The Things They Carried: Intangibles

I’ve learned and reflected on so much history of the Vietnam war that The Things They Carried had a profound effect on me. It immediately had me immersed in the setting, the characters, and their stories. However, there is a lesson in these sentences that brought me back to the story, which led me to reflect on the entire period of time (the timeline of the war) again. I found these sentences to be strong tellers of what the story was about, but also carriers of something new to learn in their individuality.<br> Throughout the story, Tim O’Brien details what the group of soldiers carries. Every item had a deeper effect on each character and a back-story. Some tangible, and others intangible. However, the group lacked something they carried that brought them together, until this sentence; “They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried”. First, the sentence highlights how the characters had to over-exert themselves in order to survive and live through difficult events. They carried “all they could bear”, telling readers of their strenuous journeys, “and then some” only indicating their struggles further. For example, following the death of Ted Lavender, not only did they have to deal with the death of a comrade but also what he had carried, his tranquilizers and so forth. In that sense “and then some” could not only be meant to extend the weight of their struggles but how the weight of what they carry accumulates. It would have made sense to leave “and then some” out, but I interpret it as an intentional bridge to see that the characters had carried a bit off one another, amounting to an incredibly heart-rending ethos.<br> The next part of the sentence shows that the is group aware of how each of them carries a heavy, intangible weight. In addition, the phrase provokes me to think about the soldiers’ past actions, and how their futures have been permanently altered. For example, the word choice of a “silent awe” leads me to believe that their understanding and interpretations of all that they have carried is mutual. As the characters become numb, some more than others, they are connected in that common understanding. The life-changing realization that they are alone in this conflict between peoples, seems more tangible when they see others in the same position. Everyone seeks a further understanding of “things” and the group found that in themselves and each other. <br> Finally, the “terrible power” of what they carried seems to be a show of the way war can change a soldier’s mind. I can’t help but think about Norman Bowker’s thumb that he carries; such a bizarre and gruesome tangible to carry, but it meant something to him. “Terrible” in this setting gives me a feeling of “something bad has happened, what now?”. That said, this sentence is a strong example of the hardships the characters when through, but also provides readers a complex foundation to interpret the soldiers’ experiences. <br>

Has Vashti’s Love for Kuno Been Erased?

The Machine Stops represents the doubt and wonder surrounding the rapid development of technology. However, E.M. Forster’s story also showcases a narrative of love, one that is transformed as Kuno lets his curiosity lead his actions. Kuno was driven to such a point that he went against everything and everyone around him, yet his mother was willing to discuss his views with him. However, the Machine contaminated their relationship in the end, as Vashti became too distant to ever regain the love she once had for Kuno. Vashti’s submission to the Machine had taken her over.<br>It began when Vashti accepted the flaws that the Machine had torn into human civilization. When Kuno tells her of an idea he had for life above the surface, Vashti notices he becomes silent and possibly unhappy, but she couldn’t be sure because of the rough projection the Machine created of Kuno. Expressions are key for people to understand each other, to empathize, but Vashti seems comfortable to dismiss this practice. She tells herself, “the imponderable bloom, declared by a discredited philosophy to be the actual essence of intercourse, was rightly ignored by the Machine...Something “good enough” had long since been accepted by our race”. Vashti’s sense of “good enough” hints at her acceptance of not only the state in which she lives but the position humanity has been put subject to. This fundamental disagreement between Vashti and Kuno is the first step to pulling them apart.<br>While this disagreement drives them apart, it isn’t enough to visibly impact Vashti’s and Kuno’s relationship. While their disagreements are inherent, Vashti isn’t acting against her son. Then came the point in the story that Kuno had extensively explored the surface, and reflected on his ideas. In a turn of emotion, Vashti directly showed her disapproval for Kuno’s actions. Vashti tells him “Don’t. Don’t talk of these terrible things. You make me miserable. You are throwing 12 civilization away”. Here, Vashti accuses Kuno of sullying the life the Machine has brought her, and so many others. It is no longer a difference of views, but a betrayal. You, Kuno, are “throwing civilization away”. In a sense, Vashti struggles to accept that Kuno became so much so that she makes him the enemy. <br>The accumulation of such things leads me to believe Vashti has settled for a connection that is less than love. Repeatedly, Vashti shows affection for her son, sympathy, but it is swiftly cut with the interjections of the cold machine. This was a short story showcasing the fear of developing technology, its frightening power to create but to also divide. The constant pressure exerted on Vashti by the machine, and her dependence on it has arguably cost her her love for Kuno.