Significance of the title in

In Tim O’Brien’s short story “The Things They Carried,” we are drawn into the world of the common soldier during the Vietnam War. As the title implies, these men carried with them many things while performing their duties. These things ranged from standard gear that was carried by all of the men, to equipment that was specific to each individual soldier. Each person also carried particular items that were considered special to the …

…times. Unless these experiences were our own we could not begin to understand the strife that these soldiers carried with them, but hopefully we can now appreciate everything they have gone through and the sacrifices they have made. Maybe the next time we are carrying that heavy grocery bag to our car, using every four letter word we can spew from our mouth, we will remember “The Things They Carried” and be humbled by it