Ever since the first war occurred in the world, written records by soldiers or people involved have been circulated and read. In the letters or stories, they include harsh conditions, homesickness, or desperation. Tim O’Brien uses limited third person in The Things They Carried while Stephen Crane uses dialogue in The Open Boat to both create an effect of desperation during war for soldiers. In The Things They Carried, limited third person is used to get the readers in the mind of a general while The Open Boat uses dialogue to reveal soldiers’ feelings while isolated. O’Brien takes readers in the mind of First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross by describing his feelings. One example is to start out the story is how “he wanted Martha to love him as he loved her” (O’Brien 598). O’Brien reveals that Martha is an American lady that Cross misses while at war and would “carry letters” from her (598). Cross’ mind would constantly wander and he has “difficulty keeping his attention on the war” (602). O’Brien only reveals Cross’ feelings and thoughts rather than everybody else’s, so the focus on Martha is magnified. Readers are presented in his mind, and his actions show his obsession with her gets in the way of his duties as a Lieutenant. While readers are taken in his mind in The Things They Carried, they assume soldiers’ feelings through dialogue in The Open Boat. In a conversation, the oiler responds to his captain’s question by saying “A little more south, sir” (Crane 2). The dialogue