The Things They Carried

Ted Lavender did not want to be in the Vietnam War.  He was paranoid, as most would be, from many different factors.  Vietnam consisted of a dangerous jungle and extremely stealthy enemies. He prepared himself with extra ammo despite the fact that it would add to his already heavy weight load.  Lavender also carried around 6 ounces of dope.  He symbolizes perfectly how the stresses from war can cause major personality changes. Not only did he use dope, but he also coped by taking tranquilizers. The overwhelming amount of fear was causing him to face his anxiety in an unnecessary, extremely unsafe manner.   If he had not died in the story, he could have been addicted to those drugs for a lifetime.   Lavender is shot in the head and part of the reason he dies is his partner.   He represents all of the soldiers who don’t get the chance to return home to their homes, families and lives.