Title

"The Things They Carried" - This title is almost misleading especially after reading the first few pages of the novel. "The things they carried were largely determined by necessity. Among the necessitites or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, MIlitary Payment Certificates, C rations, and two or three canteens of water" (pg 2) After reading this sentnce i thought great, this book is going to be all about the different tangible things soldiers carried with them while in war. But its more than that. This book was about things that weren't tangible- and some that were. It was about the wounds, the deaths, the heat, the memories, the fear, the love, the pictures, and stockings, the jokes, the silence, and so much more. It's about the guilt for a friend's death or the sadness of a lost love. Overall, I liked the novel because I liked what it stood for. It wasnt just a war story, it was like a tell-all from a dozen soldiers. It described all the secret things they carried with them during the war.