Essay | The Things They Carried, An Analysis

The title signifies baggage -- emotional as well as physical. Many carted along a lot of emotional baggage such as: dread, guilt, being broken hearted, and being without companionship, memories, relief, and plenty of fear. They also carted around physical baggage: such as good luck charms, significant items, and war necessities.

Dread and fear loomed amongst the men, that one day one of them could be that person that picked the "lucky number." Their "reward" (they were scared that while they were in the tunnel it would cave in or they would be bitten by a rabid animal) for drawing the number seventeen was to, "search out and destroy the elaborate tunnel complexes" (O'Brien, par. 13).

Lieutenant Cross had to deal with a lot of guilt, because he thought about Martha quite a bit, when he should have been more of a leader and...
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