In the story, The Things They Carried, all of the men carried mementos of things from home, or personal items that allowed them to remember something other than war. For each man it was something different, which gives insight into their character and nature. However, it can be argued that what they carried was not so much about the tangible things that they carried in their packs, but the mental and emotional burdens that they carried in their minds and hearts as a result of the war .
