In the story "The Things They Carried", if you had to classify the things the men carried, what categories would you choose? What possessions, both tangible and intangible, would fall into each category? In your response, divide your response into two sections, one for tangible and another for intangible. Then discuss and analyze (per the question) 3-4 specific characters and the items they carry for both of those categories.

TangibleIntangible

PersonalEmotions (positive)

letters/photographslove

foodlonging

talismanpride

reading materialgood humor

ToolsEmotions (negative)

compass grief

mapsconfusion

ponchostress

radioresignation

machetesguilt

mosquito netting

mine detector

EquipmentFear

necessitieswar

helmetsbeing exposed as a coward

flak jacketsresponsibility

weapons and ammunitionreputations (fear of shame)

explosives

Medical EquipmentImagination

plasmalife away from war

malaria tabletsmade up lives for those at home

surgical tape

morphine

Medications/mood altering

pain meds

tranquilizers

marijuana

First Lieutenant, Jimmy Cross “carried letters from a girl named Martha”, (O’Brien, P. 1). He carried his imagination of a girl named Martha. In his imagination, they would fall in love. He imagined her to be a virgin. As a soldier, he also carried the necessary equipment and tools such as can openers, pocket knives, salt tablets, heat tabs, sewing kits, C rations and 2 or 3 canteens of water. His responsibilities as leader of the platoon were also to carry equipment necessary to staying on course such as a “compass, maps, code books, binoculars” (O’Brien, P. 5). For good luck, he carried a pebble.

Cross blamed himself for Lavender’s death since he was mooning over and thinking about the pictures of Martha, and his imagined life with here when Lavender was shot. Cross also carried a good deal of jealousy since one of the pictures of Martha showed the shadow of the person who took her picture. He agonized over who that person could be and felt betrayed somehow over a shadow.

Ted Lavender carried more ammunition than most. He also carried a starlight scope (a night vision device). Ted Lavender also carried a great deal of fear with him. To help him with this fear, he carried tranquilizers and marijuana.

The other soldiers together can be a single character, the Soldier. The Soldier carried additional items which seemed extra, but really were necessary such as packets of Kool-Aid, chewing gum, candy, and (very importantly) mosquito repellent. Standard operating procedure demanded the Soldier’s helmet be steel lined and camouflaged covered making them very heavy. The Soldier wore jungle boots. One member of the group carried the medical supplies.

The Soldier carried a preponderance of emotions – negative ones such as grief, resignation over their situation, confusion, guilt as well as positive emotions love, longing, pride in their behaviors, and good humor.

Reference

O’Brien, Tim, “The Things They Carried”. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company (1990), 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003