#13 Mary Anne

Mark Fossie was a soldier in love, as many of them were. However, he had this bright idea to bring his young girlfriend, Mary Anne, to Vietnam. At first, I didn't think that would be such a problem. I actually thought it was sweet how he wanted her to be there with him. In the chapter, Seweetheart of the Song Tra Bong, we learn the story of Mark and Mary Anne. She is this sweet, shy, and sophisticated young girl. But after a time in Nam, she begins to change into someone new. She was curious and wanted to know what went on. Mary Anne found everything very intriguing. Towards the end of the chapter we find out that Mary Anne joined the Greenies. She wanted to fight. She was ready to kill. The jewelry she war were of teeth and and tongues. Mark did not even know her anymore. It is a scary thing to think that after a short time somewhere it can have that much of an impact on a person. War messes with people's minds. Mary Anne is an example of the extreme changes that can occur. In many novels, there are always those characters who are there for a short while and have the most drastic story line. Mary Anne is that character in The Things They Carried.