Kailey Simpson Professor Arnold Microtheme #1

In The Things They Carried there is a comparison between the items of physical weight that the soldiers carry and the weight of their emotional and psychological burdens. In the text it discusses the emotional baggage of each man, the grief, terror, and love as intangibles, but of having tangible weight. This reveals that the weights associated with the emotional burdens are far greater than that of the physical items. The items that they physically carry can be disposed of, but emotional burdens are carried for life. I believe that the freedom birds represent death and the freedom from all weights, physical and emotional. Freedom birds are described as the point where weights fall off; and where there is nothing left to bear. I do not think that emotional weights are completely disposed of until death. Even though Jimmy burns Marthas pictures and letters I do not think he will fully extinguish her from his mind until he dies. After he burned her photographs his memory could still see her playing volleyball. This reveals that she is forever in his mind. The guilt Jimmy now has over Teds death and the resentment towards Martha are just an added burden he must now carry. The statement Lavender was dead. You couldnt burn the blame, signifies that he could rid himself of the physical items, but the psychological items will never leave his memory. In the beginning of the story Jimmy associates Martha with weightlessness, thus portrayed by the fantasy he has of her carrying the pebble in her breast pocket, where it seemed weightless. It is not until after Ted Lavenders death that he begins to associate her with weight and as a burden, thus shifting from a pebble to a stone. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross begins to place the blame of Ted Lavenders death on himself and his imagination. He is a Lieutenant and believes his duty is to protect his men. He comes to

Kailey Simpson Professor Arnold Microtheme #1

the realization that he must shut down his day dreams. I do not think that it will be an easy task for Jimmy to halt his daydreams. When you care for someone for so long it is difficult to eliminate them from your thoughts.