The Girl Next Door in The Things They WoreThe Feminist Approach The critical analysis method examines the feminism implicit in the text . In The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, the story "Song Tra Bong's Sweetheart" tells of the changes that come to a woman when she is exposed to war. But more importantly, it's a story that illustrates how women are more than just sex objects. “Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong” proves that female and male stereotypes don’t always apply. "Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong" is a story told by Rat Kiley to Mitchell Sanders, two soldiers of the Vietnam War. Mark Fossie's girlfriend, Mary Anne Bell, comes to stay with the soldiers on their perimeter. She arrived in Vietnam by helicopter with the daily load of supplies for the soldiers. When the soldiers meet her, she is identified as an innocent blonde with "white culottes and this sexy pink sweater" (90). Even its name refers directly to the Virgin Mary, a sign of purity. The men on the perimeter are attracted to her because they see her as a sex object. They consider it a source of daily survival. At the beginning of the story, Mark Fossie guides Mary Anne by the arm, but after a while, Mary Anne begins to guide herself. Little by little, she becomes curious about equipment and war. She begins to adapt to life in Vietnam by eating with her hands and using the phrases the soldiers say to her. She cares less about her appearance and cleanliness and starts using weapons. His voice becomes lower, his body becomes firmer, and his eyes become colder. She becomes less of a sexual object for the soldiers, because she is more masculine. One night, Mary Anne does not return to Fossie. He begins to jump to the conclusion that she's sleeping with other soldiers, when in reality she's just hanging out with the guys. Mary Anne explains to Fossie that war is like an appetite. On page 111 she says: "I can feel my blood moving, my skin and my nails, everything, it's like I'm full of electricity and I glow in the dark - I'm almost on fire - I am burning into nothing- but that doesn't matter because I know exactly who I am. "This statement refers to the idea that Mary Anne found a part of herself that was always missing.