The things they carried-Tim O'Brien

     Some remarkable themes of the story “The things they carried” by Tim O’Brien is to show how the character changes from being a “small kid” not in his appearance but in his interior developing some maturity. The other main theme that we can notice in this short story that O’Brien highlights it’s to show how tuff can war is and how can these change a person because of the difficult situations that are lived on it.
     At the beginning of the story O’Brien presents Cross like a little boy who daydreams the entire day about unrealistic stuff and by this loses his focus on his main task. The author often repeats the mentioning of Martha; Martha is a women that symbolizes destruction, distraction, freedom and causes desire, she is also the thought in cross’s mind that keeps him distracted of his duty, leading to Lavender’s death. His death is also a factor that is often repeated by O’Brien and as Martha it symbolizes something for Cross Lavender’s death also does. This time it’s not freedom or desire but it’s a ghost for him that represents all the death soldiers in his battalion and his irresponsibility for not taking care of them because of his insides thoughts. However Lavender’s death also symbolizes something good for Cross. This is because thanks to him Lieutenant Jimmy Cross gives a radical change making a huge step from a “small irresponsible boy” to a responsible leader that is focus on task the whole day. With lavender’s death Cross’s illusions for Martha also dyes because all the guilt he feels leads him to face his true reality and no matter how much he desires to be in a different situation he faces the harsh moments he is going true and assumes it with responsibility.

     By this we can notice how war changed Lieutenant Jimmy Cross taking a huge step and how can the different hard situations lived mark a person’s life.