The THINGS They Carried

The Things They Carried was a very interesting read and seemed very different from our previous reads. Even though it seemed different, there was also the same theme of grief and tragedy all compiled together in an odd short story. Unlike some earlier reads, in my opinion it was filled with raw emotion and description that made me the audience feel as if I were one of the soldiers.

As I read the story it was hard for me to distinguish exactly what message the author was trying to convey to the audience in a message if any. I noticed the very descriptive narrating, especially when author Tim O'Brien was describing the soldiers and their gear. As I continued to read I realized that there really was a message or moral to the story. In my opinion I felt like like O'Brien was trying to capture the essence and reality of war, the grief, the unsure, the hate and the love were all things portrayed in the story.

Personally, as I read this it made my thoughts turn to the men and women who are serving in the "War on Terror" in the Middle East. Do they have these same characters? Men who are unsure what is next or what purpose they serve or if the woman they love truly loves back, I believe there are soldiers over seas dying everyday, just like Ted Lavender. I feel like this story relates very well to today, there is so much tragedy and grief carried because of war. Just like the characters in the story struggled to get accustomed to their battle lifestyles, I imagine so do our soldiers today. It really makes me feel for those men and women along with their families, they live out The Things They Carried.