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The Burden of Emotion in The Things They Carried

The men fear being called a coward, and they dread the embarrassment that they will feel if they die dishonorably. It is almost as if the soldiers fight and even die because they are ashamed not to. The men's burdensome amount of fear only adds to their montage of pain.            .
             Another emotional load besides fear that the men have to "hump" is the longing to be with loved ones. In the Vietnam War, many young men were forced to leave their wives and families to fight for a questionable cause. In this particular story, Martha serves as a representation of family. Lieutenant Cross, the man in charge of the soldiers, longs to be reunited with Martha. Martha occupies much of Cross's time and weighs heavily on his heart every night when "he would return to his hole and watch the night and wonder if Martha was a virgin" (248). This repeated idea of Martha's virginity has a symbolic importance to the story. Virginity usually implies purity and a lack of maturity or experience. Martha is seen as one who is pure in heart and body, and she serves as a measuring rod against which the corrupted minds of the soldiers can be compared. Cross is faced with the violence of war and looks to Martha as a way to lighten the load that he is carrying. Unfortunately, Cross's fantasy ends up causing more bad than good.             .
             In addition to longing, responsibility is one more emotional burden that weighs upon the minds of the men. Cross serves as the best example of a soldier burdened by responsibility. Cross is responsible for all the men since he is their leader. Cross's preoccupation with Martha leads to the death of Lavender, and he must suffer the pain of guilt. Due to his foolishness, Cross is responsible for Lavender's death. In the end, Cross burns the photographs and letters that Martha has sent him. This is his attempt to "burn the blame," but Cross learns that this is impossible (259).


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