It was striking and a little off-putting to me the way O'Brien repeated Lavender's death throughout the opening of the novel. The way in which he described "when Ted Lavender was shot" parallels his explanations of few of the many things the soldiers carried, including intangibles, ghosts, and "responsibilit[y] for the lives of [their] men."
As explained by O'Brien, the things the soldiers carried "were largely determined by necessity." Lieutenant Cross carries with him Lavender's death, for up to twenty years after the war, because he felt as though it was his fault. Along with Lavender's ghost, he carries guilt, memory, and ultimately the responsibility for not protecting Lavender's life. Not only does Cross feel this responsibility because he is the lieutenant, but also because Lavender's death was the result of Cross's preoccupation with Martha, the love of his life from Mount Sebastian. Cross repeats again and again how he wishes Martha loved him, how he wishes he has been "brave" by taking her virginity that night, and how he wishes to be on the beach with her. The repetitive style, both from O'Brien's as the narrator and from Cross as a character in The Things They Carried illustrates the inevitability and inability to escape some of the things the soldiers carry. They are able to discard weapons or food they no longer need. They can leave behind the bodies and possessions of fallen soldiers. Essentially, they can dispose of anything tangible that is no longer needed, but they cannot avoid, discard, or expunge the "intangibles" they carry with them.
O'Brien writes in such a way that it makes us ponder what our own intangibles are. What do we take with us? What do we hold close and what do we try to let fade from our memory? Do any of our tangibles represent intangibles?
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