9/22-"The Things They Carried"

In the story, "The Things The Carried" Tim O'Brien describes life at war in Vietnam. He uses the things they carried as a way for the soldiers to escape from the violence and misery and instead remind them of the life they were living back home in the United States. "First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried letters from a girl named Martha, a junior at Mount Sebastian College in New Jersey... He would imagine romantic camping trips into the White Mountains in New Hampshire. (341)" Most soldiers tried to imagine themselves living in a different world outside of the war, these things they carried have a great significance to them and their sanity. Since they were at war, they needed memories of loved ones along with them. Of course these soldiers carried their necessities along as well. "The things they carried were largely determined by necessity. Among the Necessities or near -necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C rations, and two or three canteens of water. (341)" While at war soldiers were expected to carry most of these items, their survival skills were of some question since many of them risked losing a limb just to be sent back home. "By and large they carried these things inside, maintaining the masks of composer. They sneered at the sick call. They spoke bitterly about guys who found release by shooting off their own toes or fingers. (353)" With out the things they carried these soldiers would have lost most of their sanity out in that violent war. Escaping the reality of being at war was the only way they knew how to stay sane.