The Things They Carried: The Things They Carried

Question: In the list of all the things the soldiers carried, what item was most surprising? Which item did you find the most evocative of war? Which items stay with you? Explain the meaning of the title “The Things They Carried”. Explain the metaphor of weight.

Answer:

            Among the items that the American soldiers in the Vietnam War carried, there was one that surprised me. One of the soldiers, Ted Lavender, carried tranquilizers and dope, which the book explains by saying, “Ted Lavender, who was scared, carried tranquilizers until he was shot in the head.” (O’Brien, 2) and “Until he was shot, Ted Lavender carried 6 or 7 ounces of premium dope, which for him was a necessity.” (O’Brien, 3). This object surprises me the most, not because it’s truly surprising that a scared man is self-medicating during a stressful time like war but, because of the ideals that I held soldiers to at a younger age. When you’re younger, you’re taught to view policeman, fireman, soldiers and people of similar standings and occupations as good guys and heroes. While most of them definitely are, the heroes you, or at least I, equated them with were not just people who selfishly did good deeds and whatnot, but flawless fighters without weaknesses. Now that I’m older, I realize that that’s obviously not a realistic view. However, it is, like most things you decide when you’re younger, imprinted in my mind still. This has made Ted Lavender’s drugs the most surprising thing to me for it revealed a weakness where I was not expecting to find one.

            The items that I view as most evocative of war would have to be the weapons that they carry. While it is an obvious choice, it is the one that I see as most fitting. In the book, they speak of many different weapons, some of which they describe by saying, “In addition to the three standard weapons- the M-60, M-16, and M-79--- they carried whatever presented itself, or whatever seemed appropriate as a means of killing or staying alive. They carried catch-as-catch-can. At various times, in various situations, they carried M-14s and CAR-15s and Swedish Ks and grease guns and captured AK-47s and Chi-Coms and RPGs and Simonov carbines and black market Uzis and .38-caliber Smith & Wesson handguns and 66 mm LAWs and shotguns and silencers and blackjacks and bayonets and C-4 plastic explosives.” (O’Brien, 7). They also mention that one soldier, Henry Dobbins, carries “between 10 and 15 pounds of ammunition” (O’Brien, 5). It’s not surprising that there are guns and weapons there, but to hear the numbers and names of various weapons makes it seem a lot more real. To me, guns and weapons are symbolic to violence and there’s nothing more violent than a war. The weaponry that the soldiers carry is the most suggestive of the war that they fight.

            The items that stay in my mind the most would have to be the letters, photos, pantyhose, M&Ms and Kool-Aid. The letters and photos are in my mind, because, in every war movie, book or show that I’ve been witness to, there’s always at least one soldier with a picture or letter from somebody waiting for him/her at home. It was one of the first things that came into my mind upon hearing the title and has managed to stay in there since. The pantyhose are an item that Henry Dobbins carried, which the book mentions, “Henry Dobbins carried his girlfriend’s pantyhose wrapped around his neck as a comforter.” (O’Brien, 10). These particular item isn’t the thing stuck in my mind, but more so the adorable mental image of a soldier with lacy pantyhose wrapped around his neck in a scarf-like fashion. I also find the sentiment of him carrying them and her sending them in the first place as romantic and cute. Finally is the M&M candy and Kool- Aid. These stay in my head for various reasons. One being that neither are very healthy or nutritional and I equate soldiers with being healthy and strong. Another being that it’s crazy to consider that the soldiers are roughing it out in the Vietnam climates while sipping on Kool- Aid and munching on candy. The two images are so different that my mind has a hard time processing them together.

            This chapter of the novel is titled “The Things They Carried”. It means that it shows the burdens that they carried with them through the war- physically, mentally and spiritually. The list of things they carry differs from ammunition to the deaths of others to moccasins to letters to slingshots to M&Ms to fear. One passage that describes this combination of physical and mental burden well talks about various weapons that they have and says, “… Some carry white phosphorous grenades. They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried.” (O’Brien, 7). Weight is a very common factor within this chapter since they often include the weights that accompany each item (for example, “… the M-60, which weighed 23 pounds unloaded…” (O’Brien, 5)). However, weight is more than just a measurement that can be taken with a scale. There are different types of weight that are immeasurable. For example, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross feels responsible for Ted Lavender’s death and holds the weight of that and its guilt. It’s not something that can be put to a measurement of pounds or grams, but it’s real nonetheless. The weight you carry on your shoulders can be both physical and mental. Both are just as real as the other. The only difference between the two is that it’s much harder to put down the mental weight that you carry.