Period 3 4/8/2013 ‘The Things that | Carry In the novel, “The Things They Carry,” O’Brien explains how the soldiers carry different items with them depending on their necessities in the Vietnam War. Some of the items are more important than others, which represents their own personalities and perspectives. Many of the items that they carry often depend on what rank they are in the Vietnam War. Such as an RTO, Mitchell Sanders carrying a canvas filled with morphine and plasma tablets. These are the type of things that the soldiers carry through the course of the novel. Physically the things that I would carry are not meant for survival. | carry textbooks, pencils, calculators, paper, binders, and homework assignments for school. | also carry a gym bag that has a soccer ball, cleats, extra clothes, running shoes, and a water bottle. | carry these items because it’s what I need for school and for practice after school. When I'm not at school (preferably the weekend), | carry my purse that contains a phone, my house keys, a camera, chap stick, and a wallet. These are the basic essentials | would need if | were to go out with friends or family. Mentally, | carry a reputation of having to be just like my sister. It’s never a good thing to compare yourself to your sibling. My grandmother expects more from me than my own parents. She expects me to be a nurse, go to College, and be able to support myself financially. These are perfect goals for me, but to achieve them is hard. From an emotional perspective, | fear of not getting the best score possible when | take the ACT. | don’t, want to be rejected to the school of my choice for College because of one score. As well as notachieving the best score possible when | take my APUSH (Advanced Placement United States History) Exam in May. These are the things | carry throughout my day, The item in the novel that the soldiers carry was a rabbit's foot. Dave Jensen carried this, specific item for good luck, This symbolizes their personalities and the fear of the unknown in the Vietnam War. Kiowa carries a bible that he reads each night. Norman Bowker carries a ‘thumb that was cut off from a corpse that was found at the bottom of an irrigation ditch. Most of the items that are carried from the soldiers have a sentimental value and remind them of home. More than likely the objects that will stay with you in the war are items that you need to survive such as a gun, water, some type of food, a compass, or a map.The Things | Carry Period 3 4/8/13 | carry songs by the Smiths, Destinys Child, Queens, Jack Johnson, Justin Timberlake, and One Direction to sing obnoxiously during road trips. I carry bobby pins and hair ties because I hate when my hair is all over the place. I carry my moms ring because it reminds me of her. | carry my inhaler and allergy medicine because | had an asthma attack two halloweens ago. | carry my glasses because I'm not allowed to wear contacts yet. | carry gum because | love the sweet, fruity, tropical taste. | carry my wallet with a bunch of receipts because I'm a shopaholic, | carry the apps on my phone to use when i'm bored. | carry headphones to block the sound of my parents nagging about my future. I carry the pressure of being a good student, daughter, sister, and cousin. | carry the responsibility of my brothers actions because | want him to be successful in life. | carry the pressure of scoring high on my ACT because | want to get into a good university. | carry the pressure of getting a scholarship because all of my cousins are geniuses. | carry anxiety because i'm always constantly worried about what others think, | carry the fear of losing my parents. | carry the fear of growing up and living on my own. | carry the fear of being alone. I carry the talent of playing piano because it helps me relax. | carry my sketchbook because drawing helps me escape for a while...| carry pictures of my family because it reminds me of how grateful | am,English 3 4/8/13 The Things I Carry. | carry many things with me, and these things make me who | am. I carry money with me. Money is the root of all evil, yet itis a necessity for the world to spin. The world revolves around money, yet itis not needed. The concept of how money became what its still haunts me, and | think about it ‘everyday. | carry money with me asa defense, as you need it to go through your day. spend it ike 1 look at it with hatred, yet I still rave more money for reasons which | do not know. | carry my father's ring with me, asit isa constant reminder of the struggle of life. My father wore this ring as he was on the other side of the law in Chicago. The 90's was the struggle for everyone except for him. Terrorizing other gangs and having fun with his friends, my father never really knew the importance of life and the wrong of his ways until he had me, at the age of 20. He wore this ring everyday since he came ta Chicago from the Philippines in 1989 and it has been with him through thick and thin. | carry this ring not because of the bad things it has witnessed, but for the important life lesson to always to good, \carry the watch that tells more than time. | carry the watch that tells me how much more | have to live. Icarry the watch to tell me how much time | have left on this Earth. | carry it asa haunting reminder that nothing is eternal, and eventually everything will lose the battle against time, even time itself, look at it and always ask myself, “Where has the time gone,” as they could be lost minutes that! could've spent doing something meaningful. The things | carry make me everything | am, and remind me what not to become. They remind me that everything has a meaning, and if you don't be careful, the evils of this world will swallow you up whale.