simply about diversity. All the items listed not only tells the reader about their background, it also helps us realize about the different kind of lives that each of the men have lived. Each of the soldiers have a separate life that they have back at home. They realize that they must set these aside and concentrate about what is going on at the present time. They are no longer a student in college, or a grocer in a local grocery store, they are now solders in the United States Army. All in all, this is not only a story about, ‘The Things They Carried.” It is about much more than that.
It is about the emotions that the men had to leave behind and abandon during the war. It is about the men leaving behind any little hindrance that might occupy their mind, keeping their mind off of web the conflicts of war. If Lieutenant Cross did not give up the items from Martha, Lavender would not have gotten shot, and he still would have been thinking about her instead of doing his job. In the end, “The Things They Carried,” is just a coming of age story. They knew that by forgetting the emotions and memories, they could become the soldier that they were supposed to be and complete their duty as a soldier..
