The Things They Carried was written by Tim O’Brien and was originally published March 28, 1990. The story took place during the time of the Vietnam War, and shows the lives of a few American soldiers while marching from village to village motionlessly. Throughout the story, it informs us of what each soldier carries and what they carry together as a whole. Varying from extra rations to photographs, to the vivid memories they can never forget. The war changes them all and yet they go on. The things each soldier carried were more than just materialistic things, they carried memories, fear and much more. For instance, the moment Ted Lavender died right in front of their eyes, Kiowa couldn't stop talking about it “boom down. Not a word.” These
