The Things They Carried

The Things They Carried was an interesting read. Having to comment on it, I look back and wonder what the climax of the story was. I suppose Lavender getting shot was the climax, though it doesn't really come as a surprise, since it's referenced multiple times up to the event. In some aspects it doesn't seem like much of a climax, since I knew it was going to happen. However, I can't help but feel some relief knowing how it happened. The first time Lavender's death was mentioned I didn't think much of it. Though the more times it was referenced, the more I wanted to know about the event. I suppose this shows how you can give little snippits of a major event to lure in a reader, making them want to read on.

Looking at the title, I realize how appropriate it is for the piece. The way O'Brien described the weight of each piece of equipment they carried made me feel like I was part of the story. It gave me a great idea of the physical burden each of the men carried, and as the story progressed I better understood the emotional burden each of the men carried. I also enjoyed how some of the characters were fleshed out indirectly. Rather than the narrator directly describing the psyche of some of the characters, we get a better understanding of each character through what individual items they carried with them.