First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross Chapter Summaries

June 23 The book opens up with a story about First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and the infatuation he has with a young woman named Martha. As the chapter continued I start to realize the only reason he is so taken with Martha is because he needs someone, something, even an idea to hold onto to get mind off of the war. Without Martha Jimmy Cross would have only the idea of war. All the soldiers do, not just the lieutenant. They all have ideas and things that they hold onto in order to keep sane. The chapter continues on about “the things they carry”. Tim O’Brien lists war equipment, rations, and many other tangible items, but he also lists things soldiers must carry on their hearts. He talks about distance between loved ones, grief, morals,

Before the war O’Brien worked hard on his studies and didn’t believe in the war. Once he got drafted into the war he had a moral split. He seriously contemplated running away from his problems and fleeing to Canada. Minnesota and Canada separated one life from another. He drove up to a lodge where he met an older man who changed his life forever. He never pried. He never put him in a position that required lies and denials. He was too embarrassed to go to war. At the end of the chapter he says he was a coward; he went to war. The main themes of this chapter was shame and

After two months go by the sister never writes back. Rat Kiley gets frustrated and calls the sister a “dumb cooze.” The essence of the true war story lies in the reality of the situation. The sister does not respond, and Kiley reacts immaturely. This is ironic, O’Brien states, both because Kiley is young and because he has been exposed to such unspeakable things. He calls the sister a “dumb cooze” not because he really thinks this but because it is his way of dealing with his own