"They carried the common secret of cowardice barely restrained, the instinct to run or freeze or hide, and in many respects this was the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down, it required perfect balance and perfect posture"
This piece evoked great emotion in me when I read it because I think everyone can understand fear and the author clearly defines fear in this passage.
The central character in this piece was Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, a young man who leads a team of soldiers traveling through vietnam, and he wanted nothing more than to be back home, away from the war, with "Martha", a girl he longed to be with before leaving. In the end, his daydreaming for the girl causes him to lose focus on his responsibilities as squad leader which costs the life of a fellow soldier. The lieutenant blames himself for the loss and burns the photos he has of Martha as a symbol to himself that he will never let his daydreaming come at such a high price again.
My favorite object carried by the soldiers was the emotional baggage. That may sound strange but I thought the author did a really good job of describing the intense emotions that soldiers face on a regular basis. The author painted a very clear picture of the range of emotions they endure from love to fear to poise and dignity.
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