The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien

The leader of the platoon, Jimmy Cross, carries letters from his love Martha Cross. She is a college student who writes to him but never mentions the war. She also signed her letters "love" but did not really love him. The narrator talks about all of the things the men have to carry,and the uses of all of the objects. He talks about how "to hump" means "to carry" he says that everyone carries objects and memories with him. He carries 2 photos of Martha, one of her playing volleyball and another of her standing. He had gone on one date with Martha to a movie where he put his hand on her knee, and she made him move it. The men are outside of Than Khe and have to go in a tunnel. The tunnel collapses on Lee Strunk, but Jimmy is too engulfed in wanting to be with Martha and wondering whether Martha is a virgin or not to care. When Lee emerges Lavender is shot while coming back from peeing. The narrator then talks about the weight that all of the men carry and how it can all be discarded. All but the mental weight. He blames Lavenders death on himself and spends the night crying. He talks about how the men carry themselves with composure, but many have second thoughts. The morning after Lavender died, Jimmy Cross burns all of his letters and pictures from Martha. He knows this is just symbolic, but he needs it.  He then vows to reshape his platoon and perform his duties perfectly. He will no longer let them smoke dope, or discard rations along the way. 


This story is a good look at the psychological well being of a soldier at war. Jimmy Cross yearns for love in the middle of war. He wants to escape reality so badly that he is willing to risk his own men to fantasize. I don't think these were conscious actions though. Jimmy's mind could not handle the stress of war, and wanted to be back home. His mind would then pull itself away from the war, even in times when his men were in trouble. He could not help but pull away from reality. The other men would do this too. Some used dope, other used good luck charms. No man can stay completely mentally healthy in the midst of war. The men are all shocked when Lavender gets shot. This is a sudden burst of reality. Everyone, especially Jimmy, realizes that they are not immortal and can be brought down at any time. The fact that he loses one of his men draws Jimmy back to reality. He realizes that he can not let anything distract him from his men. He then burns the items he has from Martha. This is just symbolic, but his mind can no longer use the physical presence of them to draw itself away from war. At night it will now have to focus on what the next day will be like and how they will navigate. By burning the photos he burned his minds escape from war. The other men also have different reactions to the stress of war. Some carry lucky items to feel protected, others carry more weapons or ammo to help themselves feel safe. If they do not have these items there minds would feel as if they are naked in the midst of war.