The Things They Carried

the things they carried

8. Describing Lieutenant Cross’s new sense of purpose in the story’s final paragraph, the narrator uses the phrase “Carry on.” Do you think this phrase is linked in any way to the story’s other uses of the word carry, or do you believe it is unrelated? Explain.

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Lieutenant Cross is very much a Christ figure. He constantly makes sacrifices so his men can "carry on". In this context "carry on" means to keep going both emotionally and physically. THe war has drowned them in a sea of misery that when measured, seems inescapable. To cary on is their only option besides letting themselves drown in their own abject guilt, sorrow, and pain.

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