The Weight

1. In the list of all the things the soldiers carried, what item was most surprising? Which item did you find most evocative of the war? Which items stay with you?

A:  The item I found most surprising that the soldiers carried was the "premium dope". If you're life is in danger, having drugs would not be the brightest idea. The item i found the most evocative of the war was the heavy ammunition the men carried as well as the other necessary items they needed such as canteens for water and weapons. The items that say with me are the personal items the soldiers owned. For example, Cross's picture of Martha, Bowker's diary, and Kiowa's bible. The meaning of the title The Things They Carried is not only about the physical things the soldiers held with them, it is more about the mental things they carried. For example, Lieutenant Cross carried the responsibility of the lives of his mean. That is a big burden to withhold. Another example would be the fear that Ted Lavender carried. The metaphor of the weight they carried shows the effect the war had on each soldier. O'brien states that the soldiers carry Vietnam on them in the form of powdery red-orange dust that covers their boots, fatigues, and face. This line signifies that even after the war, Vietnam will still be with them and haunt them.