The Reality of War

Question: What does the story "The Things They Carried" suggest about the affect of war, especially on soldiers?

Thankfully, most of us don't need to experience the horrors soldiers face during war. Speaking for myself, war has always been something like an abstract idea or concept; I've read, watched, and learned about it, but I've never really experienced it. Although I have learned about the horrors of war in history, I still possess a false, more romanticized perception of being a soldier. Since I was a kid, I have enjoyed watching action movies and shows. Many of these films typically portray soldiers as badass, hardcore demigods that can accomplish anything that they face. Even after being shot numerous times, receiving multiple devastating blows, and suffering from PTSD, the soldier(s) always manage to triumph.

Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" provides a glimpse into the lives of U.S. soldiers on the front lines in the Vietnam War, by following a small company of men. The story describes the various "load-outs" the soldiers have, depending on personnel, mission, and occasion. While these physical objects take up a majority of the story, they provide a window into the emotional burdens that the soldiers bear. For example, Ted Lavender carries an excessive amount of tranquilizer and dope, indicating how scared he is in this war.

The main character of the story, Lieutenant Cross, carries letters, two pictures, and a pebble from Martha. While these possessions are physically insignificant compared to his other, more essential equipment, they certainly have significant emotional weight. Every day, in the late afternoon, Cross would dig himself a foxhole and hold the letters in his hands, imagining a life with Martha. These sentimental tokens are constant reminder of her existence and "what could've been," causing Cross to begin losing focus and daydreaming during missions. After Lavender's death, Cross blames himself for being constantly distracted, and as a result, he burns the letters and pictures. By burning these possessions, Cross hopes to distance himself from the sentimentality that he now sees as a destructive force. As a result, at the end of the story, he becomes extremely strict and decides that his obligation was "not to be loved but to lead." This shift in his mentality shows the damaging toll war takes on its victims.

However, many of the other soldiers also carried emotional baggage. It's important to note that many of soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War were young men in their late teens or twenties. This inexperience only intensified the emotions that they felt while on the field. Although Lavender was the only one who clearly displayed signs of fear, all of his comrades were equally as scared. For example, during their missions to destroy the tunnel complexes, they played a game of luck to see who would crawl down the tunnel. No one ever laughed, and the loser would often be haunted by dark thoughts during their excursion. This fear can also be seen in the company's reaction after Lavender's death: Kiley kept repeating "the guy's dead," Cross wanted to cry, and Kiowa was relieved that it wasn't him (he also couldn't shake the image of Lavender collapsing like a sand bag).

To put it simply, "They all carried ghosts."

Throughout the story, we can find evidence of the human-ness of the soldiers. Even at the end, when Cross embraces a more stereotypical soldier's mindset, it's still shown how human he really is; he has to constantly remind himself of his duty. Additionally, Cross's relationship with Martha will never be the same, and perhaps, his relationship with love will be damaged forever. By showing how inexperienced these soldiers are and the intensity of their emotions, Tim O'Brien reminds us that, at the end of the day, soldiers are humans too.