The Things They Carried
For my blog post I decided to make a book cover for The Things They Carried. I drew it in black and white with kind of an old-timey style because the story takes place during the Vietnam War in the 1950s. The things I drew were a pocket knife, a bible, a compass, a cigarette, some M&Ms, and a picture of Martha.
The pocket knife and the cigarette are things that most of the men say they carry. Jimmy Cross carries the compass as part of his duties as lieutenant and platoon leader, along with “a compass, maps, code books, binoculars, and a .45-caliber pistol that weighed 2.9 pounds fully loaded.” The M&Ms are carried by the medic, Rat Kiley, as a remedy for particularly bad wounds.
I included the picture of Martha because I feel like it’s the most important thing in the story. In the story it’s described as, “a Kodacolor snapshot signed Love, though he knew better. She stood against a brick wall. Her eyes were gray and neutral, her lips slightly open as she stared straight on at the camera.” I also included Kiowa’s New Testament that he always carries with him. On page 65 he says, “he felt pleased to be alive. He liked the smell of the New Testament under his cheek, the leather and ink and paper and glue, whatever the chemicals were.” These were some of the things that stuck out to me the most and I feel show the characters and their personalities.
Hi Kathryn, I really like this cover you drew for "The Things They Carried"! I believe that the objects you chose to represent are really integral to the tone and themes of the whole story. Your choice to not focus on objects of violence (only choosing to draw a knife rather than like 5 guns) by mixing in more "innocent" objects like M&Ms really shows how these men are young, emphasizing how much weight is being shoved on their shoulders when someone actually reads the story. I also love how you chose to draw Martha as she was such an integral part of the story. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a professional rendering of a cover design! I also imagined it would be a collection of belongings, being that it's the theme of the story. I think it's a good way to conceal the actual nature of the story until you are reading it. The best covers are ones that you can't judge the book by.
ReplyDeleteThis cover is really cool. I think you did a good job foreshadowing what the story is about without giving away too much information. I also like how you included multiple things from the story that are in sort of different categories. Tools, pictures, and snacks. These are all relevant and also very well drawn. The font you use for the text is also nice and I think it goes well with the story.
ReplyDeleteI love your cover, Kathryn! I agree with Tray, I think the objects you chose to include are a really good representation of the story and how the things the soldiers carry range from burdens to comfort. I also like how the objects looked used in a way--open bag of m&m's, a lit cigarette, the fold in the picture of Martha. It shows how the soldiers really rely on these objects during their laborious journey.
ReplyDeleteI like the personality that you inject in these objects. There's the creased, half-opened bag of M'n'M's, the sharpened blade of the knife, and burning cigarette. All of them are in the process of transformation and change. It makes sense in a story where soldiers hide from the experience of war by displacing their last humane impulses onto objects.
ReplyDelete