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Summary Of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross In The Things They Carried

398 Words2 Pages
In “The Things They Carried,” protagonist, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, is faced with the death like every solider was during the Vietnam war. In reaction to the death of a platoon mate, Ted Lavender, Lieutenant Cross is grief stricken. He continually blames himself: “He felt shame. He hated himself” (p. 412). He blames himself for the death of a friend. If he was not thinking about Martha, and thought more about his men, then this would not have happened. (p. 412). With Lavender’s death, Jimmy Cross is characterized from a big, strong Lieutenant to somewhat childish, weak and scared. He blamed himself for the death of Ted Lavender, but there was nothing he could have done. He is selfish: “In part, he was grieving for Ted Lavender, but mostly it
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