In Obrien’s The Things They Carried, there were recurring ideas running throughout the text like the repetition of the word “carry.” He used this word to emphasize how the things they lugged with them everywhere weighed down on them tremendously, making their marches through foreign territory even more arduous; but surprisingly, the hardest things to “carry” were not physical, but the internal baggage they possessed like their many worries and emotions. The most common feelings among all of the characters were directly related to guilt; all of the soldiers seemed to be dealing with some form of guilt and readers are able to see this, especially after the killing of Ted Lavender.
Lavender’s death was a main turning point in the text. After this …show more content…
In the time immediately before Lavender’s death, he was fantasizing about her. “Lieutenant Cross gazed at the tunnel. But he was not there. He was buried with Martha under white sand at the Jersey Shore…. Vaguely, he was aware of how quiet the day was, the sullen paddies, yet he could not bring himself to worry about matter of security” (Obrien 366-367). Knowing that he should be wary of the quietness that is usually accompanied by a surprise attack, he still let his delusions of Martha overshadow his responsibilities, and that possibly cost one of his soldiers their life. Because of his neglect, he would now carry that same guilt for the remainder of his life. If he had been alert and looking out for them like he was supposed to, he may have been able to prevent Lavender’s death. It is after this that Cross evolves into a leader and starts to play the role he is meant to. He vows to let go of his obsession with Martha and begin to steer his platoon in the right direction from that moment and on. The debilitating guilt Cross felt triggered his growth from being just “a kid at war, in love” (Obrien 367), and forced him to start taking his job as Lieutenant …show more content…
“They carried the common secret of cowardice barely strained, the instinct to run or freeze or hide, and in many respects this was the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down. They carried their reputations. They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing” (O’Brien 372). Most of the men fought in the Vietnam War for superficial reasons like their friends or not wanting to feel the shame of not going. In other words, they were essentially guilted into going to the war. They didn’t want to run away from the war and be shamed by their family, friends, and in a way, their country. They were put into situations where they had to do awful things, and even though they had become primarily desensitized to the motions, most of them still carried the guilt for the rest of their
Lavender’s death was a main turning point in the text. After this …show more content…
In the time immediately before Lavender’s death, he was fantasizing about her. “Lieutenant Cross gazed at the tunnel. But he was not there. He was buried with Martha under white sand at the Jersey Shore…. Vaguely, he was aware of how quiet the day was, the sullen paddies, yet he could not bring himself to worry about matter of security” (Obrien 366-367). Knowing that he should be wary of the quietness that is usually accompanied by a surprise attack, he still let his delusions of Martha overshadow his responsibilities, and that possibly cost one of his soldiers their life. Because of his neglect, he would now carry that same guilt for the remainder of his life. If he had been alert and looking out for them like he was supposed to, he may have been able to prevent Lavender’s death. It is after this that Cross evolves into a leader and starts to play the role he is meant to. He vows to let go of his obsession with Martha and begin to steer his platoon in the right direction from that moment and on. The debilitating guilt Cross felt triggered his growth from being just “a kid at war, in love” (Obrien 367), and forced him to start taking his job as Lieutenant …show more content…
“They carried the common secret of cowardice barely strained, the instinct to run or freeze or hide, and in many respects this was the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down. They carried their reputations. They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing” (O’Brien 372). Most of the men fought in the Vietnam War for superficial reasons like their friends or not wanting to feel the shame of not going. In other words, they were essentially guilted into going to the war. They didn’t want to run away from the war and be shamed by their family, friends, and in a way, their country. They were put into situations where they had to do awful things, and even though they had become primarily desensitized to the motions, most of them still carried the guilt for the rest of their