The Things They Carried

the things they carried

7. In paragraph 68, the narrator says of the soldiers, “They used a hard vocabulary to contain the terrible softness.” What do you think he means by this? Do you think this “hard vocabulary” is necessary? How does it affect your reaction to the characters?

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Last updated by Aslan
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Soldiers will often use "hard vocabulary" to contain the pain they feel. Stuffing their anguish away inside themselves needs a hard exterior to keep it in. My reaction is that these men simply say and do what they can to survive emotionally in a very harsh environment.