Tapp1 Anthony Tapp INTL 3111 Mr.

Robert Arnold 24 January 2013 Theme #1 The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien is about the tangible and intangible items that are carried by a First Lieutenant and his soldiers. One of the focuses that this story keys in on is how each of these items has a significant purpose on either the description of the individual, or how they carry themselves as soldiers. First Lieutenant Jimmy Crosss item is very intriguing because it is not necessarily an item that is held in his pocket but more as a woman name Martha that appears to regulate his every move. His love Martha is known as strong, passionate and forever going, but in all reality it is not the same on the other end. Throughout this story he comes to realize that he either has to learn to live with a woman who has no immediate interest in his life in war, or feel in the shoes that he must wear to be a successful lieutenant. I really admire this story, especially Lieutenant Crosss specific scenario because it really helped me understand the meaning of what this story was trying to convey. I felt as if Tim OBrien wanted his audience to understand that through life there are specific scenarios and signs that help get you through difficult situations. The war itself is very grueling to the mind and the body; therefore I felt that Martha was Lieutenant Crosss way of not focusing on this war. It seemed that he did not really want to be a part of the soldiers and their purpose. Even when Lavender died, he used that as another excuse to veer his focus away from the war. But as the story evolved and time went by, Lieutenant began to notice what really mattered and where he needed to go. This being said is one of the reasons why he decided to burn up Marthas letters to

Tapp2 . In the end Jimmy Cross regain his focus and learned that his purpose was to lead these groups of men toward their desired goal. I