Alex Lemme - "The Things They Carried"

"The things they carried" by Tim O'Brien is characterised by a contrast between the consistency of the lists within the narration and the differences in the details between each of the characters. This interesting use of contrast and similarity permeates the entire text and evokes a sense that all the soldiers in the story are "uniform" due to their position in the army but are also individuals with different priorities and fears.
At the beginning of the story the reader is introduced to lists of equipment such as "Among the necessities or near necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent". This equipment is the constant in the narration and not only does it convey powerful imagery to the reader, but it also creates a uniform pattern in the way the list is read. The list is very dry and doesn't have much personality to it, much like the items in the list that are standard for every soldier.
On the other hand, later on in the story there are descriptions such as "Mitchell Sanders, the RTO, carried condoms" and "Ted Lavender carried 6 or 7 ounces of premium dope". These short mentions of specific soldiers and their personal necessities and therefore priorities makes the group of soldiers into a group of individuals with different views on what is considered a necessity.
These two contrasting aspects of the story create a lovely relationship between what someone belongs to and who someone is.