Cost Of War In The Things They Carried

It is evident that the occurrence of war throughout history has made a lasting impression on soldiers and civilians alike. This has been expressed over the years through different works of literature. The cost of war to the individual is illustrated in “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich, “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, and “The Shawl” by Cynthia Ozick because each story shows some element of mental, emotional, and physical toll. “The Red Convertible” is one example of literature that gives realistic examples of the impacts war can have on an individual. Not only is Henry Lamartine impacted by actually going to war and being captured, but the narrator and brother to Henry, Lyman Lamartine also faces challenges. Louise Erdrich

O’Brien spends a large amount of time describing what each soldier carried, both physical things and intangibles. Using this technique gives the reader more insight to what each character values, along with the duties they are responsible for. Listing the large amount of times that are in some of their packs shows what they were carrying physically. The more personal items like diaries and letters shows that each character has their own specific priorities. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross constantly refers to the letters from Martha that he carries, and how well he takes care of them. Just from that simple statement the reader can gather that Jimmy Cross finds much comfort in thinking about Martha. After Ted Lavender’s death Jimmy Cross takes on the burden of guilt because he thinks he is to blame for it. The reader sees what an emotion toll this takes on him by how he treats his letters. The letters now serve as a constant reminder of his lack of focus and leadership. Seeing Cross go through this shows the emotion baggage that can come from the war, and what that can do to a soldier mentally. This emotional baggage effects the soldiers in different ways. Mentally, some feel the guilt of those who died, along with the ones that will die. While others found solitude is the personal items, looking for any sort of distraction from the brutality of war, others could not shake the impact their environment had on