In his story "The Things They Carried," Tim O'Brien describes things that a group of soldiers carry during the Vietnam War, from basic "necessity" items such as rations, gear, and weapons to extreme emotional burden which is as real as any physical item, but can not be put away.
             Throughout the story, O'Brien uses Jimmy Cross, the protagonist of the story, who is also the lieutenant of this group, to explore a soldier's emotional feelings and development during the time of war. At first, Lieutenant Cross seems to be distracted by his love toward Martha, a girl back home whom he thinks does not love him as much he does. He often daydreams and goes into great details about events that happened between the two of them. But this love soon turns into hate as one of his men is shot to death. He realizes his feelings blocked his duties as a leader who has many responsibilities, including taking cares of his soldiers.
             O'Brien focuses on things that soldiers are carrying; he details every item by its exact weight. By doing this, he also emphasizes the emotional feelings that every soldier also carries. For example, the small pebble that was given by Martha weights no more than an ounce, but the extreme emotional burden is heavier than anything else Jimmy Cross carries.
             In conclusion, this story explores the human condition, showing how war affects thoughts that go through a soldier's mind. Also, the story expresses that life can be short, we should be grateful and cherish the things we have.
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