The Things They Carried

The Things They Carried - Tim O’Brien

There are several things that I liked about this story.  First I found it interesting that the author put how much everything they carried weighed.  It gave me as the reader more perspective and more empathy of what it was like to be a soldier in the Vietnam war. I also found it interesting to see what different soldiers found important to carry with them.  It was different for each of them.  

As for the main character, Jimmy Cross.  The change that took place with him from the beginning of the story to the end to me was sad.  He was getting through this horrible war by thinking of Martha.  Remembering time spent with her, reflecting on letters she wrote, fantasizing about things to come or would possibly never come, and how much he loved her, knowing that she didn’t love him in the same way - or so he thought.  I never read anything in concrete in the story to tell me for sure however, that that was truly the way it was.  I thought maybe she may  not have kissed him back at the end of the date because maybe she had never been kissed before and didn’t know how to react, or there could have been many reasons - but Jimmy thought for sure it was because she didn’t love him.  To me this connection was helping him cope.  When Lavender died, however, Jimmy felt that his daydreaming and emotions and thinking of Martha were the reasons that Lavendar died.  When he was shot, that was a HUGE turning point for Jimmy.  His entire demeanor changed, it’s as if he had lost all emotion - he burned Martha’s photos, her letters and stopped thinking of her.  It’s like his heart had hardened.  He then decided to be more structured, no more emotion and everything was going to be “by the book.”

I wished that I could have found out how it all ended.  Did all the rest of the men make it?  Did Jimmy ever see Martha again?  What did Martha really feel?  I just felt that the story just sort of ended leaving me hanging.