The Things Carried

607 Words3 Pages
Prompt: In retrospect the reader often discovers that the first chapter of a novel of the opening scene of a drama introduces some of the major themes of the work. Write an essay about the opening scene of a drama or the first chapter of a novel. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot of the work you are discussing. The Things They Carried is a title, a quote, and a symbol. The focus of the first chapter of The Things They Carried focus on the things they carried and why they carried those things; whether it was out of necessity, for good luck, or because of love and the need for hope. It is said that Jimmy Cross carried letters written by the girl he loves, but she doesn’t feel the same love he does “They were signed Love, Martha, but Lieutenant Cross understood that Love was only a way of signing and did not mean what he sometimes pretended it meant.” It is ironic the way the letters that he carries, “The letters weighed for ounces”, are his way of believing the unbelievable that Martha may love him how he loves her. The irony in this is that his name is cross a symbol, or letter, that is a commonly associated with Christians and their belief in God. It is as if he is and will remain throughout the book a believer of unbelievable possibilities. “Ted Lavender, who was scare, carried tranquilizers”. Once again irony between a characters name and who they really are; his name is Lavender which is generally associated with being peaceful and calm, Ted was at war which is not a peaceful place or calming environment. This underlining theme of things not being how they seem is a way of expressing the ambiguity of war. The men hold onto different things as a way of having a good reason to keep fighting after a long day, “In the late afternoon… he would unwrap the letters… and spend the last hour of light pretending.” Martha carried Jim through the war, she gave
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