The Things They Carried By Tim O'Brien
These are some photos that I took when I went to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC...thought it was a good visual considering the story!
“Grief, terror, love, longing – these were the intangibles, but the intangibles had their on mass and specific
gravity, they had tangible weight.”
The intangibles of life seem to weigh the most. It seemed fitting that weaved in and out of the descriptive lists of items and their respective weight capacities were the emotions they carried that would give the impression to be weightless. However, when asked, any person would agree that the intangibles are the very things that cause the most strain and the most reward.
Why is it that Lieutenant Cross’ love for Martha would weigh more than the twenty pounds of ammunition? Do the intangibles always weigh more or is it amidst the tension of death that the weight seems significant? The story surrounds the Lieutenant’s love for Martha and the unfortunate event of Ted Lavenders death; This paradox is what appears to make the emotional baggage much greater.
Furthermore, Lieutenant Cross finds himself distracted from his leadership role by his fantastical love for a girl who has yet to proclaim her love to him. I would venture to say that love unspoken is at times more distracting than love proclaimed. I might be wrong being that I am not in love. However, I would imagine that constant wonder of the “what ifs” has to weigh someone down more so than a person who knows whether the love is or is not. If my statement here is correct, wouldn’t it be nice if love proclaimed remained as distracting, mysterious and exciting as the “what if” scenarios one plays out in their mind over and over again? In my opinion, it should be.
“Boom-down.” The details of Ted Lavender’s death unravel gradually. He seems to have carried quite a bit of weight and in a moment’s notice he carried nothing at all. This constant reminder of how Lavender died so quickly seems significant in that, it was what every man was avoiding and at the same time what every man was working towards. We see Bowker hesitantly admit to Kiowa that Ted Lavender is a man without any problems, he is weightless. Its not death they or any of us are working for, its weightlessness.
posted by Jen Tessie Cahn @ 4:47 AM
4 Comments:
The what-ifs of life really are what messed Lt. Cross' leadership role up a bit. He wasn't thinking in the correct frame of mind, especially for the environment they were in.
Weightlessness. I must say that the word you've chosen to end your blog with is very powerful. I think it's really neat that we all read this one text and interact with it differently. You definitely focused on the "Boom-Down" part, which is something I overlooked, but you are right.
Good observations, particularly in the last paragraph. I like this that you said: "in a moment’s notice he carried nothing at all."
"Do the intangibles always weigh more or is it amidst the tension of death that the weight seems significant?"
I would say that, at least for myself who has never faced the possibility of imminent death, the intangibles do always weigh more. I think that in this story the tension of death seems to be its own "intangible," separate from the others which the soldiers carried.
"If my statement here is correct, wouldn’t it be nice if love proclaimed remained as distracting, mysterious and exciting as the “what if” scenarios one plays out in their mind over and over again? In my opinion, it should be."
I too have never been in love, but I have crushed on a few girls in my day. From that experience, I would have to say that, while I would like my relationship with my wife one day to be as distracting, mysterious and exciting as the "what if" scenarios, I would want it to be so in a different way. There is for me a certain amount of pain which comes with uncertainty of affections reciprocated, and I am glad to think that such would not be the case in a situation of mutually confessed affection (or love).
"Do the intangibles always weigh more or is it amidst the tension of death that the weight seems significant?"
I would say that, at least for myself who has never faced the possibility of imminent death, the intangibles do always weigh more. I think that in this story the tension of death seems to be its own "intangible," separate from the others which the soldiers carried.
"If my statement here is correct, wouldn’t it be nice if love proclaimed remained as distracting, mysterious and exciting as the “what if” scenarios one plays out in their mind over and over again? In my opinion, it should be."
I too have never been in love, but I have crushed on a few girls in my day. From that experience, I would have to say that, while I would like my relationship with my wife one day to be as distracting, mysterious and exciting as the "what if" scenarios, I would want it to be so in a different way. There is for me a certain amount of pain which comes with uncertainty of affections reciprocated, and I am glad to think that such would not be the case in a situation of mutually confessed affection (or love).
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