They carried their reputation. They brought with them the soldier's greatest fear, the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were ashamed not to. It was what had brought them to war in the first place, nothing positive, no dreams of glory and dishonor, just to avoid the blush of dishonor (O'Brien P. 369). The things we carry can define the kind of person we are in a broad but effective sense. For example, a construction worker might carry a hammer, a postman would carry mail, and a police officer would carry those beautiful pieces of paper we call tickets. By carrying these items with you, each person can experience a different type of day in their life. A postman might be chased by a dog, while a policeman might chase the “dog”. Each element can dictate our particular interest in objects and provide information about an individual's psychology. This was done in 1946 by a man named Tim O'Brien. His novel titled “The Things They Carried,” which first appeared as an excerpt in Esquire Magazine, told the story of men at war with the things they carried. In the pages of this passage we can see an epiphany made by the soldiers. This epiphany refers to the objects they had brought with them during their missions and is aimed above all at the main character, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, of the song. From this individual comes a training course that also sheds light on the psychological atmosphere of the men serving during the Vietnam War. “The Things They Carry,” is told through the consciousness of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his reaction to a number of factors. These factors include the conditions and situations that war brings with it. It connects to the other character's consciousness by providing this observation... in the center of the card... learn? There are many messages in the context of the story. According to the information provided, the “things” that everyone was carrying were each other and the dream of hope. A paradise amidst the horrors of the Vietnam War. Every object brought, emotional and physical, was the desire to be in a situation different from the one presented. This desire had pushed the soldiers to experiment and face the impossible. A simple observation of the objects carried by each soldier provided a map of their minds. A map that perhaps would have been useful in American history. They carried with them the land itself—Vietnam, the place, the soil—a dusty red-orange dust that covered their boots, their suits, and their faces” (364). Works Cited1. O'Brien, Tim. The Seagull Reader: Stories. Joseph Kelly. 2nd edition. “The things they carried.” New York. WWNorton. 2008. 521 pages. Press.