This passage explains love and emotional significance in the war . Although the small role of women in The things they carried ,it is an importance threw out the book. Females character’s Martha ,Mary Anne and Kathleen have all effects on the men.Different women in the book have different effects on the men and affect them in different ways .For an example “Jimmy cross carried letters from a girl who named , Martha who 's an English major at Mount Sebastian College. He reads the letters every night. He 's in love with Martha, but she 's not in love with him.” Women effecting the men that who they 're not even with which shows a lot . The men idealize an ,lust the women and use their presence.By imaginations ,in letters and photographs that they have as a kind of comfort or some type of reminder. That the world does exist outside the cruelty bloody Vietnam war.It shows that the men are so emotionally damage and physically that they lost their train of thought about the world or the realistic part of it,it’s kind of sad. …show more content…
Martha had a big effect on Jimmy cross 's during his adventure in Vietnam. “Jimmy Cross 's had loved Martha more than his man , and as a consequence lavender was dead now and this was something he had to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war and life.” Martha was a young lady that Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was obsessed with.It was very possible the distraction of Martha caused lavender to die. Although Martha never loved cross. When she came aware of the obsession Jimmy Cross had for her eventually it turned her off . In The things they Carried Martha and Jimmy Cross situation is a symbol of love that Jimmy cross have
After Ted Lavender died, Jimmy burned Martha’s letters and photos and promised himself never to get distracted again. Jimmy realize that he was living a fantasy and that it was time for him
I thought they should have added her in to the Movie she was a big part in the book and I think would have made the movie better. Another thing Martha’s mother helped with is keep the garden a secret and make sure no one else new that Colin could walk and run. Towards the end of the book Martha’s mother sent a note to Mr. Craven to tell him that he needed to come back. In the end of the movie Mary, Colin, and Dickon did a fire ritual, to give Mr. Craven a dream to come back to Misselthwaite Manor.
His bitter experience, a combination of self-hatred and sorrow at the loss of a comrade hardens him. As a form of atonement, he destroys all the letters and pictures he has of Martha. Lt. Cross re -dedicates himself to his current predicament allowing no distractions to enable the loss of another of his
It is also seen that Martha was a volleyball player through the photographs and that they had only gone on one date where they had a chance to watch a movie "Bonnie and Clyde." Through the scene we see Cross touch Martha's knee at the movie, in response, Martha looks at Jimmy, and instead of embracing the hand, she pulls it back and refuses him to touch her. The burden continues when we realize Jimmy wishing while in Vietnam, that he had carried Martha up the stairs, put her on the bed and at the same time get a chance to touch her knee throughout the night (p.2). However, he feels scared to imagine that the feeling and affection might never be realized
Jimmy Cross carried letters and some photograph of a girl named Martha, he loved Martha so much. He kept the letters safe by putting them in his rucksack, and when he rewrite her letters he would imagine them together, “imagine romantic camping trips into the White Mountains” (O’Brien 3). He would imagine being with Martha and daydream and he would sometimes daydream about her and how he wants to tie her up in bed and touch her leg all day and how he wants to be the one who gets to make her no longer a virgin. Moreover when Ted Lavender got shot in the head, Cross felt responsible for his death because he was the lieutenant and all he has been doing is daydreaming about a girl that doesn’t love him back. After the death of Ted Lavender, Cross started to change his colors by letting go if Martha and focusing more on the war.
One character, in particular, is Jimmy Cross. “While Kiowa explained how Lavender died, Lieutenant Cross found himself trembling. He tried not to cry,” (16). Jimmy Cross was carrying the emotional baggage of guilt for the death of Ted Lavender. He experienced such emotional distress because he couldn't stop thinking about Martha the entire time the war started.
I do believe that Lieutenant Cross is responsible for Lavender 's death. Lieutenant Cross was a leader and being a leader comes with a lot of responsibilities. His first priority should have been to protect his men, but he was too hung up on Martha. I understand that they are at war which is very stressful. The thought of death being so near and the thought of never seeing their loved ones must be terrifying .
Her life is not easy considering she lived in a wagon, sometimes starved, and had to constantly be traveling. Myself on the other hand rarely travels anywhere for a long amount of time and never goes hungry in my home. The passage also shows that Martha did not attend school and had to work with her father on the fields around her house. To differ, I go to school just about everyday since I was 5 and have never had a job or been put in labor like Martha had been. In the end, Martha and I may differ in many ways but we do have one thing in common, we both appreciate what we
For the majority of the chapter, Cross carried his mind in thoughts of Martha. He was obsessed with matters such as why she signed her letters “love”, and if she did love him or if that was just formality. Cross is unable to grieve in the ways his soldiers do; he distances himself and decides it’s better to be a leader than to be loved. The weight of the responsibility he carries for his men outweighed his love for Martha. The grieving process out-weighed his fantasies of love.
Jimmy Cross is the first lieutenant who carries pictures and letters from Martha, the woman he loves who—sadly—does not love him back. The pictures and letters from Martha symbolize Jimmy’s longing to be loved and comforted. It is ironic that although he is the first lieutenant who is expected to take charge and lead others, yet he never took charge of his own love life. This is a regret and burden Cross carries to the end of the story. “It was very sad, he thought.
Along with his military gear, O’Brien states, “Lieutenant Jimmy Cross humped his love for Martha up the hills and through the swamps” (p. 115). Cross loves Martha, and “More than anything, he wanted Martha to love him as he loved her” (p. 114), but is unsure of whether she loves him back. Despite his uncertainty,
Martha’s daughters helped her with house, garden, and yard work. Since her daughters helped her with what needed to be done, she
Pope Paul IV once said, “All life demands struggle. Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish, and insensitive to the real values of life. The very striving and hard work that we so constantly try to avoid is the major building block in the person we are today” (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/popepaulvi120381.html?src=t_values). As mentioned by Pope Paul IV, those who were born with a silver spoon become unpersevering while those who work hard, earn what they worked for. In Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things they Carried, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his platoon face one substantial obstacle throughout the Vietnam War.
He couldn’t help it (432).” This tells you that he is still just a boy at this point, but he knows that he should not be thinking of Martha he should be worrying about the lives of his men. Even so, Lavender is now dead and Jimmy holds himself responsible: “He would dispose of his good luck pebble. Swallow it, maybe… (437).” Mainly he is trying to get rid of all feelings for Martha, he cared more for her and himself, but he does care also about his
Tim O’Brien states, “Lavender was now dead, and this was something he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war” (O’Brien 16). In this quote, Tim O’Brien explains that since Jimmy Cross blames himself about Ted Lavender’s death, he will always be in lieutenant’s head. Thus, the lieutenant will always feel the guilt. With this, Tim O’Brien makes the reader think that Jimmy Cross is the person to blame since he is the head of the group and he has to pay more attention to his plans. Having questions about his love, Martha, in his mind instead of being careful about his men is the reason of him feeling guilty that “the lieutenant’s in some deep hurt” (17).