The Things They Carried Study Questions: Chapters 1-4

Who was Martha and what did Jimmy Cross wonder about her?

Martha was Jimmy Cross’s crush back home. He wondered if she loved him back and fantasized about her often despite the fact she doesn’t like him back.

What did “hump” mean?

Hump means to carry something heavy while marching

What was the “single abiding certainty”?

The single abiding certainty is that they would always have something to carry, which included both physical and psychological burdens.

What did Jimmy Cross do with the photo?

Jimmy Cross burned the picture of Martha so that he could try to stop himself from thinking about her and focus on the war.

For what had Jimmy Cross never forgiven himself?

Jimmy Cross never forgave himself for Ted Lavender’s death. He felt responsible for his death because he was too busy thinking about Martha rather than his platoon.

What did the narrator of this chapter do for a living, and what was the narrator’s name?

The narrator was a writer and his name is Tim O’Brien

What did Jimmy Cross bring from the guest room?

Jimmy Cross brought a picture of Martha from Tim’s guest room

For what favor did Jimmy Cross ask the narrator?

Jimmy Cross asked Tim O’Brian to write a letter to Martha for him in the letter he expressed his never ending love for her and he hoped that she would answer.

When back in college, how did the narrator feel about the war?

Back when Tim was in college, he had mixed feelings about the war. He struggled with the thought of how other people would perceive him for avoiding it, and he felt guilty for not participating in it as well as being ashamed of it.

What job title did the narrator have in the summer of 1968?

Tim worked as a soldier during the Vietnam War in the summer of 1968

What happened one morning on the pig line?

Tim was assigned to shoot a pig in the head one morning when he was on the pig line.

To where did the narrator drive?

Tim drove to the border between Canada and Minnesota. He was debating whether he should escape the draft and avoid going to war.

Who was the hero of the narrator’s life?

Tim’s hero was Elroy Berdahl. He was the old man who managed the Tip Top Lodge near the Canadian border. Elroy gave him support without saying anything while he was in the moral dilemma of whether he should run away to Canada or if he should go fight in Vietnam.

What was in the envelope tacked to the narrator’s door?

There was $200 from Elroy which was a silent offer of help just in case if Tim wanted to leave America to go to Canada.

Why did the narrator call himself a coward?

Tim referred to himself as a coward because despite being against the war , he still chose to go to Vietnam rather than going to Canada. He believes he acted out of shame rather than bravery.