The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien The this short story “ The Things They Carried” take place during the Vietnam War. The narrator describes his story in the third person and speaking through accounts of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Lt. Cross is an active duty combat soldier completing a tour of duty in Vietnam. Lieutenant Cross is preoccupied by thoughts of Martha, a young woman he met prior to enlisting in the Army and going off to war. Lt Cross uses his personal time to think about a young woman he met. The young lady is named Martha who sends Lt. Cross letters, keeping him updated on the events of home. Each evening after completing a force march Lt. Cross prepares a place of safety by digging a fighting hole (foxhole). He settles down in the safety of the fighting hole where he …show more content…
The military has made it mandatory that certain items be carried in the field to help maintain their personal up keeping. However each person has certain personal needs that force them to alter standard operation procedures mandated by their superiors. In the short story each soldier packed items he felt was needed for his survival. Take for instance Lt. Cross, it was letters form Martha, Henry Dobbins, it was extra food items, Dave Jensen, it was hygiene products. Each man had his own needs that drove him to rely on different items to help aid in his survival. Each man understood the importance of carrying required items but for the sake of sanity they all chose to carry additional items. These items were symbolic to their personal needs not the needs identified by their military leaders. The items help them cop with their fears, their desires create by war. The added weight meant nothing to these men for they had the comforts of home or as Lt. Cross put it their imaginary comforts of creating happiness by cherishing a personal