I definitely preferred this story more than any we have read so far. What I really liked about it was the authors use of repetition, how he used the same basic idea but in a different way each time so that the reader is able to learn more about the characters depicted in the story. This use of carrying items as a metaphor is very effective, as it conveys a great deal in a relatively simple way. From the initial listing of physical, practical objects, which include several personal objects of each of the individually named soldiers, which illustrates a lot about the character of these me- the man who carried the bible, or the one who carried condom. The other uses of this metaphor include how they ‘carry themselves’ while in battle, and the memories the carry with them.
The other use of metaphor was the representation of civilian or ‘normal; life in the portrayal of the girl Martha. It is made clear that she is symbolic, when the central narrator decides it is because he was constantly thinking of her that caused his friend to die. The point in the story where he burns her letters- the ones that never mentioned the war- is a clear rejection of his former life.
The time jumps in this story are also an interesting feature. Events are not listed chronologically, but are only united in terms of the list of what the men are carrying.
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