The Things That They Carried Essays Examples

We carry different things in our daily lives. They can be pictures of our loved ones, mobile phones, umbrellas, memorabilia, and even we carry memories. The things that we often carry have a personal attachment to us in one way or the other. We carry these things regularly and become so dependent on them in that if we lose them, our lives will not be as normal as when we carry them. I carry my phone each and every moment, and everywhere I go. It helps me to communicate and keep in touch with friends and family no matter the distance. The physical gadget that I carry has become so part of me in that if I lose it I will think that my life has stopped. On the other hand, I carry cherished memories with me that will rather stick with me for as long as I live. The sentimentality of these memories makes them so engrossed in my mind that if I woke up one day and realize that all my memory is lost I will just go into a denial state.
The characters in the book also carried both physical and emotional baggage. The physical loads they carried everywhere they went include rifles, survival gear, ammunition and even food. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross also carries letters and photos of a female friend. Whereas the emotional or sentimental things they carried include dreams, memories and hope for the future. By saying that the soldiers carried the sky and the whole atmosphere and gravity, he brings out the intensity of both the physical and emotional weight that they had to contend with in their daily lives in the frontline. When O’Brien hurled a grenade on a young soldier that killed him, he regrets his action. He carries the guilt for a very long time after the war. He often saw the image of the soldier sometimes appearing to him. He grapples with his guilt that has haunted him for a long time. Another sentimental feeling of guilt he carries with him are of the death of Kiowa. Another character who carries sentimental memories is Bowker. He vividly remembers the death of his fellow soldier whom he tried to save from sinking. He also feels guilty of not saving his friend from dying.