Summary Of The First Chapter Of O Brien's The Things They Carried

The soldiers during the war carried many things, most of them from back home. The first chapter of The Things They Carried starts out the book by showing how the things the soldiers carried. It also went into depth about the feelings and emotions they carried. After all, they were human, they carried feelings such as fear, grief, love, dignity, and terror. The things they carried reflected their personality, and what mattered in their lives back home. Their thoughts, emotions, and actions changed as they lived through and moved on from the war.

The soldiers all carried things that reflected who they were as a person, and what they all cared for. Jimmy Cross carried letters, a lucky rock, and his love for Martha. He was often distracted thinking

O’Brien for example, was never a crazy, revenge-seeking person before or in the beginning of the war. In the chapter “The Ghost Soldiers” Azar and O’Brien prank Jorgenson for not treating O’Brien for shock. On page 190 Jorgenson tries to apologize and states he can’t take it back but O’Brien doesn’t care because he is so blinded with seeking revenge. The things he thought and did to Jorgenson were very sadistic. The war had one impact that was the same for all of the soldiers; the way the soldiers dealt with death. Death was inevitable in war, and in this war, nearly 2 million people died. In the chapter “The Lives of the Dead” it talks about how Dave Jensen was using his dark humor and poking fun at a dead old man whose arm was blown off. Kiowa, instead wouldn’t join in on the joke because of his strong faith and his morals towards respecting elders. O’Brien also reflects back on when he first experienced the mourning of death. O’Brien’s way of mourning now is the complete opposite of how he did in the past, due to the

Along with their normal lives, they have probably, from time to time, thought about their fear, as men, of being drafted into the war. Some, like O’Brien, probably have thought about what they would do if they were drafted. Whether or not they would try to escape the draft by going to Canada, or by being courageous and fighting for their country. Others could have possibly been in the protests going on against the Vietnam war. As the war went along, It is believed they realized that the war has taught them some very important life lessons. Things they have learned could include them learning about what courage is and isn’t, or things they knew they would learn going into the war, like learning to cope and accept