"First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried letters from a girl named Martha (p. 1)... The things they carried were largely determined by necessity (p. 2)...they carried everything they could. (p. 9)"
O'Brien's use of anaphora throughout the entirely of the first chapter expresses, to me, a sort of desperate tone. It is as if he is attempting tot show not only how much physically the men must carry each day, but also their emotional and physical burdens as well. This repetition also represents the rhythm of their traveling: day to day is much the same as the last, as sentence to sentence the meanings are similar. I believe the use of "carried" also allows O'Brien to introduce not only the uniformity of the characters as a group through their possessions, but also their individuality. From weapons and other standard equipment to personal items such as pictures, a unique personality is capable of being seen. I also found it interesting that within the first three pages some form of "carry" was used over 15 times, further exemplifying its importance. Everything listed in this chapter, as everything that occurs in every first chapter is vital, will continue to have an impact towards the end of the novel. I do wonder if the use of "carry" will not reappear later in the novel, perhaps in an end statement.
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