In the novel The Things They Carried, every character sees the world differently due to their memories and the language they use. Indeed, language and memories are central to everyone’s experience of human beings; these factors contribute to large differences in culture and thoughts, and unconsciously shape us from the nuts and bolts of cognition and perception to our loftiest abstract notions and major life decisions. For example, Lt. Cross has lots of old memories about Martha, because of his memories, the way he sees the war has changed, he relies on Martha as an escape of war. This example from the book as well as many different evidences that I am going to present support the theme that memories and language change and shape the way people see things.
In the first chapter, “The Things They Carried” there is one quote that O’Brien contends that faintheartedness is a common secret among soldiers, who have been shaped by memories of death, and carry it. “They carried shameful memories. They carried the common secret of cowardice barely restrained, the instinct to run or freeze or hide...(O’Brien 20).” Soldiers should be regarded as the symbol for gallantry, but because of the memories within their mind, they certainly become fearful. People around the world has been talking about wars, and the language they use to describe “war” was…show more content… O’Brien gives Norman imaginations about his father and his ex-girlfriend driving with him, so he can tell stories to the reader since he has no audiences. “He imagined Sally Kramer closing her eyes. If she were here with him, in the car, she would’ve said, “Stop it. I don’t like that word...(O’Brien 139).” Norman’s memories definitely shaped him, he can imagine what would his old friend or father say about the war; The memories are only for himself, and distinguished him from everyone else on the
