Very well written, Kayla. I like how you really broke down the first quote and dug so deep into the word "necessity." You did a good job analyzing your quote and finding an interesting example in Kiowa. I think it is interesting how religion ties into life at war because while one's home may change, (as it did for the soldiers who were drafted) someone's religion will always be a part of them. And for most people, religion is a source of everlasting comfort and relief from the pains and sufferings of life. I can only imagine how painful it is to know your life is in danger every single day as a soldier, as well as the lives of your friends, the people who serve like you. This highlights the use of religion perfectly and paints a bigger picture about religion's purpose in our lives. I hope we focus on religion in war in tomorrow's lesson!
Our protagonist, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, is a young man who blatantly has a longing of his life back home, where he could look forward to seeing his girlfriend, Martha. The pictures of her and letters from her that he carries with him stand for much, much more than simply his relationship with her. The photos stand for his views of reality, because to young soldiers like Cross himself, in the war here in this far off land called Vietnam, life is an absolute fantasy. Life at home does not involve your friend getting shot after using the bathroom. For Jimmy Cross, the pictures he carry remind him of real life because these pictures and letters, just for the moments in which he looks at them, eliminate the burden of fear and confusion that come with being in a war at a young age. However, for the same reason, these pictures are a distraction from his new reality, war. Hence, Jimmy reluctantly burns them to lift a newer, heavier burden. Cross thought to himself, "Lavender was dead. You couldn't burn the blame. Besides, the letters were in his head" (22). After burning them, Cross is still distracted by the realities of war (the death) and the realities of home (distance from lover).
Very nice analyzation of the photos that Jimmy Cross carries with him, Rene. It is interesting to look at the meaning of the photos, in a larger light, beyond the fact that they represent his love for Martha. Even after Jimmy Cross gets rid of the photos, it is evident that he remembers the Martha and his home that he knows and loves. Another quote that supports your point, states, “And even now without the photographs, Lieutenant Cross could see Martha playing volleyball in her white gym shorts and yellow T-shirt. He could see her moving in the rain” (22). The symbolization in this quote shows that even without the physical carrying of the photos, and the weight that it added to his bag, the larger meaning is that the weight of the photos still lie in his heart. The colors of white and yellow resemble light colors, which remind Jimmy of brighter days at home, and even in the darkest days, “the rain”, which is now the war, he can still connect with her. So while the photos do represent reality, they also represent the idea that life continues and one can not simply focus on the past, they must use the strength they have and move on.
I agree with your idea that the pictures of Martha provide an escape for Jimmy, especially as his young age makes him particularly vulnerable to the traumas of war. The burning of his physical connections to Martha--through letters and photographs--contribute to Jimmy’s idea that he must “dispense with love; it was not a factor” (26). Emotional detachment and in a sense, dehumanization, allows Jimmy to carry on fighting in the way and present the bold face of an archetypal lieutenant for his troops. Not only does he seek to exhibit strength, but also to distance himself from the possibility of disobedience. Memories of home and deeper thinking about the validity of the motives behind the Vietnam War would undermine Jimmy’s ability to stay focused on the battle at hand because of their potential to remind him that he lacks something worth fighting for. His love for Martha is unrequited and, as you point out, he faces a harsh reality in which staying grounded is both physically and emotionally strenuous, leaving him no option but to sacrifice thoughts of love for the ability to survive another day.
Really incredible response Rene, I totally agree with you in that the pictures not only are a valid representation of Martha, but they also symbolize his past, present and his future. It's clear that Martha is not only a major part of his life, but it's also his escape to the horrors he has in front of him. It just goes to show the brutal effects of the war but that love is the only thing that keeps these people somewhat sane. It goes to show it was really the only thing that motivated a lot of these people to keep fighting and not give up. Not only were they fighting for their country, but they were fighting for their lives and to be able to one day find what it is that made them happy, and in this case it was Jimmy's love for Martha. This is really a theme to keep in mind as we keep reading.
In "The Things They Carried", the author, Tim O’Brien, begins the story by providing the readers with great detail of what each soldier carries with them to war. O’Brien offers an explanation for what each character decided to carry, by stating, “The things they carried were determined by necessity” (2). The word “necessity” is often referred to as a universal term, because there are distinct items that every human needs to survive. However, the use of “necessity” in this sentence shows that it has a different meaning for each individual, because after being drafted into war, each specific person has there own idea of what objects are needed to live though a period of hardship. For example, Kiowa, a baptist, decides to carry a New Testament, as his necessity. The New Testament not only serves as a reminder of his family because it had been given to him by his father, it also symbolizes the life of Jesus. Furthermore, with the life of Jesus guiding Kiowa through the war, he is constantly able to feel safe and connect with his religious beliefs to know that everything is going to be all right, which he feels that he needs during this difficult time.
I love the way you interpreted "The Things They Carried". O'Brien emphasizes the fact that what these soldiers carried were their own "necessity", that is distinctive to each individual person. While some soldiers carried things that would help them physically survive, others carried objects that were sentimental to them that would help them mentally survive through, like you said, a period of hardship. I love the way you used an example of a soldier who has an object that is sentimental to him, Kiowa, who carries the New Testament which was given to him by his father. This not only serves as a symbol of the family that he left behind, but it is also a symbol of his devotion to his faith. Both of these combined into one object helps him mentally get through each day that he is fighting in the war. The way you analyzed this one sentence about “necessity” was very in depth and done very well.
Really interesting interpretation, Kayla- I really agree! While initially most people think of "necessities" as simply things like food and water, the mental state of these soldiers was a necessity as well. I think another strong example of an emotional necessity is for our protagonist, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, and his pictures of Martha. It is easy to critique him for his undying focus on a girl when he is fighting a war, but his longing for her could be what is keeping him alive, just as much as any ammunition or coat. Through carrying her letters to him, Jimmy Cross is able to keep going and having an incentive is a necessity for him. I also think that when Ted Lavender dies and drops “like cement,” (6) it is clear that the “unweighted fear” was part of the heavy burden that made him drop in such a manner, it was “like watching a rock fall, or a big sandbag or something” (6). This first story does a good job at providing the readers with a strong sense of the weight of the intangible things and the “necessities” that go beyond the traditional food, shelter, and water.
In The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, the thumb that Norman Bowker carries symbolizes the guilt internalized in American soldiers over their disregard for Vietnamese lives. After his comrade Mitchell Sanders cuts a thumb cut off a Vietnamese corpse, Bowker begins carrying the thumb around: “The thumb was dark brown, rubbery to the touch and weighed 4 ounces at most. It had been cut from a VC corpse, a boy of fifteen or sixteen...At the time of his death he had been carrying a pouch of rice, a rifle, and three magazine of ammunition” (13). The thumb’s light weight of “4 ounces at most” contrasts the symbolic weight of the bloodshed of war on one’s conscious and reflects how American soldiers perceived Vietnamese lives as trivial and valueless in comparison to their own during the Vietnam War. Despite that the VC boy carried items similar to those of the Americans and died under the same brutal conditions, his death only invoked cruel jokes and body mutilation by the Americans--behavior contradictory to the facade of righteousness propagated by the American government. Yet Bowker carrying the thumb reflects an inability to erase deeper guilt over the mistreatment of the Vietnamese.
You have an extremely interesting and thoughtful analysis here, Ilana. I really enjoy how you connected the plot of the short story with information about the Vietnam War. I think it is deeply important to look at this story with an unbiased gaze, and by examining it through a historical lens, you did just this. Not only is the idea of the soldiers' internalized guilt evident in their killing of Vietnamese citizens, but also in their perceptions of what a soldier should do and be. Describing the soldiers' "emotional baggage," O'Brien writes, "They carried their reputations. They carried the soldier's greatest fear, the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to" (21). Clearly, these men have a fixed idea of the ideal soldier: a man bound by honor, a man completely dedicated to his task, a man undeterred by possible danger or death. Their guilt lies in the fact that they are internally reluctant to risk their lives and hesitant about their devotion to the war. Thus, the soldiers in The Things They Carried possess internalized guilt about many matters, ultimately illuminating the oppressive ideology that society forced on men fighting the war in Vietnam.
Ilana, analyzing a thumb may seem hard but you did a great job! I completely agree with your argument that the American soldiers are internalizing guilt over their treatment of the Vietnameses. O’brien also writes that the soldiers “carried the land itself–Vietnam, the place, the soil–a powdery orange-red dust that covered their boots and fatigues and faces” (14). Here, the “red dust” may represent the blood over Vietnam, covering their “fatigues and faces”, or rather their true emotions. Their mission to kill whomever they must, is a layer covering their true emotions of guilt, as it is something that they are carrying: weighing them down.
In The Things They Carried, author Tim O'Brien uses the symbol of "freedom birds" to represent the American soldiers' yearning for escape that is completely internalized yet profoundly evident. O'Brien writes, "[the soldiers] spoke bitterly about guys who had found release by shooting off their own toes or fingers. Pussies, they'd say...but even so the image played itself out behind their eyes" (22). Among other things, the soldiers are carrying disdain for the "pussies" that decide to quit, and take the easy way out. However, by stating that the "image played itself out in their minds," O'Brien reveals the yearning for escape that many of the men carry intangibly. In the following paragraph, the symbol of "freedom birds" is revealed: "[t]hey dreamed of freedom birds...They felt the rush of takeoff...they were flying. The weights fell off; there was nothing to bear" (22). By using the word "they," O'Brien suggests that all the soldiers share a craving for escape for lightness. However, because of their oppression within the machismo culture of the military, they are too ashamed to admit it. Ultimately, the use of "freedom birds" highlights the commonalities of sentiment among the soldiers, and the strict standards which oppress this sentiment.
Julia, this is an excellent analysis. It contributes directly to the motif of weight that has surfaced throughout the story so far, communicating the burdens that toll soldiers across seas. Interestingly enough, O'Brien juxtaposes lighter objects that soldiers carry with heavier ones, contrasting the importance of each, despite what meets the eye. For example, when Martha sends Jimmy her stone heart, she describes it as seemingly "weightless, and then to send it through the mail, by air, as a token of her truest feelings for him" (7). To Jimmy, a memento of Martha's affection assumes a great deal more weight metaphorically than a gigantic cart of explosives does. In going through each object's measured heft, O'Brien alludes to the depth each one has, despite its appearance. The author also alludes to the multiple dimensions that make up each character in his juxtaposition of light and heavy objects, assigning a variety of belongings to each person, and yet simultaneously communicating their unexpected passions and secrets.
For each of the soldiers in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, the things that they carry with them represent what is most important to them in their life, during the war in particular. Being soldiers, they know that they are risking their lives every day and could die at any moment, so the objects that they carry must be very significant in their lives for it to be kept with them through something so life-threatening. For some soldiers, such as Dave Jensen, who carried “three pairs of socks and a can of Dr.Scholl’s foot powder as a precaution against trench foot”, their main objective is to survive, and that is what is most significant to them (2). For others, however, such as Lieutenant Jimmy Cross who carries pictures and letters from the person that he loves, carrying around a small symbol of what makes them happy is enough for them to get through each day. Kiowa, a “devout baptist”, carries an “illustrated New Testament that had been presented to him by his father” (3). Like Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, the New Testament is less of an object for survival and more of a symbol of what Kiowa is emotionally connected to, that gets him through each day. Each of these objects that these soldiers are keeping with them are methods of survival, both physically and emotionally.
Mahyea, your analysis of the things the soldiers carry during war is very deep and insightful. It is interesting to look at each individual’s objects and analyze their special meaning to that particular soldier. I think you did a good job picking out the two quotes about a soldier's objects and going in depth on the significance of it. Kiowa’s bible is certainly an important object to the story as religion is one of the most powerful influences in the world, especially for a soldier who knows his life can end at any time. One interesting thing to really analyze would be the difference in the characters who seek to emotionally survive the war, Kiowa and Jimmy, or Dave Jensen and his focus on the physical aspect. I especially like that you show the different meanings of the objects, but tie them all together under one principal idea of survival.
Mahyea, your conclusion that they carry things that are important to them is very evident throughout the story. However, have you taken into consideration that the only reason these things might be so important is the sole fact that they are at war. In other words, would Martha be so important to Jimmy if he was not at war? From my understanding, I do not believe Martha would mean as much to him because it seems like he only uses her to distract him from the war. For example, as soon as he begins putting in an effort to be a better Lieutenant (and actually focusing on the war), he burns her pictures because he no longer is trying to distract himself from reality. Once again, I love this analysis, however, I feel as though the reason some of these things are so important to these soldiers is because of the simple fact that they are at war.
Mahyea, I definitely think you are onto something here except I feel as if you forget or do not consider some of the other characters. Jason mentions Jimmy and how he gets rid of the photos to place his concentration on reality and not a what if. In your analysis, you mention Kiowa and his use of the The New Testament; however, I think you forget to realize that maybe Kiowa is not nearly connected to it as he use to be. It is suppose to be an impactful object to him but it does the opposite I believe. It creates a false reality of what the world is like. This causes him to stray from his usual self. After the death of Ted Lavender he is change for what I believe will be the whole story. In addition I believe O’Brien introduces all the characters with their personal objects to later show how they will stray from their true selves, it just so happens that Kiowa did this quicker than others.
In "The Things They Carried," Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries Martha's letters and photos with him to humanize himself, fearing the dissent into hatefulness that the brutality of war causes in others. Throughout the text, Jimmy repeatedly refers to his love for Martha: "He loved her so much...he would slip into daydreams, just pretending, walking barefoot along the Jersey shore, with Martha, carrying nothing" (8). In one way, Jimmy uses Martha to comfort himself, using her as a force to bring him down to a reality that removes him from the surrounding chaos. Martha also represents a sense of clarity and liberation. With her, Jimmy's purpose is clear, but at war, his motivations are hazy, covered in a film of forced patriotism. Jimmy’s very being lies in his devotion to Martha, distracting from his concentration on the war effort, yet ultimately fulfilling a void of passion within him. However, at the end of the story, Jimmy's pain consumes him, causing him to destroy the remnants of Martha in his possession. He does so in fear of becoming weak, equating strength to emotional detachment.
Really sophisticated and detailed analysis Clara. I agree with your interpretation. Cross's desire to be with Martha and his separation from her manifests in his mind definitely imposing a distraction. When Cross reminisces of his past with her he is reminded of what he can not have. Dreaming about what could be, the illusion of possibility which is evident to be a load he carries. The narrator describes the fear of the unknown and of what could be as fatal: "imagination was a killer" (11). The friendly letters they shared did not stand for anything more than friendship yet he used them as an escape from the hash and brutal reality of the war. Cross’s temporary thoughts left him even more alone and isolated because it could not change his status and all the responsibilities he bears. A the end of the chapter he forces himself to accept that he will never have a normal life focused on love, happiness and relationships in order to stay aware ad be present for his men.
Clara, your comparison of Lieutenant Jimmy's attachment to Martha in the beginning of the story with his treatment of her in the ending is vital to this novel. His character transformation reflects how war changes people's entire being. And above all, how fear is the most dominate force in a persons life. I think this idea of fear you connected to Jimmy's character pretains to most of the other characters as well. Lavender, for instance, carried the most weight in materials because of his fear of death. Ironically, this fear meant more weight to carry, which slowed him down and put him in more danger. This shows that fear can motivate one to change -like it did in Jimmy-, but it can also endanger your life. These characters must learn to use fear to stay attentive, but also learn to avoid letting their fear consume their common sense and ability to take action.
I agree with your analysis, Clara. I think you made a very good point about how having these tangible things, such as the letters, that represent Martha for him made him more human. I can imagine that being in a place where you have to censor parts of your humanity, so to speak, having something more “human” to think about must help you stay grounded. Nearing the end we see how he began to slip away from this, but it's evident that it helped him get through being in the war to keep her close to him in some ways. He needed a distraction because he feared that he would begin to lose himself to the war. I do think he loved her, but these feelings may have been exaggerate because of his situation. He needed a passion to focus on and also something to dream about, being stuck in such a dismal environment, and the letters he kept with him provided that escape.
The heaviest things they carry are the tangible thoughts and emotions they take with them to the battlefield, one of which they all share-- fear of death. This fear is called an “unweighted fear” (6) which emphasises how it does not have a specific weight like their equipment but it is just as much of a load anchoring them down.Tied along with that fear is the guilt of a fellow soldier's death that burdens them. It hangs over their head just like when they lift Lavender covered in the same pancho they all carry, on to the chopper. The uncertainty of their next breath takes a toll on them. The narrator says, “they all carry ghosts”(10), which they do literally when finding fallen soldiers. They can be considered ghosts in waiting because they might face sudden death.Defending themselves and survival come with a great cost: “They carried all they could bear, and then some,including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried”(7).The guilt and power of taking a life is just as prominent as losing a life.
Bethanie I like your thoughts of their Tangible thoughts and emotions, I never interpreted it like this and now I am agreeing with you. I think the author tries comparing weight in the things they carry a lot. For example when he is looking at Martha’s letters, “The letters weighed 4 ounces.”(2) Also, later on he listed many items, “Together these items weighed between 12 and 18 pounds, depending upon a man’s habits or rate of metabolism.”(2) Furthermore it shows the diversity of the weight of “things” people carry with them depending on their weight as well. “Henry Dobbins, who was a big man, carried extra rations.”(2) This is different for other men who prioritize other distractions from supplies or who are smaller than Henry Dobbins. Also, I agree that on the path and survival of the war, they are leading themselves to death as they kill more people, see more people killed, and grieve for fallen comrades. I believe in the end of this novel the majority of the soldiers will die.
I really like the last sentence you posted "the guilt and power of taking a life is just as prominent as losing one". I feel that it really exposes he stereotype of how we view the experiences of soldiers. Too often we think only of how soldiers go into the battlefield to kill off the enemy and the act of dying is seen as something honorable. The fact that you point out that dying is something that soldiers value beyond the honor of dying for your country is really interesting. It also banks on the brother and sisterhood that exist on the battlefield. In addition, when you mentioned the quote: " they all carry ghost" it also reminded me of not just the struggle of soldiers during the war as you focus on, but the challenges they may face afterwards(10). In some ways the war never leaves a soldier and PTSD is definitely a ghost that they may carry with them for a long time- especially if they have had to carry one of their own fallen.
Bethanie, I really liked that you utilized O'Brien's emphasis on the fear of death; furthermore, how the characters are forced to repress their fears in order to avoid their reality. For example, when Jimmy Cross uses the idea of Martha in order to escape the danger and bring light into his situation. This became clear when O'Brien uses "hard vocabulary to contain the terrible softness" consuming the soldiers (19). Perhaps O'Brien is using the toughness to identify the male persona that has been inflicted into society; that men have to shelter their emotions in order to become more appealing and normal within society. Additionally, Jimmy Cross carries the ghost of Tim Lavender following his death as he holds himself accountable for being in an alternate reality with Martha.
Bethanie, I love the fact that you chose to focus on the intangible things that the soldiers carry as opposed to the tangibles. I completely agree with your acknowledgement of the intangibles as equally significant as the actual objects that are carried. Perhaps the intangible things they carry, weigh down these soldiers even more significantly than the actual objects. When describing a good majority of the tangible objects, O’Brien provides an actual mass that each object adds to a person. However, when addressing the intangibles he says, “the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight” (20). Perhaps the fact that O’Brien does not assign a specific weight to them, means that their mass is too heavy to be given a number and consequentially has the greatest influence over the men. Do you think that the fear of death is the most significant intangible weight that the soldiers carry? Or are there others that deserve to be addressed?
Bethanie, that is some topnotch analysis right there. I completely agree with your interpretation of what it is they are actually carrying. As you said their emotion load or "unweighted fear" slows them down just as much as their equipment does which is powerful in the sense of although fighting and being brave, it reveals this whole new layer of vulnerability to the idea of men. The list of their physical equipment opens a window to the emotional burdens that these soldiers bear leaving behind the most important thing in their lives. However, this burden can also serve as a necessity for the young soldiers to confront the tension between fantasy and reality which can be seen when Cross is distracted by Martha's virtue possibly, although odd,using her as motivation (or the idea of sex) to get back home. Not only Cross but all men portray this emotion of fear throught the objects they bring for tranquility. Lavender got high to numb his pain and fear of dying.
Bethanie, that is some topnotch analysis right there. I completely agree with your interpretation of what it is they are actually carrying. As you said their emotion load or "unweighted fear" slows them down just as much as their equipment does which is powerful in the sense of although fighting and being brave, it reveals this whole new layer of vulnerability to the idea of men. The list of their physical equipment opens a window to the emotional burdens that these soldiers bear leaving behind the most important thing in their lives. However, this burden can also serve as a necessity for the young soldiers to confront the tension between fantasy and reality which can be seen when Cross is distracted by Martha's virtue possibly, although odd,using her as motivation (or the idea of sex) to get back home. Not only Cross but all men portray this emotion of fear throught the objects they bring for tranquility. Lavender got high to numb his pain and fear of dying.
Bethanie, that is some topnotch analysis right there. I completely agree with your interpretation of what it is they are actually carrying. As you said their emotion load or "unweighted fear" slows them down just as much as their equipment does which is powerful in the sense of although fighting and being brave, it reveals this whole new layer of vulnerability to the idea of men. The list of their physical equipment opens a window to the emotional burdens that these soldiers bear leaving behind the most important thing in their lives. However, this burden can also serve as a necessity for the young soldiers to confront the tension between fantasy and reality which can be seen when Cross is distracted by Martha's virtue possibly, although odd,using her as motivation (or the idea of sex) to get back home. Not only Cross but all men portray this emotion of fear throught the objects they bring for tranquility. Lavender got high to numb his pain and fear of dying.
In "The Things They Carried", Tim O'Brien uses Lieutenant Jimmy Cross' attachment to his photos of Martha in order to represent the grasp he has and attempts to maintain throughout the war. O'Brien uses Martha to demonstrate what Jimmy's life was like or what the reader can assume and how he allows it to "not bring himself to worry about matters of security"; to provide an alternate universe away from the fear that the war imposes upon the characters (11). However, when Tim Lavender dies, O'Brien uses the impact of the event on Jimmy as a catalyst for accepting his reality within the war. Jimmy, in fact, "couldn't burn the blame" he had for the death of Lavender due to his distance from reality (22). From that point, Jimmy had become determined to detach himself from his home life by removing momentos of his old life in order to create and accept his new one.
In Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, the first short story is all about items, feelings, point of views, and a multitude of other things that soldiers carried during the Vietnam war. All these things that the soldiers are carrying are used to represent that the war is such a burden on their lives and that it is basically taking over their lives. There is not one soldier in this story that isn’t held back by a vast amount of weight, which is just symbolic of showing that the war has basically given them a great burden. This is evident as Lieutenant Cross carries the pebble from Martha. When Martha sends the pebble to Cross, he finds it “romantic” because he wants to be able to tie himself down to something that is not related to the war (8). Although Cross constantly admits that Martha is not in love with him, he creates a fictional romance between them in his head so his life isn’t only about the war, and all the weight/ burden that comes with it. For example, Cross would have daydreams in which he was “with Martha, carrying nothing” which shows that he only uses Martha, and carries her pebble, to relieve himself of being solely weighed down and defined by the war (9).
I agree with your argument and how each soldier uses the things they carry as an escape from their lives surrounded by war. I would also argue that while Cross wants to use Martha to free himself from the war, he is also putting another burden on himself that he has to carry. Cross even says, "the waiting was worse than the tunnel itself. Imagination was a killer" (10). Cross wants the love of Martha even after admitting it is impossible. I think this could further your argument because it addresses the results of his actions and mentality. I also agree that the weight on the soldiers represent the burden of war and their lack of freedom due to them being "weighed down." You use very good evidence which makes the "romantic" aspects of their relationship clear while also relating it to the weight that Cross subsequently carries in the war. Do you think that the imagination of Cross will stop him from letting go of the things he carries (from Martha)?
Jason I agree with your argument. I feel that the items the soldiers carry are their attempts to try and escape their current reality. They create this safe haven for themselves, which they can rely on after a day at war. I agree that they seem to find war as a burden on their lives, which is seen through Lieutenant Cross and Kiowa. After the death of Lavender, Kiowa feels shamed at the fact that he can not seem to really feel any form of emotion towards Lavender. He felt angered at the thought that he could neither feel as sad as Cross did, or that he could not feel the pain that Cross felt. Jimmy Cross on the other hand feels that war is mainly messing up his emotions. I also agree that he tries to imagine himself in a complicated relationship with Martha, in an attempt to make his current life more than just war.
Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is a very sentimental man stuck in a new reality where sentiment and empathy can not exist if survival is possible. His pictures symbolize Cross’s dreams of being back home living a simpler life where death is not always knocking at your front door. These dreams of home distort reality and allow Cross to escape from war. Consequently the pictures and letters are in the end what he believes cause the death of a fellow soldier, Tom Lavender. In response to this realization Jimmy Cross takes the bold step of burning his letters and pictures of Martha. To Jimmy this is his way of preventing future death to himself or his fellow soldiers but winds up not working. Shortly after burning his objects the narrator writes “And even now, without photographs, Lieutenant Cross could see Martha playing volleyball [...] He could see her moving in the rain,” (22). After burning his pictures Cross becomes even more weighed down by Martha. He now imagines her in Vietnam with him, signifying the blurring lines between war and love.
In the novel The Things They Carried by Tim O’ Brien, our main character Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is carrying letters from a girl named Martha who he met from Mount Sebastian College in New Jersey. Like many soldiers they use an object or some sort of idea to take their mind and relieve stress in many different ways through there objects. However, it kept him worried and pre-occupied in a bad way because he worries Martha was or is with another man, “Slowly, a bit distracted, he would get up and move among his men, checking the perimeter, then at full dark he would return to his hole and watch the night and wonder if Martha was a virgin.”(2) Keeping this in mind, this illustrates how because he hasn’t had sex with her yet he believes she maybe doesn’t love him back and moved on to another man.
Question: “To carry something was to hump it, as when Lieutenant Jimmy Cross humped his love for Martha up the hills and through the swamps.”(3)
I found it interesting how we wrote very similar responses and I was wondering that when you said "it kept him worried and pre-occupied in a bad way," do you in any way think that instead of harming his health, he might be consciously or subconsciously escaping reality. Also, since I focused onto the letters, it is evident that they weigh only "4 ounces"(2). Do you think that has anything to do with the value of the letter and how much they symbolize to him for his benefit? I would say that I disagree with you while I do agree on some sort of level. Although the letters might be literal distraction, philosophically, I think it's more important to realize that the letters describe his personality, human nature, and character.
In "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien, characters carefully choice items to accompany them in Vietnam. Dave Jenson is one of these characters: "Dave jenson, who practiced field hygiene, carried a toothbrush, dental floss, and several hotel-sized bars he'd stolen on R&R in Sydney, Australia" ( 2). Most soldiers in Vietnam did not bother- or did not have the opportunity too- maintain their hygiene and remain clean. This "dirty" reality contrasts with the cleanliness thats experienced at home. Hence, the soldier's filth reminds them of their current situation and inability to change it. Dave, who particularly enjoys staying clean, choose hygiene to carry with him because it allows him to escape the reality of war. Being clean connects him with a safe, non-war zone place. These items reserve his humanity and sanity through the connection the products provide. His willingness to steal the soal indicates how much being clean means to this character.
I found it to be a good connection of yours to make between the cleanliness in America vs cleanliness in Vietnam. This idea of hygiene being used to "escape the reality of the war" is a great analysis to make about how deeply soldiers were affected by the Vietnam War, and their inability to clean themselves of the memories of the war. Their attempts at preserving the freedoms of America are held in their habits and the "things that they carry". Do you believe that Dave Jenson's reality in the Vietnam War, filthiness and dirty, is connected to how he wants to return to America, but can not due to his inability to "wash himself clean" of the communism he is fighting in Vietnam? I agree with your analysis of this quote, especially the aspect of him stealing the soap is a symbol of how much cleanliness, and a want to escape from the war, means to this soldier.
In the first short story, “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brien depicts the things that soldiers carried when at war, both the tangible and the “unweighted” things. Ted Lavender is a strong example of a character who carries both the physical and emotional baggage. When describing his load the narrator says, “he went down under an exceptional burden, more than 20 pounds of ammunition, plus the flak jacket and helmet and rations and water and toilet paper and tranquilizers and all the rest, plus the unweighted fear. He was dead weight” (6). While the necessities, such as a ammunition and water, were certainly carried, the emotional baggage, the fear, followed him too. Regardless of whether a soldier was carrying this emotional weight in something physical, like a picture, or just in their head, the effect of this weight was undeniable and almost inevitable. At Lavender’s death , when “they stripped off Lavender’s canteens and ammo,” it is described as stripping “all the heavy things” (6). While the physical weight was indeed heavy, Lavender did not just drop “like cement” only from the ammo and the flak jacket, he dropped so fast because of the emotional pain and fear that he was carrying on his back.
Out of most of the people listed in Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried", the things that first lieutenant and platoon leader, Jimmy Cross. carried with him seemed to be the most necessary in terms of war. As a first lieutenant, Jimmy Cross carried with him "a compass, maps, code books, binoculars and a .45-caliber pistol that weighed 2.9 pounds fully loaded. He carried a strobe of light and the responsibility for the lives of his men" (5). Immediately we see how important the job is to Jimmy Cross as he embodies the typical no-funny-business, motivated, and focused military man. despite the burden of war, Jimmy Cross' belonging interestingly weighs among the least compared to the other soldiers. Other soldiers carried more sentimental or abstract things with them with the goal of making their experience at war something more bearable. Ironically these things made to make life easier adds on a lot of weight for some soldiers therefor they metaphorically increase the burden of war on themselves. This seems to be the case for most of the soldiers save Jimmy who only with him what we would expect him to as a lieutenant. I found it really interesting that O'Brien included this perspective because it gives us something to standard to compare the other soldiers to.
In The Things They Carried, the protagonist Jimmy Cross obsessively thinks about the girl he's in love with, who's back home, named Martha. He spends a lot of his free time thinking about what he should have done differently when he was back home and speculating about who she might be with. Jimmy's trapped in an environment where he is confined to his thoughts, so his mind often wanders when he's holding the tangible objects that represent Martha for him. For example, he thinks that even the smallest details embedded in her letters to him are significant. When he receives a pebble from her, that was “smooth to the touch” he saw it as a romantic gesture (8). I think that the small stone, although lighter, was even more important to him than the heavier (and more useful) equipment he carried, because it distracted him from his situation. Additionally, it gave him a sense of safety that even weapons couldn't provide.
In "The Things They Carried," Jimmy Cross carries Martha's letters and photos with him to give him hope and bring him back to reality and to disallow himself to caught up in the brutalities of the war. Throughout the text, Jimmy repeatedly refers to his love for Martha: "He loved her so much...he would slip into daydreams, just pretending, walking barefoot along the Jersey shore, with Martha, carrying nothing" (12). In one way, Jimmy uses Martha to comfort himself, using her as a force to bring him down to a reality that removes him from the surrounding chaos. Martha also represents a sense of clarity and liberation. With her, Jimmy's purpose is clear, but at war he is extremely nationalistic towards the U.S. Jimmy’s being lies in his devotion to Martha, which sways him away from the task at hand, yet ultimately fulfilling a void of passion within him. All in all, Jimmy's pain consumes him, but Martha is the only one keeping him together.
I completely agree with your analysis. Cross seeks a greater meaning for his presence and fighting in Vietnam, one that will inspire him, and he seeks that meaning in Martha's letters. Cross' search for affection in Martha's letters mirrors the search of his men for moral justification. Each soldier seems to carry objects that are unique to himself and that remind him of his family or loved ones and thereby gives him the feeling that there is a meaning to his cause. These special objects contrast the standard objects such as the weapons in that Cross does not really offer their purpose as he does for example with placing the bandages on the helmets. Additionally these special objects are generally very light and only weigh a few ounces, which contrasts the extreme weight of some of the other gear carried by the soldiers. The physical weight of these unique and special objects may not be that great, but nonetheless it seems that these are the things keeping the soldiers rooted in the chaos that was the Vietnam war.
In Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They carried”, Kiowa carries a New Testament that was given to him by his father. At one point, Kiowa, “opened his New Testament and arranged it beneath his head as a pillow… He liked the smell of the New Testament under his cheek, the leather and ink and paper and glue, whatever the chemicals were” (17). Because Kiowa uses his Bible in a rather peculiar way, this moment stands out. When thinking about sleeping at night, one might consider the essentials for comfort: A bed, a pillow, blankets, etc. However, as Kiowa prepares to sleep, he pulls out his Bible. This New Testament represents the comfort that Kiowa finds in his faith. When one is comfortable in a situation, they are not concerned with outside threats because they feel safe. This Bible provides Kiowa with comfort and safety and allows him to feel calm in a situation where others would feel conflicted. When interacting with this Bible, Kiowa loses the weight of the intangibles that he carries, and he is at peace.
In The Things They Carried, the main character Jimmy Cross, carries Martha's letter as in hope of something to return back to however, he doesn't understand that it's merely a distraction from reality. In the beginning of the book: "slowly, a bit distracted, he would get up and move among his men, checking the perimeter, then at full dark he would return to his hole and watch the night and wonder if Martha was a virgin." While Jimmy might allow himself to think that those letters are beneficial for him, he might be wrong because he subconsciously uses them as a means to cope with war in order to have a reason to live. Wondering that Martha might still be a virgin, symbolizes the idea that she might love him. Therefore, it might be that the desire of Martha's love that is keeping him alive and motivating him onto going back onto seeing her. On the other hand, since the letters "weigh 4 ounces"(2), that also symbolizes the idea that those letters in reality mean nothing and it can be his subconscious thought that they have importance while he's only trying to escape reality.
Tim O’Brien writes the majority of The Things They Carried, on the physical and mental things his soldiers and himself carry daily. As well as describing what they carry, O’Brien gives small descriptions of each: “Ted Lavender, who was scared, carried tranquilizers” (2). Each bring items that they think are necessary, and while many bring practicable things such as soap, or weapons, Lavender chooses tranquilizers and weed. However, Lavender does not bring these as a way to entertain himself, he does it because of fear. Being in the high stress environment they are in, Lavender uses these to “tranquilize”, or numb himself-- perhaps to numb himself in the moment, or to help forget atrocities he has seen on the way. Although he does find serenity in this, Lavender ultimately dies, symbolizing that no matter how any soldier chooses to cope with war, the reality of danger will never go away.
In “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brian mentions the physical things the soldiers carried with them along in Vietnam. Due to the everyday hardships of their lives, soldiers brought “necessities” from their normal life to give them an escape. The death of Ted Lavender is the center of this section and it seems to affect Jimmy Cross in a more serious way than it did to the other soldiers because he carried “the responsibility for the lives of his men” (5). This responsibility puts another weight on Jimmy Cross pushing him farther away from freedom. While Jimmy blames himself for the death of Ted Lavender by living in his fantasy with Martha, the other soldiers, “called it by other names, as if to encyst and destroy the reality of death itself” (19). The soldiers do not want to carry the burden of death with them because although they use the things they carry to give hope of freedom, they ultimately want to let go of their past to gain freedom.
In Tim O'Brien's short story, "The Things They Carried", the protagonist Jimmy Cross outlines the literal and symbolic object that each person in his troop carries. Rat Kiley, the medic, carried his satchel with all the things that a medic needs "including M&M's for especially bad wounds" (5). Rat Kiley may have carried M&M's, a candy from their home country, as a symbol of hope for survival. As multiple soldiers died in Vietnam, the mortality rates were very high and the survival of a soldier largely depended on luck. The M&M's are a symbol of this luck, luck to survive and luck to be able to continue on with their lives and go back home to a capitalist country with freedom. The medic carries this in order to heal the "especially bad wounds" because hope and luck is all that is left for badly injured soldiers. Their survival depends on that small candy, giving a placebo effect of being cured or health.
In "The Things They Carried," Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carriers picture of Martha in an attempt to try and keep in touch with his emotions while at war. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross fears that after war he will lose touch with his old life and be emotionless. His vivid descriptions of Martha picking up a pebble at the beach, is his attempt to create this false sense of reality: “He imagined bare feet… and her feet would be brown and bare, the toenails unpainted, the eyes chilly and somber like the ocean in March”(8). His use of carrying around pictures of Martha and describing these photos is his attempt to try and escape his current reality. He creates this coping mechanism over his desire to love Martha and tries as best as he can to make it seem real. Although he believes that his mixture of emotions is what eventually kills one of his troops, Lavender. He is left to choose whether his feelings are really important, and whether his feelings and cravings for love are just extra baggage.
Clarance, I agree with your analysis of the items Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries from Martha. I find it interesting how you argue that something tangible like the pebble allows Jimmy Cross to create something intangible, a sense of reality. I also agree that by viewing the photos he is attempting to escape his current reality in the way that he is viewing something that does not have to do with war, especially in how “she never mentioned the war” (2), but rather attempting to place himself into these stories of normal life. I feel like this is something that is not uncommon during the war and is seen with other characters, like how Ted Lavender brought “premium dope” (3), something that can be used to help cope with and escape reality. The question that derives from this now is will the Lieutenant be able to fully cope without his photos or dreams of another reality, or will he turn back to some other sort of coping mechanism that is so very much needed when facing a war?
In The Things They Carried there is juxtaposition between tangible and intangible items carried that seem to counteract each other, representing the internal struggles of insecurities of the soldiers. Speaking about the things "they carried in common"(13), the soldiers brought with them "insignia of rank, Bronze Stars and Purple Hearts, plastic cards imprinted with the Code of Conduct. They carried diseases... lice, and ringworm and leeches"(14). In reality these awards and codes given to the soldiers are nothing more than useless extra weight carried by the soldiers. They continue to carry them because they symbolize the hope of the soldiers along with the pride of being reminded what the war is for. These reminders are especially needed when after long periods of war; the soldiers lose their “dignity”(18) during times of fear and are overcome with “shame” (18). On the other hand the seamless mention of diseases and bad conditions remove this sense of pride as they realize the awards are nothing but dead weight, and a lot of what they do is “without purpose” (14). The intangibility of the sentiments derived from awards is overcome by the intangible realizations of the horrible conditions.
In the short story, The Things They Carried, the protagonist Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries with him pictures of Martha, a girl he loved, and the letters written to him by her. He also carried a pebble Martha sends along with a letter. She found the pebble on the jersey shoreline on the exact spot where the waves touched the land during high tide, which reminded them of the beautiful bond they shared, and the connection of their sole. As life brought them together yet they were separated, the pebble was a symbol of their friendship. These memoirs of his love, held him back in his past, where as his present position demanded him to be in full charge, take responsibility and be alert. He was unable to come out of the whirlpool of his fantasy world, for which he had to pay the price by losing a fellow comrade. Now, these tokens of love that he treasured, weighed heavily as a burden on his heart and filled him with guilt. For him, the pebble that symbolized the purity of his relation with Martha later on became a symbol of guilt and shame
While reading the first section of the short story, I paid particular attention to Tim Lavender and his "weed and tranquilizers" (2) he carried. It is obvious the soldiers have emotional attachments to their specific items, Lavender does not therefore gives Cross the impression of him being "dead weight" for carrying unnecessary batteries and tranquilizers. However, Lavender uses these items has a coping mechanism for his fear of dying at war. Ultimately killed because of the heavy burdens he carried, the description in the way he died "Like cement. Boom he fell" (16) is very central to the whole section since his death was used to alternate between soldiers to talk about their objects. It is evident the boys mentality is affected by Lavender's death since no matter what symbolic object one had, They would all end up the same. Cross-- the most overwhelmed-- burns Martha’s pictures and letters in an attempt to distance himself from the sentimentality he sees as a destructive force during wartime. His conclusion, at the end of this story, that it is better to be loved than to lead, reveals how the experience of Lavender’s death has affected his mentality. Love is no place for war.
First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is faced with the challenge of guiding his platoon of men through the constant chaos that was the Vietnam war. He lists the precise objects that the men in his platoon carry with their corresponding weights. Cross is portrayed as a very observant man and some of his own personal belongings consist of letters and photos that he has received from Martha. Clearly in love with Martha, Cross seeks for signs in her writing that the feeling is mutual and searches for implied affection where he knows there is none. Cross' search for love from Martha mirrors the search for meaning that his men seek in the war that they are fighting. Page 13 describes a conversation between Mitchell Sanders and Henry Dobbins regarding morals: "Yeah, well, he finally said. I don't see no moral." Despite searching for a moral justification for the war that they are fighting and their presence in Vietnam, the soldiers are unable to find one. Seeing little moral in their fight, the men hold on to different objects that remind them of family or loved ones and thereby give them a feeling of a greater purpose. In the case of Cross, the death of Lavender triggers him to burn the letters and photos that he has from Martha, and thereby the only thing it seems that gave him hope.
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ReplyDeleteVery well written, Kayla. I like how you really broke down the first quote and dug so deep into the word "necessity." You did a good job analyzing your quote and finding an interesting example in Kiowa. I think it is interesting how religion ties into life at war because while one's home may change, (as it did for the soldiers who were drafted) someone's religion will always be a part of them. And for most people, religion is a source of everlasting comfort and relief from the pains and sufferings of life. I can only imagine how painful it is to know your life is in danger every single day as a soldier, as well as the lives of your friends, the people who serve like you. This highlights the use of religion perfectly and paints a bigger picture about religion's purpose in our lives. I hope we focus on religion in war in tomorrow's lesson!
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ReplyDeleteOur protagonist, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, is a young man who blatantly has a longing of his life back home, where he could look forward to seeing his girlfriend, Martha. The pictures of her and letters from her that he carries with him stand for much, much more than simply his relationship with her. The photos stand for his views of reality, because to young soldiers like Cross himself, in the war here in this far off land called Vietnam, life is an absolute fantasy. Life at home does not involve your friend getting shot after using the bathroom. For Jimmy Cross, the pictures he carry remind him of real life because these pictures and letters, just for the moments in which he looks at them, eliminate the burden of fear and confusion that come with being in a war at a young age. However, for the same reason, these pictures are a distraction from his new reality, war. Hence, Jimmy reluctantly burns them to lift a newer, heavier burden. Cross thought to himself, "Lavender was dead. You couldn't burn the blame. Besides, the letters were in his head" (22). After burning them, Cross is still distracted by the realities of war (the death) and the realities of home (distance from lover).
ReplyDeleteVery nice analyzation of the photos that Jimmy Cross carries with him, Rene. It is interesting to look at the meaning of the photos, in a larger light, beyond the fact that they represent his love for Martha. Even after Jimmy Cross gets rid of the photos, it is evident that he remembers the Martha and his home that he knows and loves. Another quote that supports your point, states, “And even now without the photographs, Lieutenant Cross could see Martha playing volleyball in her white gym shorts and yellow T-shirt. He could see her moving in the rain” (22). The symbolization in this quote shows that even without the physical carrying of the photos, and the weight that it added to his bag, the larger meaning is that the weight of the photos still lie in his heart. The colors of white and yellow resemble light colors, which remind Jimmy of brighter days at home, and even in the darkest days, “the rain”, which is now the war, he can still connect with her. So while the photos do represent reality, they also represent the idea that life continues and one can not simply focus on the past, they must use the strength they have and move on.
DeleteI agree with your idea that the pictures of Martha provide an escape for Jimmy, especially as his young age makes him particularly vulnerable to the traumas of war. The burning of his physical connections to Martha--through letters and photographs--contribute to Jimmy’s idea that he must “dispense with love; it was not a factor” (26). Emotional detachment and in a sense, dehumanization, allows Jimmy to carry on fighting in the way and present the bold face of an archetypal lieutenant for his troops. Not only does he seek to exhibit strength, but also to distance himself from the possibility of disobedience. Memories of home and deeper thinking about the validity of the motives behind the Vietnam War would undermine Jimmy’s ability to stay focused on the battle at hand because of their potential to remind him that he lacks something worth fighting for. His love for Martha is unrequited and, as you point out, he faces a harsh reality in which staying grounded is both physically and emotionally strenuous, leaving him no option but to sacrifice thoughts of love for the ability to survive another day.
DeleteReally incredible response Rene, I totally agree with you in that the pictures not only are a valid representation of Martha, but they also symbolize his past, present and his future. It's clear that Martha is not only a major part of his life, but it's also his escape to the horrors he has in front of him. It just goes to show the brutal effects of the war but that love is the only thing that keeps these people somewhat sane. It goes to show it was really the only thing that motivated a lot of these people to keep fighting and not give up. Not only were they fighting for their country, but they were fighting for their lives and to be able to one day find what it is that made them happy, and in this case it was Jimmy's love for Martha. This is really a theme to keep in mind as we keep reading.
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ReplyDeleteIn "The Things They Carried", the author, Tim O’Brien, begins the story by providing the readers with great detail of what each soldier carries with them to war. O’Brien offers an explanation for what each character decided to carry, by stating, “The things they carried were determined by necessity” (2). The word “necessity” is often referred to as a universal term, because there are distinct items that every human needs to survive. However, the use of “necessity” in this sentence shows that it has a different meaning for each individual, because after being drafted into war, each specific person has there own idea of what objects are needed to live though a period of hardship. For example, Kiowa, a baptist, decides to carry a New Testament, as his necessity. The New Testament not only serves as a reminder of his family because it had been given to him by his father, it also symbolizes the life of Jesus. Furthermore, with the life of Jesus guiding Kiowa through the war, he is constantly able to feel safe and connect with his religious beliefs to know that everything is going to be all right, which he feels that he needs during this difficult time.
I love the way you interpreted "The Things They Carried". O'Brien emphasizes the fact that what these soldiers carried were their own "necessity", that is distinctive to each individual person. While some soldiers carried things that would help them physically survive, others carried objects that were sentimental to them that would help them mentally survive through, like you said, a period of hardship. I love the way you used an example of a soldier who has an object that is sentimental to him, Kiowa, who carries the New Testament which was given to him by his father. This not only serves as a symbol of the family that he left behind, but it is also a symbol of his devotion to his faith. Both of these combined into one object helps him mentally get through each day that he is fighting in the war. The way you analyzed this one sentence about “necessity” was very in depth and done very well.
DeleteReally interesting interpretation, Kayla- I really agree! While initially most people think of "necessities" as simply things like food and water, the mental state of these soldiers was a necessity as well. I think another strong example of an emotional necessity is for our protagonist, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, and his pictures of Martha. It is easy to critique him for his undying focus on a girl when he is fighting a war, but his longing for her could be what is keeping him alive, just as much as any ammunition or coat. Through carrying her letters to him, Jimmy Cross is able to keep going and having an incentive is a necessity for him. I also think that when Ted Lavender dies and drops “like cement,” (6) it is clear that the “unweighted fear” was part of the heavy burden that made him drop in such a manner, it was “like watching a rock fall, or a big sandbag or something” (6). This first story does a good job at providing the readers with a strong sense of the weight of the intangible things and the “necessities” that go beyond the traditional food, shelter, and water.
DeleteIn The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, the thumb that Norman Bowker carries symbolizes the guilt internalized in American soldiers over their disregard for Vietnamese lives. After his comrade Mitchell Sanders cuts a thumb cut off a Vietnamese corpse, Bowker begins carrying the thumb around: “The thumb was dark brown, rubbery to the touch and weighed 4 ounces at most. It had been cut from a VC corpse, a boy of fifteen or sixteen...At the time of his death he had been carrying a pouch of rice, a rifle, and three magazine of ammunition” (13). The thumb’s light weight of “4 ounces at most” contrasts the symbolic weight of the bloodshed of war on one’s conscious and reflects how American soldiers perceived Vietnamese lives as trivial and valueless in comparison to their own during the Vietnam War. Despite that the VC boy carried items similar to those of the Americans and died under the same brutal conditions, his death only invoked cruel jokes and body mutilation by the Americans--behavior contradictory to the facade of righteousness propagated by the American government. Yet Bowker carrying the thumb reflects an inability to erase deeper guilt over the mistreatment of the Vietnamese.
ReplyDeleteYou have an extremely interesting and thoughtful analysis here, Ilana. I really enjoy how you connected the plot of the short story with information about the Vietnam War. I think it is deeply important to look at this story with an unbiased gaze, and by examining it through a historical lens, you did just this. Not only is the idea of the soldiers' internalized guilt evident in their killing of Vietnamese citizens, but also in their perceptions of what a soldier should do and be. Describing the soldiers' "emotional baggage," O'Brien writes, "They carried their reputations. They carried the soldier's greatest fear, the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to" (21). Clearly, these men have a fixed idea of the ideal soldier: a man bound by honor, a man completely dedicated to his task, a man undeterred by possible danger or death. Their guilt lies in the fact that they are internally reluctant to risk their lives and hesitant about their devotion to the war. Thus, the soldiers in The Things They Carried possess internalized guilt about many matters, ultimately illuminating the oppressive ideology that society forced on men fighting the war in Vietnam.
DeleteIlana, analyzing a thumb may seem hard but you did a great job! I completely agree with your argument that the American soldiers are internalizing guilt over their treatment of the Vietnameses. O’brien also writes that the soldiers “carried the land itself–Vietnam, the place, the soil–a powdery orange-red dust that covered their boots and fatigues and faces” (14). Here, the “red dust” may represent the blood over Vietnam, covering their “fatigues and faces”, or rather their true emotions. Their mission to kill whomever they must, is a layer covering their true emotions of guilt, as it is something that they are carrying: weighing them down.
DeleteIn The Things They Carried, author Tim O'Brien uses the symbol of "freedom birds" to represent the American soldiers' yearning for escape that is completely internalized yet profoundly evident. O'Brien writes, "[the soldiers] spoke bitterly about guys who had found release by shooting off their own toes or fingers. Pussies, they'd say...but even so the image played itself out behind their eyes" (22). Among other things, the soldiers are carrying disdain for the "pussies" that decide to quit, and take the easy way out. However, by stating that the "image played itself out in their minds," O'Brien reveals the yearning for escape that many of the men carry intangibly. In the following paragraph, the symbol of "freedom birds" is revealed: "[t]hey dreamed of freedom birds...They felt the rush of takeoff...they were flying. The weights fell off; there was nothing to bear" (22). By using the word "they," O'Brien suggests that all the soldiers share a craving for escape for lightness. However, because of their oppression within the machismo culture of the military, they are too ashamed to admit it. Ultimately, the use of "freedom birds" highlights the commonalities of sentiment among the soldiers, and the strict standards which oppress this sentiment.
ReplyDeleteJulia, this is an excellent analysis. It contributes directly to the motif of weight that has surfaced throughout the story so far, communicating the burdens that toll soldiers across seas. Interestingly enough, O'Brien juxtaposes lighter objects that soldiers carry with heavier ones, contrasting the importance of each, despite what meets the eye. For example, when Martha sends Jimmy her stone heart, she describes it as seemingly "weightless, and then to send it through the mail, by air, as a token of her truest feelings for him" (7). To Jimmy, a memento of Martha's affection assumes a great deal more weight metaphorically than a gigantic cart of explosives does. In going through each object's measured heft, O'Brien alludes to the depth each one has, despite its appearance. The author also alludes to the multiple dimensions that make up each character in his juxtaposition of light and heavy objects, assigning a variety of belongings to each person, and yet simultaneously communicating their unexpected passions and secrets.
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ReplyDeleteFor each of the soldiers in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, the things that they carry with them represent what is most important to them in their life, during the war in particular. Being soldiers, they know that they are risking their lives every day and could die at any moment, so the objects that they carry must be very significant in their lives for it to be kept with them through something so life-threatening. For some soldiers, such as Dave Jensen, who carried “three pairs of socks and a can of Dr.Scholl’s foot powder as a precaution against trench foot”, their main objective is to survive, and that is what is most significant to them (2). For others, however, such as Lieutenant Jimmy Cross who carries pictures and letters from the person that he loves, carrying around a small symbol of what makes them happy is enough for them to get through each day. Kiowa, a “devout baptist”, carries an “illustrated New Testament that had been presented to him by his father” (3). Like Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, the New Testament is less of an object for survival and more of a symbol of what Kiowa is emotionally connected to, that gets him through each day. Each of these objects that these soldiers are keeping with them are methods of survival, both physically and emotionally.
ReplyDeleteMahyea, your analysis of the things the soldiers carry during war is very deep and insightful. It is interesting to look at each individual’s objects and analyze their special meaning to that particular soldier. I think you did a good job picking out the two quotes about a soldier's objects and going in depth on the significance of it. Kiowa’s bible is certainly an important object to the story as religion is one of the most powerful influences in the world, especially for a soldier who knows his life can end at any time. One interesting thing to really analyze would be the difference in the characters who seek to emotionally survive the war, Kiowa and Jimmy, or Dave Jensen and his focus on the physical aspect. I especially like that you show the different meanings of the objects, but tie them all together under one principal idea of survival.
DeleteMahyea, your conclusion that they carry things that are important to them is very evident throughout the story. However, have you taken into consideration that the only reason these things might be so important is the sole fact that they are at war. In other words, would Martha be so important to Jimmy if he was not at war? From my understanding, I do not believe Martha would mean as much to him because it seems like he only uses her to distract him from the war. For example, as soon as he begins putting in an effort to be a better Lieutenant (and actually focusing on the war), he burns her pictures because he no longer is trying to distract himself from reality. Once again, I love this analysis, however, I feel as though the reason some of these things are so important to these soldiers is because of the simple fact that they are at war.
DeleteMahyea, I definitely think you are onto something here except I feel as if you forget or do not consider some of the other characters. Jason mentions Jimmy and how he gets rid of the photos to place his concentration on reality and not a what if. In your analysis, you mention Kiowa and his use of the The New Testament; however, I think you forget to realize that maybe Kiowa is not nearly connected to it as he use to be. It is suppose to be an impactful object to him but it does the opposite I believe. It creates a false reality of what the world is like. This causes him to stray from his usual self. After the death of Ted Lavender he is change for what I believe will be the whole story. In addition I believe O’Brien introduces all the characters with their personal objects to later show how they will stray from their true selves, it just so happens that Kiowa did this quicker than others.
DeleteIn "The Things They Carried," Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries Martha's letters and photos with him to humanize himself, fearing the dissent into hatefulness that the brutality of war causes in others. Throughout the text, Jimmy repeatedly refers to his love for Martha: "He loved her so much...he would slip into daydreams, just pretending, walking barefoot along the Jersey shore, with Martha, carrying nothing" (8). In one way, Jimmy uses Martha to comfort himself, using her as a force to bring him down to a reality that removes him from the surrounding chaos. Martha also represents a sense of clarity and liberation. With her, Jimmy's purpose is clear, but at war, his motivations are hazy, covered in a film of forced patriotism. Jimmy’s very being lies in his devotion to Martha, distracting from his concentration on the war effort, yet ultimately fulfilling a void of passion within him. However, at the end of the story, Jimmy's pain consumes him, causing him to destroy the remnants of Martha in his possession. He does so in fear of becoming weak, equating strength to emotional detachment.
ReplyDeleteReally sophisticated and detailed analysis Clara. I agree with your interpretation. Cross's desire to be with Martha and his separation from her manifests in his mind definitely imposing a distraction. When Cross reminisces of his past with her he is reminded of what he can not have. Dreaming about what could be, the illusion of possibility which is evident to be a load he carries. The narrator describes the fear of the unknown and of what could be as fatal: "imagination was a killer" (11). The friendly letters they shared did not stand for anything more than friendship yet he used them as an escape from the hash and brutal reality of the war. Cross’s temporary thoughts left him even more alone and isolated because it could not change his status and all the responsibilities he bears. A the end of the chapter he forces himself to accept that he will never have a normal life focused on love, happiness and relationships in order to stay aware ad be present for his men.
DeleteClara, your comparison of Lieutenant Jimmy's attachment to Martha in the beginning of the story with his treatment of her in the ending is vital to this novel. His character transformation reflects how war changes people's entire being. And above all, how fear is the most dominate force in a persons life. I think this idea of fear you connected to Jimmy's character pretains to most of the other characters as well. Lavender, for instance, carried the most weight in materials because of his fear of death. Ironically, this fear meant more weight to carry, which slowed him down and put him in more danger. This shows that fear can motivate one to change -like it did in Jimmy-, but it can also endanger your life. These characters must learn to use fear to stay attentive, but also learn to avoid letting their fear consume their common sense and ability to take action.
DeleteI agree with your analysis, Clara. I think you made a very good point about how having these tangible things, such as the letters, that represent Martha for him made him more human. I can imagine that being in a place where you have to censor parts of your humanity, so to speak, having something more “human” to think about must help you stay grounded. Nearing the end we see how he began to slip away from this, but it's evident that it helped him get through being in the war to keep her close to him in some ways. He needed a distraction because he feared that he would begin to lose himself to the war. I do think he loved her, but these feelings may have been exaggerate because of his situation. He needed a passion to focus on and also something to dream about, being stuck in such a dismal environment, and the letters he kept with him provided that escape.
DeleteThe heaviest things they carry are the tangible thoughts and emotions they take with them to the battlefield, one of which they all share-- fear of death. This fear is called an “unweighted fear” (6) which emphasises how it does not have a specific weight like their equipment but it is just as much of a load anchoring them down.Tied along with that fear is the guilt of a fellow soldier's death that burdens them. It hangs over their head just like when they lift Lavender covered in the same pancho they all carry, on to the chopper. The uncertainty of their next breath takes a toll on them. The narrator says, “they all carry ghosts”(10), which they do literally when finding fallen soldiers. They can be considered ghosts in waiting because they might face sudden death.Defending themselves and survival come with a great cost: “They carried all they could bear, and then some,including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried”(7).The guilt and power of taking a life is just as prominent as losing a life.
ReplyDeleteBethanie I like your thoughts of their Tangible thoughts and emotions, I never interpreted it like this and now I am agreeing with you. I think the author tries comparing weight in the things they carry a lot. For example when he is looking at Martha’s letters, “The letters weighed 4 ounces.”(2) Also, later on he listed many items, “Together these items weighed between 12 and 18 pounds, depending upon a man’s habits or rate of metabolism.”(2) Furthermore it shows the diversity of the weight of “things” people carry with them depending on their weight as well. “Henry Dobbins, who was a big man, carried extra rations.”(2) This is different for other men who prioritize other distractions from supplies or who are smaller than Henry Dobbins. Also, I agree that on the path and survival of the war, they are leading themselves to death as they kill more people, see more people killed, and grieve for fallen comrades. I believe in the end of this novel the majority of the soldiers will die.
DeleteI really like the last sentence you posted "the guilt and power of taking a life is just as prominent as losing one". I feel that it really exposes he stereotype of how we view the experiences of soldiers. Too often we think only of how soldiers go into the battlefield to kill off the enemy and the act of dying is seen as something honorable. The fact that you point out that dying is something that soldiers value beyond the honor of dying for your country is really interesting. It also banks on the brother and sisterhood that exist on the battlefield. In addition, when you mentioned the quote: " they all carry ghost" it also reminded me of not just the struggle of soldiers during the war as you focus on, but the challenges they may face afterwards(10). In some ways the war never leaves a soldier and PTSD is definitely a ghost that they may carry with them for a long time- especially if they have had to carry one of their own fallen.
DeleteBethanie, I really liked that you utilized O'Brien's emphasis on the fear of death; furthermore, how the characters are forced to repress their fears in order to avoid their reality. For example, when Jimmy Cross uses the idea of Martha in order to escape the danger and bring light into his situation. This became clear when O'Brien uses "hard vocabulary to contain the terrible softness" consuming the soldiers (19). Perhaps O'Brien is using the toughness to identify the male persona that has been inflicted into society; that men have to shelter their emotions in order to become more appealing and normal within society. Additionally, Jimmy Cross carries the ghost of Tim Lavender following his death as he holds himself accountable for being in an alternate reality with Martha.
DeleteBethanie, I love the fact that you chose to focus on the intangible things that the soldiers carry as opposed to the tangibles. I completely agree with your acknowledgement of the intangibles as equally significant as the actual objects that are carried. Perhaps the intangible things they carry, weigh down these soldiers even more significantly than the actual objects. When describing a good majority of the tangible objects, O’Brien provides an actual mass that each object adds to a person. However, when addressing the intangibles he says, “the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight” (20). Perhaps the fact that O’Brien does not assign a specific weight to them, means that their mass is too heavy to be given a number and consequentially has the greatest influence over the men. Do you think that the fear of death is the most significant intangible weight that the soldiers carry? Or are there others that deserve to be addressed?
DeleteBethanie, that is some topnotch analysis right there. I completely agree with your interpretation of what it is they are actually carrying. As you said their emotion load or "unweighted fear" slows them down just as much as their equipment does which is powerful in the sense of although fighting and being brave, it reveals this whole new layer of vulnerability to the idea of men. The list of their physical equipment opens a window to the emotional burdens that these soldiers bear leaving behind the most important thing in their lives. However, this burden can also serve as a necessity for the young soldiers to confront the tension between fantasy and reality which can be seen when Cross is distracted by Martha's virtue possibly, although odd,using her as motivation (or the idea of sex) to get back home. Not only Cross but all men portray this emotion of fear throught the objects they bring for tranquility. Lavender got high to numb his pain and fear of dying.
DeleteBethanie, that is some topnotch analysis right there. I completely agree with your interpretation of what it is they are actually carrying. As you said their emotion load or "unweighted fear" slows them down just as much as their equipment does which is powerful in the sense of although fighting and being brave, it reveals this whole new layer of vulnerability to the idea of men. The list of their physical equipment opens a window to the emotional burdens that these soldiers bear leaving behind the most important thing in their lives. However, this burden can also serve as a necessity for the young soldiers to confront the tension between fantasy and reality which can be seen when Cross is distracted by Martha's virtue possibly, although odd,using her as motivation (or the idea of sex) to get back home. Not only Cross but all men portray this emotion of fear throught the objects they bring for tranquility. Lavender got high to numb his pain and fear of dying.
DeleteBethanie, that is some topnotch analysis right there. I completely agree with your interpretation of what it is they are actually carrying. As you said their emotion load or "unweighted fear" slows them down just as much as their equipment does which is powerful in the sense of although fighting and being brave, it reveals this whole new layer of vulnerability to the idea of men. The list of their physical equipment opens a window to the emotional burdens that these soldiers bear leaving behind the most important thing in their lives. However, this burden can also serve as a necessity for the young soldiers to confront the tension between fantasy and reality which can be seen when Cross is distracted by Martha's virtue possibly, although odd,using her as motivation (or the idea of sex) to get back home. Not only Cross but all men portray this emotion of fear throught the objects they bring for tranquility. Lavender got high to numb his pain and fear of dying.
DeleteIn "The Things They Carried", Tim O'Brien uses Lieutenant Jimmy Cross' attachment to his photos of Martha in order to represent the grasp he has and attempts to maintain throughout the war. O'Brien uses Martha to demonstrate what Jimmy's life was like or what the reader can assume and how he allows it to "not bring himself to worry about matters of security"; to provide an alternate universe away from the fear that the war imposes upon the characters (11). However, when Tim Lavender dies, O'Brien uses the impact of the event on Jimmy as a catalyst for accepting his reality within the war. Jimmy, in fact, "couldn't burn the blame" he had for the death of Lavender due to his distance from reality (22). From that point, Jimmy had become determined to detach himself from his home life by removing momentos of his old life in order to create and accept his new one.
ReplyDeleteIn Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, the first short story is all about items, feelings, point of views, and a multitude of other things that soldiers carried during the Vietnam war. All these things that the soldiers are carrying are used to represent that the war is such a burden on their lives and that it is basically taking over their lives. There is not one soldier in this story that isn’t held back by a vast amount of weight, which is just symbolic of showing that the war has basically given them a great burden. This is evident as Lieutenant Cross carries the pebble from Martha. When Martha sends the pebble to Cross, he finds it “romantic” because he wants to be able to tie himself down to something that is not related to the war (8). Although Cross constantly admits that Martha is not in love with him, he creates a fictional romance between them in his head so his life isn’t only about the war, and all the weight/ burden that comes with it. For example, Cross would have daydreams in which he was “with Martha, carrying nothing” which shows that he only uses Martha, and carries her pebble, to relieve himself of being solely weighed down and defined by the war (9).
ReplyDeleteI agree with your argument and how each soldier uses the things they carry as an escape from their lives surrounded by war. I would also argue that while Cross wants to use Martha to free himself from the war, he is also putting another burden on himself that he has to carry. Cross even says, "the waiting was worse than the tunnel itself. Imagination was a killer" (10). Cross wants the love of Martha even after admitting it is impossible. I think this could further your argument because it addresses the results of his actions and mentality. I also agree that the weight on the soldiers represent the burden of war and their lack of freedom due to them being "weighed down." You use very good evidence which makes the "romantic" aspects of their relationship clear while also relating it to the weight that Cross subsequently carries in the war.
DeleteDo you think that the imagination of Cross will stop him from letting go of the things he carries (from Martha)?
Jason I agree with your argument. I feel that the items the soldiers carry are their attempts to try and escape their current reality. They create this safe haven for themselves, which they can rely on after a day at war. I agree that they seem to find war as a burden on their lives, which is seen through Lieutenant Cross and Kiowa. After the death of Lavender, Kiowa feels shamed at the fact that he can not seem to really feel any form of emotion towards Lavender. He felt angered at the thought that he could neither feel as sad as Cross did, or that he could not feel the pain that Cross felt. Jimmy Cross on the other hand feels that war is mainly messing up his emotions. I also agree that he tries to imagine himself in a complicated relationship with Martha, in an attempt to make his current life more than just war.
DeleteLieutenant Jimmy Cross is a very sentimental man stuck in a new reality where sentiment and empathy can not exist if survival is possible. His pictures symbolize Cross’s dreams of being back home living a simpler life where death is not always knocking at your front door. These dreams of home distort reality and allow Cross to escape from war. Consequently the pictures and letters are in the end what he believes cause the death of a fellow soldier, Tom Lavender. In response to this realization Jimmy Cross takes the bold step of burning his letters and pictures of Martha. To Jimmy this is his way of preventing future death to himself or his fellow soldiers but winds up not working. Shortly after burning his objects the narrator writes “And even now, without photographs, Lieutenant Cross could see Martha playing volleyball [...] He could see her moving in the rain,” (22). After burning his pictures Cross becomes even more weighed down by Martha. He now imagines her in Vietnam with him, signifying the blurring lines between war and love.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel The Things They Carried by Tim O’ Brien, our main character Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is carrying letters from a girl named Martha who he met from Mount Sebastian College in New Jersey. Like many soldiers they use an object or some sort of idea to take their mind and relieve stress in many different ways through there objects. However, it kept him worried and pre-occupied in a bad way because he worries Martha was or is with another man, “Slowly, a bit distracted, he would get up and move among his men, checking the perimeter, then at full dark he would return to his hole and watch the night and wonder if Martha was a virgin.”(2) Keeping this in mind, this illustrates how because he hasn’t had sex with her yet he believes she maybe doesn’t love him back and moved on to another man.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: “To carry something was to hump it, as when Lieutenant Jimmy Cross humped his love for Martha up the hills and through the swamps.”(3)
What does this mean?
I found it interesting how we wrote very similar responses and I was wondering that when you said "it kept him worried and pre-occupied in a bad way," do you in any way think that instead of harming his health, he might be consciously or subconsciously escaping reality. Also, since I focused onto the letters, it is evident that they weigh only "4 ounces"(2). Do you think that has anything to do with the value of the letter and how much they symbolize to him for his benefit? I would say that I disagree with you while I do agree on some sort of level. Although the letters might be literal distraction, philosophically, I think it's more important to realize that the letters describe his personality, human nature, and character.
DeleteIn "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien, characters carefully choice items to accompany them in Vietnam. Dave Jenson is one of these characters: "Dave jenson, who practiced field hygiene, carried a toothbrush, dental floss, and several hotel-sized bars he'd stolen on R&R in Sydney, Australia" ( 2). Most soldiers in Vietnam did not bother- or did not have the opportunity too- maintain their hygiene and remain clean. This "dirty" reality contrasts with the cleanliness thats experienced at home. Hence, the soldier's filth reminds them of their current situation and inability to change it. Dave, who particularly enjoys staying clean, choose hygiene to carry with him because it allows him to escape the reality of war. Being clean connects him with a safe, non-war zone place. These items reserve his humanity and sanity through the connection the products provide. His willingness to steal the soal indicates how much being clean means to this character.
ReplyDeleteI found it to be a good connection of yours to make between the cleanliness in America vs cleanliness in Vietnam. This idea of hygiene being used to "escape the reality of the war" is a great analysis to make about how deeply soldiers were affected by the Vietnam War, and their inability to clean themselves of the memories of the war. Their attempts at preserving the freedoms of America are held in their habits and the "things that they carry". Do you believe that Dave Jenson's reality in the Vietnam War, filthiness and dirty, is connected to how he wants to return to America, but can not due to his inability to "wash himself clean" of the communism he is fighting in Vietnam? I agree with your analysis of this quote, especially the aspect of him stealing the soap is a symbol of how much cleanliness, and a want to escape from the war, means to this soldier.
DeleteIn the first short story, “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brien depicts the things that soldiers carried when at war, both the tangible and the “unweighted” things. Ted Lavender is a strong example of a character who carries both the physical and emotional baggage. When describing his load the narrator says, “he went down under an exceptional burden, more than 20 pounds of ammunition, plus the flak jacket and helmet and rations and water and toilet paper and tranquilizers and all the rest, plus the unweighted fear. He was dead weight” (6). While the necessities, such as a ammunition and water, were certainly carried, the emotional baggage, the fear, followed him too. Regardless of whether a soldier was carrying this emotional weight in something physical, like a picture, or just in their head, the effect of this weight was undeniable and almost inevitable. At Lavender’s death , when “they stripped off Lavender’s canteens and ammo,” it is described as stripping “all the heavy things” (6). While the physical weight was indeed heavy, Lavender did not just drop “like cement” only from the ammo and the flak jacket, he dropped so fast because of the emotional pain and fear that he was carrying on his back.
ReplyDeleteOut of most of the people listed in Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried", the things that first lieutenant and platoon leader, Jimmy Cross. carried with him seemed to be the most necessary in terms of war. As a first lieutenant, Jimmy Cross carried with him "a compass, maps, code books, binoculars and a .45-caliber pistol that weighed 2.9 pounds fully loaded. He carried a strobe of light and the responsibility for the lives of his men" (5). Immediately we see how important the job is to Jimmy Cross as he embodies the typical no-funny-business, motivated, and focused military man. despite the burden of war, Jimmy Cross' belonging interestingly weighs among the least compared to the other soldiers. Other soldiers carried more sentimental or abstract things with them with the goal of making their experience at war something more bearable. Ironically these things made to make life easier adds on a lot of weight for some soldiers therefor they metaphorically increase the burden of war on themselves. This seems to be the case for most of the soldiers save Jimmy who only with him what we would expect him to as a lieutenant. I found it really interesting that O'Brien included this perspective because it gives us something to standard to compare the other soldiers to.
ReplyDeleteIn The Things They Carried, the protagonist Jimmy Cross obsessively thinks about the girl he's in love with, who's back home, named Martha. He spends a lot of his free time thinking about what he should have done differently when he was back home and speculating about who she might be with. Jimmy's trapped in an environment where he is confined to his thoughts, so his mind often wanders when he's holding the tangible objects that represent Martha for him. For example, he thinks that even the smallest details embedded in her letters to him are significant. When he receives a pebble from her, that was “smooth to the touch” he saw it as a romantic gesture (8). I think that the small stone, although lighter, was even more important to him than the heavier (and more useful) equipment he carried, because it distracted him from his situation. Additionally, it gave him a sense of safety that even weapons couldn't provide.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Things They Carried," Jimmy Cross carries Martha's letters and photos with him to give him hope and bring him back to reality and to disallow himself to caught up in the brutalities of the war. Throughout the text, Jimmy repeatedly refers to his love for Martha: "He loved her so much...he would slip into daydreams, just pretending, walking barefoot along the Jersey shore, with Martha, carrying nothing" (12). In one way, Jimmy uses Martha to comfort himself, using her as a force to bring him down to a reality that removes him from the surrounding chaos. Martha also represents a sense of clarity and liberation. With her, Jimmy's purpose is clear, but at war he is extremely nationalistic towards the U.S. Jimmy’s being lies in his devotion to Martha, which sways him away from the task at hand, yet ultimately fulfilling a void of passion within him. All in all, Jimmy's pain consumes him, but Martha is the only one keeping him together.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your analysis. Cross seeks a greater meaning for his presence and fighting in Vietnam, one that will inspire him, and he seeks that meaning in Martha's letters. Cross' search for affection in Martha's letters mirrors the search of his men for moral justification. Each soldier seems to carry objects that are unique to himself and that remind him of his family or loved ones and thereby gives him the feeling that there is a meaning to his cause. These special objects contrast the standard objects such as the weapons in that Cross does not really offer their purpose as he does for example with placing the bandages on the helmets. Additionally these special objects are generally very light and only weigh a few ounces, which contrasts the extreme weight of some of the other gear carried by the soldiers. The physical weight of these unique and special objects may not be that great, but nonetheless it seems that these are the things keeping the soldiers rooted in the chaos that was the Vietnam war.
DeleteIn Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They carried”, Kiowa carries a New Testament that was given to him by his father. At one point, Kiowa, “opened his New Testament and arranged it beneath his head as a pillow… He liked the smell of the New Testament under his cheek, the leather and ink and paper and glue, whatever the chemicals were” (17). Because Kiowa uses his Bible in a rather peculiar way, this moment stands out. When thinking about sleeping at night, one might consider the essentials for comfort: A bed, a pillow, blankets, etc. However, as Kiowa prepares to sleep, he pulls out his Bible. This New Testament represents the comfort that Kiowa finds in his faith. When one is comfortable in a situation, they are not concerned with outside threats because they feel safe. This Bible provides Kiowa with comfort and safety and allows him to feel calm in a situation where others would feel conflicted. When interacting with this Bible, Kiowa loses the weight of the intangibles that he carries, and he is at peace.
ReplyDeleteIn The Things They Carried, the main character Jimmy Cross, carries Martha's letter as in hope of something to return back to however, he doesn't understand that it's merely a distraction from reality. In the beginning of the book: "slowly, a bit distracted, he would get up and move among his men, checking the perimeter, then at full dark he would return to his hole and watch the night and wonder if Martha was a virgin." While Jimmy might allow himself to think that those letters are beneficial for him, he might be wrong because he subconsciously uses them as a means to cope with war in order to have a reason to live. Wondering that Martha might still be a virgin, symbolizes the idea that she might love him. Therefore, it might be that the desire of Martha's love that is keeping him alive and motivating him onto going back onto seeing her. On the other hand, since the letters "weigh 4 ounces"(2), that also symbolizes the idea that those letters in reality mean nothing and it can be his subconscious thought that they have importance while he's only trying to escape reality.
ReplyDeleteTim O’Brien writes the majority of The Things They Carried, on the physical and mental things his soldiers and himself carry daily. As well as describing what they carry, O’Brien gives small descriptions of each: “Ted Lavender, who was scared, carried tranquilizers” (2). Each bring items that they think are necessary, and while many bring practicable things such as soap, or weapons, Lavender chooses tranquilizers and weed. However, Lavender does not bring these as a way to entertain himself, he does it because of fear. Being in the high stress environment they are in, Lavender uses these to “tranquilize”, or numb himself-- perhaps to numb himself in the moment, or to help forget atrocities he has seen on the way. Although he does find serenity in this, Lavender ultimately dies, symbolizing that no matter how any soldier chooses to cope with war, the reality of danger will never go away.
ReplyDeleteIn “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brian mentions the physical things the soldiers carried with them along in Vietnam. Due to the everyday hardships of their lives, soldiers brought “necessities” from their normal life to give them an escape. The death of Ted Lavender is the center of this section and it seems to affect Jimmy Cross in a more serious way than it did to the other soldiers because he carried “the responsibility for the lives of his men” (5). This responsibility puts another weight on Jimmy Cross pushing him farther away from freedom. While Jimmy blames himself for the death of Ted Lavender by living in his fantasy with Martha, the other soldiers, “called it by other names, as if to encyst and destroy the reality of death itself” (19). The soldiers do not want to carry the burden of death with them because although they use the things they carry to give hope of freedom, they ultimately want to let go of their past to gain freedom.
ReplyDeleteIn Tim O'Brien's short story, "The Things They Carried", the protagonist Jimmy Cross outlines the literal and symbolic object that each person in his troop carries. Rat Kiley, the medic, carried his satchel with all the things that a medic needs "including M&M's for especially bad wounds" (5). Rat Kiley may have carried M&M's, a candy from their home country, as a symbol of hope for survival. As multiple soldiers died in Vietnam, the mortality rates were very high and the survival of a soldier largely depended on luck. The M&M's are a symbol of this luck, luck to survive and luck to be able to continue on with their lives and go back home to a capitalist country with freedom. The medic carries this in order to heal the "especially bad wounds" because hope and luck is all that is left for badly injured soldiers. Their survival depends on that small candy, giving a placebo effect of being cured or health.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Things They Carried," Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carriers picture of Martha in an attempt to try and keep in touch with his emotions while at war. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross fears that after war he will lose touch with his old life and be emotionless. His vivid descriptions of Martha picking up a pebble at the beach, is his attempt to create this false sense of reality: “He imagined bare feet… and her feet would be brown and bare, the toenails unpainted, the eyes chilly and somber like the ocean in March”(8). His use of carrying around pictures of Martha and describing these photos is his attempt to try and escape his current reality. He creates this coping mechanism over his desire to love Martha and tries as best as he can to make it seem real. Although he believes that his mixture of emotions is what eventually kills one of his troops, Lavender. He is left to choose whether his feelings are really important, and whether his feelings and cravings for love are just extra baggage.
ReplyDeleteClarance, I agree with your analysis of the items Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries from Martha. I find it interesting how you argue that something tangible like the pebble allows Jimmy Cross to create something intangible, a sense of reality. I also agree that by viewing the photos he is attempting to escape his current reality in the way that he is viewing something that does not have to do with war, especially in how “she never mentioned the war” (2), but rather attempting to place himself into these stories of normal life. I feel like this is something that is not uncommon during the war and is seen with other characters, like how Ted Lavender brought “premium dope” (3), something that can be used to help cope with and escape reality. The question that derives from this now is will the Lieutenant be able to fully cope without his photos or dreams of another reality, or will he turn back to some other sort of coping mechanism that is so very much needed when facing a war?
DeleteIn The Things They Carried there is juxtaposition between tangible and intangible items carried that seem to counteract each other, representing the internal struggles of insecurities of the soldiers. Speaking about the things "they carried in common"(13), the soldiers brought with them "insignia of rank, Bronze Stars and Purple Hearts, plastic cards imprinted with the Code of Conduct. They carried diseases... lice, and ringworm and leeches"(14). In reality these awards and codes given to the soldiers are nothing more than useless extra weight carried by the soldiers. They continue to carry them because they symbolize the hope of the soldiers along with the pride of being reminded what the war is for. These reminders are especially needed when after long periods of war; the soldiers lose their “dignity”(18) during times of fear and are overcome with “shame” (18). On the other hand the seamless mention of diseases and bad conditions remove this sense of pride as they realize the awards are nothing but dead weight, and a lot of what they do is “without purpose” (14). The intangibility of the sentiments derived from awards is overcome by the intangible realizations of the horrible conditions.
ReplyDeleteIn the short story, The Things They Carried, the protagonist Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries with him pictures of Martha, a girl he loved, and the letters written to him by her. He also carried a pebble Martha sends along with a letter. She found the pebble on the jersey shoreline on the exact spot where the waves touched the land during high tide, which reminded them of the beautiful bond they shared, and the connection of their sole. As life brought them together yet they were separated, the pebble was a symbol of their friendship. These memoirs of his love, held him back in his past, where as his present position demanded him to be in full charge, take responsibility and be alert. He was unable to come out of the whirlpool of his fantasy world, for which he had to pay the price by losing a fellow comrade. Now, these tokens of love that he treasured, weighed heavily as a burden on his heart and filled him with guilt. For him, the pebble that symbolized the purity of his relation with Martha later on became a symbol of guilt and shame
ReplyDeleteWhile reading the first section of the short story, I paid particular attention to Tim Lavender and his "weed and tranquilizers" (2) he carried. It is obvious the soldiers have emotional attachments to their specific items, Lavender does not therefore gives Cross the impression of him being "dead weight" for carrying unnecessary batteries and tranquilizers. However, Lavender uses these items has a coping mechanism for his fear of dying at war. Ultimately killed because of the heavy burdens he carried, the description in the way he died "Like cement. Boom he fell" (16) is very central to the whole section since his death was used to alternate between soldiers to talk about their objects. It is evident the boys mentality is affected by Lavender's death since no matter what symbolic object one had, They would all end up the same. Cross-- the most overwhelmed-- burns Martha’s pictures and letters in an attempt to distance himself from the sentimentality he sees as a destructive force during wartime. His conclusion, at the end of this story, that it is better to be loved than to lead, reveals how the experience of Lavender’s death has affected his mentality. Love is no place for war.
ReplyDeleteFirst Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is faced with the challenge of guiding his platoon of men through the constant chaos that was the Vietnam war. He lists the precise objects that the men in his platoon carry with their corresponding weights. Cross is portrayed as a very observant man and some of his own personal belongings consist of letters and photos that he has received from Martha. Clearly in love with Martha, Cross seeks for signs in her writing that the feeling is mutual and searches for implied affection where he knows there is none. Cross' search for love from Martha mirrors the search for meaning that his men seek in the war that they are fighting. Page 13 describes a conversation between Mitchell Sanders and Henry Dobbins regarding morals: "Yeah, well, he finally said. I don't see no moral." Despite searching for a moral justification for the war that they are fighting and their presence in Vietnam, the soldiers are unable to find one. Seeing little moral in their fight, the men hold on to different objects that remind them of family or loved ones and thereby give them a feeling of a greater purpose. In the case of Cross, the death of Lavender triggers him to burn the letters and photos that he has from Martha, and thereby the only thing it seems that gave him hope.
ReplyDelete