Morality In The Things They Carried Essay
Death is something that is inevitable, It's not something humans and life in general can't run away from. It is especially something soldiers cannot walk away from. In “The Things They Carried”, Tim O’Brien’s characters suffer this reality time and time again in the Vietnam War. A war that costed the life of thousands of American servicemen. Men who suffered horrific conditions and watched their close friends die in devastating combat and treacherous terrain. It could be easy to call the men who fought in The Vietnam War the most mentally and physically damaged combat veterans in United States history. O’Brien captures this in “The Things They Carried”, a book that truly shows death and morality to be its theme.
The soldiers made ways to make …show more content…
Ted Lavender’s death was the first death that he witnessed in the war. Lavender’s death was a huge hit for Lieutenant Cross in particular. Cross was daydreaming about Martha, a girl who is writing him and who he had previously went on a date with. Lieutenant Cross personally blamed the death on himself. He thought if he wasn't thinking of Martha he could have saved Lavender and realized they were going to be ambushed, potentially saving his him. Cross probably would have felt some guilt about Lavender’s death no matter what the circumstances of his death were, but the fact that he was daydreaming at the time makes it very easy for Cross to blame himself. Cross carried the burden of Lavender’s death heavily throughout the duration of the war. In fact, Lavender’s death is constantly reminded to the reader throughout the book. The fellow soldiers in Lavender’s squad keep his spirit alive however. Once they carried him to the helicopter for his body to be picked up, the smoked his marijuana and joked about his tranquilizers use and how probably didn't even feel the shot because he was so high. However, the group is still in disbelief about Lavender’s death. His death services as a reminded for the rest of the book as a ghost like figure to the
The soldiers made ways to make …show more content…
Ted Lavender’s death was the first death that he witnessed in the war. Lavender’s death was a huge hit for Lieutenant Cross in particular. Cross was daydreaming about Martha, a girl who is writing him and who he had previously went on a date with. Lieutenant Cross personally blamed the death on himself. He thought if he wasn't thinking of Martha he could have saved Lavender and realized they were going to be ambushed, potentially saving his him. Cross probably would have felt some guilt about Lavender’s death no matter what the circumstances of his death were, but the fact that he was daydreaming at the time makes it very easy for Cross to blame himself. Cross carried the burden of Lavender’s death heavily throughout the duration of the war. In fact, Lavender’s death is constantly reminded to the reader throughout the book. The fellow soldiers in Lavender’s squad keep his spirit alive however. Once they carried him to the helicopter for his body to be picked up, the smoked his marijuana and joked about his tranquilizers use and how probably didn't even feel the shot because he was so high. However, the group is still in disbelief about Lavender’s death. His death services as a reminded for the rest of the book as a ghost like figure to the