Ted Lavender In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

The excerpt from the story “The Things they Carried” by Tim O’Brien is a story of Triumph, and yet in such a melancholy way. I am glad that Lieutenant Cross was able to overcome his daydreaming and lead his men, yet at what cost. The lot of all the men outlined in his platoon seems a grim one. O’Brien sets the story in Vietnam, though this is not explicitly mentioned, the characters surroundings, the equipment they and their enemies possess, and the names of the cities make this evident. The setting is absolutely pertinent to the story. Throughout this story you hear the voice of an omniscient narrator telling you everything that is going on. The narrator knows what the characters think and say, even giving insight into what the characters

He is the pivot in the story, and yet a side detail. Lavender’s first mention in the story on the second page says three things about him. He carried tranquilizers, he was scared, and he was shot in the head. The narrator quite nicely glosses over him. Consider this, did Lavender carry the tranquilizers because he was scared, or did the tranquilizers define his sense of fear. The list of the possessions of Ted Lavender is unimpressive: toilet paper, water, tranquilizers, premium dope, and the poncho that carried him away. One more thing O’Brien said he carried, and that was his unweighed fear. Everything he carried was carried to help him escape his fear. Henry Dobbins falls into the archetype of burly and steadfast. He has a girlfriend and he likes to eat pound cake. Dave Jensen should rather be called Dr. Jensen because of his preparedness; the things he carries seem to imply a certain preparedness. He has Foot powder to protect their feet, earplugs to protect their hearing, vitamins to enhance their vision. However Jensen is not all nobility and science. He carries a rabbit’s foot for a good luck charm and he steals soap from hotels. Lavender’s equipment. Crosses equipment seems standard for a platoon leader and uninteresting to his character development (other than the articles he carries from Martha). Kiowa has an interesting name. Not only is the name of a Native American tribe, it is also the name of a

Although the necessary things they carried may have provided them with more practical use, it seems that the odds and ends the found sentimental or comforting that were also in their rucksack seemed imperative to keep them psychologically intact. What all of these men have in common, along with any one of us, is a mission to keep their composure while under pressure. Joe Smith doesn’t see the same kind of pressure in his life time as that of a Jimmy Cross, but perhaps that’s why this is such a poignant example. When you’re on the verge of shitting your pants at any moment, and you’re rolling on the ground shooting your m-16 carelessly, you’re bringing shame upon yourself and you’re not getting the job done. While they all agreed that those who shot their own toe off to go home were candy-asses, they also all daydreamed of flying off home. In this unified daydream they solidified their sense of mission that they must endure until death, or until it’s over, by any means possible. Lavender escaped through his tranquilizers and dope, Cross escaped through his thoughts of Martha, only to be violently swept back in by Lavender’s death. David Jensen remained steadfast in his preparedness, taking every precaution for that of himself and for that of his teammates. Though they all coped with their grim dark humor, Mitchell Sanders dulled the atrocity of