Identities

"The Things They Carried" relates the emotional and physical (tangible and intangible) items that these men and women at war carry. It explains that they have objects for survival, personal benefit, comfort, security, etc., and how they carry them everyday and then goes on to further elude how these physical objects go on to affect them on a deeper inner level within the memories, thoughts, emotions, and feelings, that they now in result must carry. These soldier's have fears, desires, motivations, discouragements, and they are all in result of the emotional baggage they now carry from the result of the war they are facing--the weight differs for each factor. The text also portrays a man specifically, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, and how he is the main example of how the emotional aspects are affecting him and his company. The overall sense of the story is the fact that everyone may be placed in one situation (the war) but people have different things to carry, emotionally and physically, and it in turn affects the whole situation.

From a deconstructive aspect I think that it is important to remember that our identities are never concrete--they are always evolving. Within the text it is evident to see that these soldier's feelings, attitudes, emotions, baggage,--tangible and intangible--are always changing and effecting them in different personal ways. As never being a concrete "whole" person, and having an ever changing identity, this will effect the way different people deal with circumstances. For example, when Ted Lavender is shot Kiowa keeps on talking about it--expressing the only way he can comprehend his grief--with unbelieving and repetitive memories being verbally expressed. The others around him feel and grieve differently, thus, telling him to "shut-up" or digging a hole and weeping (even if weeping for more than one thing). Our experiences, influences, and circumstances all play a part in the altering of our ever changing identities--or lack of.