The Things They Carried- Pages 1-66

     At this point around page 66, about the first third of the novel, the narrative appears to be dark and morbid. In almost every chapter someone dies or at least is alluded to die, and even when there is no literal death mentioned, there is still the repeating concept of failure and cowardice. Although there is no clear order to the advancement of the novel's plot, it appears that the stories at least progress in terms of familiarity of names and character development, in a rough order of traditional importance. In the beginning the lieutenant, Jimmy Cross, is introduced. Much of the start appears to be told from his point of view, to such an extent that Tim O'Brien, the actual author and writer who was in the war, is not really highlighted. Later Cross's character is detailed.
     Soon, other characters are developed in the novel based loosely on the number of times they were mentioned in the opening parts. It appears that the book has more to do with the individual characters and their stories that perhaps all culminate to tell a larger message about some aspect of humanity given their primal tendencies in the frequently horrific situations that the soldiers are placed in rather than a more cohesive single tale about the writer. Another interesting detail is how the characters are put in more personal situations as time goes on with their section devoted to them. Rat Kiley is at first described to be a cheerful person, referred to as young and easygoing. Not too long after the death of his best friend Kiley slaughters a buffalo in what is likely the most gruesome scene in the first set of the novel.
     But when the characters lose something dear to themselves, they also move on. Cross has to by not thinking as much about his old crush while Kiley has to move on from the death of a fellow soldier and of his own brutality. Perhaps the end will converge to tie in all of these scarring events around the time the unit's time is done. Maybe all of this pain is due to the effort of trying to cope with something that is not a fight one should be forced to engage in only to bring enormous strife before a final rest. Then it seems that humanity needs to understand conflict among themselves to improve.