"War is a uniform made to disguise an innocent boy."

One of the underlying issues with war is that young men with different aspirations are drafted. Their youth is forcefully stripped away because of the violence they’re exposed to. These soldiers are thrown into the war as children; they are not prepared for what’s ahead. This visual best depicts the theme of men fighting in the war by dramatically altering the perspective of a soldier. Rather than viewing the stereotypical image of a tough and heroic man fighting for the nation, instead is a toddler who wears an over sized uniform. It reinforces the idea that men who are sent to war are still naive.The artwork can be interpreted into several ways, but they all revert back to one main theme: the uniform acts as mask. Firstly, the uniform takes away the innocence of the person who wears it. At first glance, one can only see a regular soldier. Yet the longer it’s viewed, the image of a young boy begins to take shape. The uniform also masks the fear of the soldiers. Not only to keep them from embarrassment, but also to keep themselves sane. This in turn brings it to the last function of the uniform, which is to disguise the youth with a forced manlihood. However, these soldiers don’t transform, because deep inside they are still boys being disguised as tough men. The tattered flag behind the boy is a symbol of the nation’s turmoil. During the war, both soldiers and citizens lose their of sense of security. It also shows the everlasting scars the war had brought upon America. The burnt holes and edges are translated into a nation that will never forget and never be the same. In short, they’ll never really be whole again, just like the soldiers who never truly come back home the way they were. Both the artwork and statement can be supported by several quotes from The Things They Carried, especially because the word “young” is used more than 50 times. Being one of the most repetitive adjectives for describing the characters in O’brien’s book, he wants the reader to truly feel impacted and understand how age plays a large role in their maturation and experiences in the war. During one chapter of the book, Azar had shot a puppy and used the excuse that “I mean, Christ, I’m just a boy.” Another scene, where Rat Kiley tells a story of a soldier’s girlfriend, Mary Anne, who had been swallowed by the war, reasons as to why she had completely changed by stating “I mean, when we first got here—all of us—we were real young and innocent, full of romantic bullshit, but we learned pretty damn quick. And so did Mary Anne." Normal 18-20 year old's would be worrying about college or their girlfriend, but these soldiers are challenged and faced with traumatizing experiences every day they battle in the war. Their problems are transformed into survival and responsibility, adding years they will never get back.