ipl-logo

The Things They Killed Jim Cross Character Analysis

820 Words4 Pages

Viet Nam War was a terrible phobia to Vietnamese and American whenever it is mentioned; It was horrible, dolorous, and sanguinary war. O'Brien with a success of the story " The things They carried'', and he also said some aspects of Vietnam war. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is a protagonist of the story; he has a mad love with Martha. Although Jimmy Cross is very young, he is '' As a lieutenant and platoon leader First. '' (Brien 36)-- his duty is '' Responsibility for the lives of his man. '' (Brien). Moreover, every story always has a theme; the changing of characters and situations will make a theme of the story. Therefore, What is theme of the story’’ The things They carried’’ O’Brien suggest for readers ?. One of an assumption of O’Brien …show more content…

Jimmy Cross blames himself that Ted’s death is his fault;’’ He would accept the blame for what had happened to Ted Lavender’’( 351) because he did not complete his duty---responsibility for living of his men.--‘’felt shame’’, ‘’hated himself’’, ‘’ grieve for Ted Lavender’’ ( 345). From now, the things Jimmy Cross carries is disappointed, regretful, guilty, and depressed; moreover, Ted Lavender is an obsession for him at this time. Jimmy Cross also realize that Martha is the reason that he can not concentrate on his mission and leads to the death of Ted Lavender; therefore, he decided to ‘’burned the two photographs’’,’’ disposed of his good-luck pebble’’, ‘’ dispense with love’’. Although it is very difficult to get Martha away in his mind, he really loves her so much, it is the only thing that he can do to forget Martha. Now, ‘’ Lieutenant Cross reminded himself that his obligation was not to be loved but to lead’’. He is trying to do become a real leader and do a truly outstanding accomplishment of his duties to appease the remorse about the death of Ted—without thinking about Martha. After the death of Ted, it shows that he is a real man because he takes responsibility for what he did and how to handle with his mind. Although it is very hard for him to forget Martha, his heart gets will pain and his love for Martha is done, he tries to do it. Jimmy Cross also realized that important

Show More
Related

Explain Why Did Lieutenant Jimmy Cross Accept The Blame For Ted Lavender's Death

108 Words | 1 Pages

Why did Lieutenant Jimmy Cross accept the blame for Ted Lavender 's death? He was the First Lieutenant and it was his responsibility to keep his unit safe. It also showed that Jimmy Cross was becoming a man.

Read More

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

265 Words | 2 Pages

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.

Read More

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross's Leadership During The Vietnam War

776 Words | 4 Pages

The first sign of Lieutenant Cross’s exceptional leadership was indicated when Ted Lavender was killed. This calamitous incident occurred when Lavender got shot in the head and was killed while returning from using the latrine. Just moments before this tragedy occurred, Lieutenant Cross was daydreaming about Martha, and how he loved her and how she did not have the same feelings for him. It is while his mind was drifting that Ted Lavender was killed. Lieutenant Cross felt responsible for Lavender’s death.

Read More

Tim O 'Brien's The Things They Carried'

1263 Words | 6 Pages

If you asked someone what the topic of the book is they would probably tell you that it is about war. They would be mistaken, The things they carried is a book about love and loss. Across the entire book the stories “The Things They

Read More

Courage And Cowardice In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

708 Words | 3 Pages

At times, he neglects his troop to go daydream about Marta. In the first chapter the book says,” He pictures Martha’s smooth young face, thinking he loved her more than anything, more than his men, and now Ted Lavender was dead because he loved her so much and could not stop

Read More

How Does Jim Cross Show Courage

239 Words | 1 Pages

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.

Read More

All Is Not Fair In Love And War Analysis

1009 Words | 5 Pages

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.

Read More

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross The Thing They Carried

1179 Words | 5 Pages

Tabitha Ware Eng-1020-121328 Essay 1 March 9nd, 2015 Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and His One-Sided Love Story In author William Timothy O’Brien’s short story “The Thing They Carried” published in 1990, a one-sided love story is told about a man (the protagonist), a First Lieutenant named Jimmy Cross. Lieutenant Cross feeds off of letters he receives from a young college student back at home, a very static character named Martha. This story proves the effect that love can have on a lonely, tired and scared soldier, and the ways that love can sometimes blind someone from their priorities.

Read More

Emotional Burdens In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

1509 Words | 7 Pages

He accepted the blame of Ted Lavender’s death because he was more focused on Martha than he was about his troops. Wesley states that while Jimmy Cross accepts the blame he thinks this will make it all better by accepting heroic responsibility. This relieved the stress upon Cross and made him feel as if he was even more of a leader and not a coward. When Ted Lavender died they treated it as if it was nothing but a daily routine.

Read More

Truth In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

1091 Words | 5 Pages

The narrative switches between Jimmy Cross thinking about Martha and him describing what the soldiers were carrying. These two narratives did not really coincide other than he carried letters with him from Martha along with his war gear. There are small instances of dark humor, another post-modernism trait, in “The Things They Carried” as well. I thought that it was humorous that one of the soldiers checked the dead boys pulse although you could clearly see he was dead on page 1144. Another instance of dark humor is when they soldiers are waiting for Ted’s body to be picked up after his death.

Read More

Symbolism In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

648 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More

Ambiguity In Tim O Brien

934 Words | 4 Pages

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).

Read More

The Emotions In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

976 Words | 4 Pages

Jimmy Cross longs to reunite with Martha during the war , and consequently, his mind remains infatuated by her and the fantasies he wishes he could experience with her. When Ted Lavender died, O'Brien says, “He [Jimmy Cross] felt shame. He hated himself. ”(16). This is because Jimmy Cross feels guilty for always thinking about Martha and letting a death of one of his soldier slip through his hands.

Read More

Transformation Of Lt Cross In The Things They Carried

713 Words | 3 Pages

“On the morning after Ted Lavender died, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha's letters. Then he burned the two photographs. ”(O’Brien 459). This marks the point where Cross transitions from a child to a man. He lets go of the past and matures to become a better person, a dedicated soldier.

Read More

Reflective Essay: The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

747 Words | 3 Pages

Cross and his obsession with Martha. Eventually, after a death in the group, LT. Cross was distracted and he decides to burn the letters Martha sent him. “On the morning after Ted Lavender died, First LT. Jimmy Cross crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha’s letters…

Read More

More about The Things They Killed Jim Cross Character Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document