Things They Carried

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For Mira Wiegmann's Intro to Lit class, we read Tim O'Brien's short story, "The Things They Carried." I decided to illustrate the story with a sketch of an American soldier in Vietnam, burdened my the many objects he carries. Many of these were inspired by the story. I chose John Wayne for several reasons: first, he is awesome, second, he is identified with America's strength of spirit throughout history (he even made a film about Vietnam), and third, "John Wayne complex" was something we discussed in class. Real soldiers adopted Wayne's persona to cope with the stress of war. If you're familiar with the story, you'll recognize my inspiration for many of the unusual objects he carries. See how many you can spot!

Answer key: In addition to various weaponry, including the M-16, he carries socks, an illustrated New Testament, a comic book, a plastic jug, a bandage, a feathered tomahawk, a human thumb as a good luck charm, a sling shot as his last defense, and barely visible a water canteen on his left side