The Things They Carried Character Analysis

The fictional short story "The Things They Carried” was written by Tim O'Brien and published in 1990. The short story gives you more of a personal view in the day to Day life of a soldier during the Vietnam War. The story is a very descriptive piece that allows you to feel in touch with the characters in the novel. "The Things They Carried" starts off with introduction of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Cross seems to be a very disturbed character in the sense that he is infatuated with a college student back home named Martha. Cross's obsession with Martha is how he seems to survive the war. He clings on to her letters and the memorabilia she sends, for example photographs and a pebble. The story than continues to describe the other soldiers who are in Lieutenant crosses troop. The author describes how the items that each of the soldiers carry define who they …show more content…
The plot of the story is structured in such a way that it keeps you interested. The author first get you hooked on the love relationship between Cross and Martha. When reading the story the author brings up the love relationship between them often. Intermits seeing the reality of the Vietnam War along with the soldiers inter feelings. The author does a set up the characters by describing what they carry with them during the war to describe the personalities and values. Lieutenant Cross is the most dynamic character. He is shown in the beginning of the story to be disheveled because he is completely infatuated with a girl back in America named Martha. Martha sends Lieutenant Cross letters and photographs which he idolizes. The reader watches Lieutenant Cross change once he experiences the loss of his soldier Lavender. Cross seems to wake up out of his day dream of Martha and learn to except reality. The structure of the dialogue in the short story is very casual. This makes it very easy for the reader to understand and stay