The concept of gender and the relevant connotations has been a part of literature for ages. For this purpose, this report aims to analyze the gender-based themes discussed in the literary work of the author in his book “The Things They Carried.’ The essay will attempt to explore how the author’s work in the book explores the issues of cultural identity, gender-based connotations, and cultural barriers. The aim of the author is to direct the reader’s attention to the issues faced by the women and men owing to gender roles associated to each sex in the back in that time.
The Tim O’Brien’s attempt at this story remains to explore sexual orientation regarding roles of each gender and how they shift as the war proceeds from the conventional, American standard of men as suppliers and ladies as homemakers to both sexual orientations going up against any qualities demanded by any condition, reimbursing petite consideration to sexual roles. As is normal in American philosophy, men head out to battle however, the ladies indicate strength by sending care, love, and letters, however, the two sexes are compelled to desert these generalizations as the subject of war is explored anew. The young ladies back home will never comprehend war and its belongings on the grounds that their sexual orientation jobs and feeling of personality are as yet flawless. The officers at first attempt to recognize themselves dependent on these jobs, however as culture breakdown, so does their feeling of identity. For instance the story narrates “They carried the common secret of cowardice barely restrained, the instinct to run or freeze or hide, and in many respects this was the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down, it required perfect balance and perfect posture” (O’brien 575). The very quote indicates how a struggle during the times of war lead to a change in mindset of fighting men and their ideologies.
The opinion of roles specified for each person as per their gender changes with the steady disarray of war, hence predetermining their sense of identity and belongingness to a particular sex. Since the connotation of a gender corresponds with other social parts of personality, the disintegration of their comprehension of sexual orientation pervents the troopers’ capacity to relate to their ethnic group. The importance of war is lost as it turns into a place where one’s whole idea of personality and identity is broken alongside the capacity to discover reason in battling or capacity in the public eye sometime later.
The narrator of the story also talks about the unfortunate death of one of the fellow soldier man named Ted lavender. Ted Lavender was a platoon member who was shot to death in front of all the soldiers outside the village of Than Khe. Since Ted Carried a poncho all the time along with him, he was wrapped in the same poncho as the soldiers carried him back to their camp. His death ascertained the fears of most of the soldiers fighting the Vietnam War and most of them were seeing reminiscing their past to find some comfort in their memories. This is indicated by the following quote from the book “They carried their reputations. They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to” (O’brien 575). The very statement is indicative of traditional masculine roles where battles were fought by men valiantly in the name of honor and bravery and shying away from death was considered cowardice.
So I agree with the view of most critics who declare the storyline to be lined with traditional masculine approaches. Particularly when American beliefs amid ceasefire inspires strong and prescribed roles for both genders as a main feature of what makes the American charm. Gender orientation and predefined roles have a massive effect in deciding how role of each individual changes in the battle zone and how they defend their role as Americans. Especially during the time of Vietnam War, the role of men was generally exhibited as producers and providers, where women were again identified to be homemakers. Men took on responsibility when the time called and ladies stayed at their homes as the domesticated stereotypes suggested. In her correspondence to Lieutenant Cross, Martha never mentioned the war.
This isn’t on account of she couldn’t care less about his health or wellbeing along with trying to understanding his accomplishments as a warrior; and she never even required any statistics of the war since she had no such role in it. Martha’s only role in life was to take up domesticated responsibilities upon herself and engage in fulfilling her responsibilities at home. The culture clearly indicated that women couldn’t and wouldn’t be interest in the happenings of war. The scene was again in line with the status quo of role of men and women in war times. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was visited by the ghost of his lover Martha as when he thought of her and smooth and beautiful face the rush of fear he felt due to the death of a fellow soldier instantly subsided. He then constantly thought of his lover to let go of the grief and sorrow he felt at the death of his friend. However, Martha remained oblivious of his health and state of mind and he never communicated his feeling since he was supposed to be a tough and valiant fighter to earn her love. As indicated by the quote in the story “Rather, they were too frightened to be cowards” (O’brien 575).
The story gives a strong moral lesson that just because someone calls themselves your lover does not mean it is true. Lieutenant Jimmy was in a way betrayed by thoughts of Martha who failed to recognize that love is a two way street. Lieutenant Jimmy exhausted himself emotionally in the crucial time of war to support her thoughts through many situations that were important to them as indicated by his words in the story “But the thing about remembering is that you don’t forget” (O’brien 575). Yet when he looked back he realized that not once did his love of life take an active interest in his life challenges. It was a hard lesson to learn and signified how one may value someone, who does not value you and builds on the customary gender connotations at the time where men fight battles to earn respect and love from women while women only care about their social stature and financial well-being.
