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Personal Identity In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

1179 Words5 Pages

The Things They Carried is a book written by Tim O’Brien. Ultimately, it is a fictitious story about the intricate lives of the members of a platoon that fought in the Vietnam War. The members of Alpha Company, the platoon, are all vastly different, yet they are bound together by an unbreakable bond that comes with fighting side by side with one another. Throughout the novel, they each experience life changing events, which often alters their sense of self and results in a reconstructed personality. In the end, The Things They Carried is a wonderful narrative that shows its readers the complexity of personal identity, and how things like love, the values of society, and politics can all play a part in the shaping of one’s character. The Things …show more content…

Love is one of the driving forces that motivates characters into action, controls their daily thoughts, and helps to shape who they are. Throughout the novel, many of the characters make their decisions based on love. For example, Lt. Jimmy Cross was practically consumed by his love for a girl named Martha, which he felt had led to the untimely death of one of the members of his platoon, Ted Lavender. The novel states that Lt. Cross believed that he, “had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was now dead” (O’Brien 16). As a result of this, Lt. Cross had, “crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha’s letters. Then he burned the two photographs” (O’Brien 22). It appears that love had shaped Lt. Cross’ entire being, completely and utterly consuming him; and in the end, it resulted in him trying to purge himself of that love because he believed it had led to the death of one of his soldiers. Afterwards, Lt. Cross decided that, “On the march he would impose strict field discipline” (O’Brien 24). In this instance, love had deeply affected Lt. Cross in a negative way, and it resulted in Lt. Cross searching within himself and realizing that he needed to change the way he ran his platoon, and by extension his personal self, so that he could prevent another

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Lieutenant Cross comes to realize “his obligation was not to be loved but to lead” (337). Meaning can be found in the fact that as Cross no longer carries these gifts Martha sent him, he is beginning to free himself of her distraction and the fantasy-like mindset he has. However, now he must carry the weight of the guilt of Lavender’s death and the responsibility of being a tough

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In the book “The things they carried” by Tim O’Brien is about a first Lieutenant Jimmy Cross who was in love with a girl named Martha who was attending Mount Sebastian College in New Jersey. He carries pictures and letters that she sent. Cross was a distracted soldier O’Brien states “at dusk, he would check the perimeter, then at full dark he would return to his hole” (2). After returning to his hole he would relaxed and daydream about Martha. While he was daydreaming one of his group members got shot in the head, he blames himself for the soldier’s dead.

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The Things They Carried is about Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, the leading officer of a band of soldiers in the Vietnam War. It is written by Tim O’Brien. Jimmy falls in love withe girl named Martha who is back home attending college. He carries a couple of pictures and letters that she has sent. The group comes across a runner and they draw numbers to see who has to go in to check it out.

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When describing Jimmy Cross’s feelings for Martha, Tim O’Brien explains, “Lieutenant Cross kept to himself. He pictured Martha’s smooth young face, thinking he loved her more than anything, more than his men, and now Ted Lavender is dead because he loved her so much and could not stop thinking about her” (O’Brien 6). Jimmy Cross wished that the letters Martha sent him were love letters, so he somehow became blinded by them. Jimmy was so focused on his love for Martha that he wasn’t so engaged in the war which led to his death. Tim O’Brien utilizes the rhetorical devices allegory and motif to build on the persuasive techniques pathos and logos.

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Since the beginning of the book, there were a love story of Lt. Cross. And few other love stories of soldiers in Alpha company. Lt. Jimmy Cross and Martha, Mark Fossie and Mary Anne Bell, Dobbins and his girlfriend, the main love stories in the book. Soldiers, by sending and receiving the letter they remind their hope after the war, the love is like the savior to soldiers. However, as on chapter “Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong” and “Stocking” the love cannot be always the same.

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(636)” This relates to the morale of soldiers during the war, they start in semi-positive spirits, but as they continue to suffer from the mental load of war and become realistic about their situation it becomes a whole lot more real for them. Martha also facilitates the change to deep reflection from Lieutenant Cross. Simple interactions with Martha prompt Cross to grow as a leader and human. As Cross evaluates their relationship he touches on his own conflicting emotions and desires, an example of which is when Cross reminisces over the time when he and Martha were together physically, causing a whole spiral of emotions and further reminiscing.

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I think of Lt. Jimmy Cross as a young man who wasn’t prepared to leave his loved ones to fight in a war. He left his normal life filled with regrets of not doing “something brave” (5). His young adult life was taken from him by the war. He had to experience things that no normal twenty four year old man would have to. He wanted to be in love with a girl and have her love him back.

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He hated himself. He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was dead…,” (O’Brien 16). Later, O’Brien writes that Cross, “...burned Martha’s letters. Then he burned the two photographs, ” (O’Brien 23). The brotherhood Cross had with his men had him destroy the only things that kept him going in the war.

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The Things They Carried is a novel written by Tim O'Brien which follows the daily thoughts, actions, and moments of a company serving in the Vietnam War. The meaning of this work was to depict the gruesome images and effects of war as well as the toll it can take on people. This is executed by utilizing morally ambiguous characters, which are characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evi or purely good. Many characters in the book are morally ambiguous, but one, an unnamed vietcong soldier who was killed in the novel stands out the most.

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Cross blames himself, knowing “He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was now dead…” (p. 121). First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is distracted by his infatuation for Martha, which ultimately results in Ted Lavender’s death, forcing Cross to realize his fantasies for Martha are wrong and that he is not fulfilling his duties as a lieutenant. Lieutenant Cross is inattentive to the war and his responsibilities because he is unable and unwilling to stop thinking about his adoration for Martha.

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The Things They Carried, written by Tim O’Brien, illustrates the experiences of a man and his comrades throughout the war in Vietnam. Tim O’Brien actually served in the war, so he had a phenomenal background when it came to telling the true story about the war. In his novel, Tim O’Brien uses imagery to portray every necessary detail about the war and provide the reader with a true depiction of the war in Vietnam. O’Brien starts out the book by describing everything he and his comrades carry around with them during the war. Immediately once the book starts, so does his use of imagery.

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“More than anything, he wanted Martha to love him as he loved her, but the letters were mostly chatty, elusive on the matter of love” (O’Brien, Page 101). Readers could say that Lieutenant Cross has become reckless and unfocused to his duty as a soldier. His mind drifts off at the thought of being with Martha back at home. He uses the infatuation of her to take his mind completely away from where he is, which seems okay, but not when you have other lives to protect. O'Brien describes the things that these soldiers carry with them; such as books, letters, possessions from home, their heavy machinery, weapons, sleeping bags, etc.

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“Doesn't matter what the press says doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say. Doesn't matter if the country decides something wrong is something right. This nation was founded on one principle above all else: The requirement that we stand up for what we believe no, matter the odds or consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world. No you move.”

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In The Things They Carried, a war novel, by Tim O’Brien author introduces many characters. Those characters show the bitterness pain and suffering of Vietnam War caused situation. For better picture of what does the war do to young people Tim O’Brien introduces some major and minor character. Showing how they are at first represented, what kind of change do they go through and how do they end up. Different angles of viewpoint are depicted by the fact that author not only uses men to show the evolution, but also women.

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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.

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