Blog Post #1

I really like how this book is written, I’m not sure if it is a series of short stories, a cleverly written novel or perhaps even some vignettes. However it is written I find it very engaging. The very first bit, “The Things They Carried” was particularly appealing for me, the men in the unit who are defined by what they are carrying around interested me in a way the later two didn’t. One of the biggest things that struck me was how the author wouldn’t just describe the physical things they had in their packs but fears, prejudices, and love. One of the things that struck me the most was Kiowa, when describing what he’s carrying around the author made a point of mentioning that he carried his Grandmothers hatred of the white man. That’s something that never would have been apparent to me without it being mentioned specifically.
One of the heaviest weights carried by the men was the unrequited love that Lieutenant Cross had for Martha. I wondered what would happen between the two when he got back and I’ll admit that I was hoping she would come to return his love, I liked Lieutenant Cross, he cared about his men. He felt it deeply whenever one of them died. However, perhaps the choice he made in the end of being a good commander instead of pining over Martha saved lives.