"The Things They Carried" Reflection

Contemplating what I would carry if I were a soldier in Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’ unit, the list of both tangible and intangible things I would carry with me seems too massive to describe. The necessities, such as food, water, weapons, first aid kit, and clothing, I won’t describe in detail, as this doesn’t differ much from any other person. However, tangible things I would carry, or “hump” as O’Brien calls it in The Things They Carried, that are specific to me are a journal, photographs of my loved ones, letters from my loved ones, a book of my favorite poems, and a locket my mother gave me when I was very young. I would carry a journal with me because journaling has always been a great way for me to express my emotions and helps me to relieve stress. It would also be important for me to document my time during the war because it could be an important literary source later on, as it would be a first hand perspective on the Vietnam War. Carrying letters and photographs of my loved ones would give me some hope and would be my light in the face of death, destruction, and great sorrow. The locket would be a reminder of my family’s love for me and would help me to feel connected to them over the great distance we are separated. The book of poetry would be a source of inspiration and strength for me, and would be a tangible means of escape for me when I felt like I would need it.

The intangibles I would carry would be hope, fear, anxiety, memories of the past, uncertainty for the future, sorrow, and guilt for lives lost on my account. I can’t even begin to imagine the fear and anxiety I would carry as a soldier, knowing any moment could be my last. I would constantly wonder if I were to have a future beyond the war; if I was going to survive. Memories of the past would be my escape from the circumstances, and the guilt I would carry for those souls that died by my hand would be great. I imagine I would carry a vast array of emotional baggage that someone who has never experienced war could ever contemplate. In The Things They Carried, O’Brien expresses that soldiers carried a great deal of weight on their backs, but the emotional baggage, I can imagine, would be so much heavier. I know that if I were in their position, the emotional baggage would be almost too much to bear.