In Tim O’Brien’s story, The Things They Carried The author tells about his experiences in The Vietnam War by telling differing war stories. Everyone has to deal with hardship at some time in their lives. The misfortune that they go through varies from person to person. First Jimmy Cross, he had to make it through the Vietnam War alive.
In the short story, ‘The Things They Carried,’ Cross’s strength is somewhat vague. He appears strong at the beginning of the story, on the other hand, he also seems to be gaining strength towards the end of the story. This essay shows whether Jimmy was a stronger soldier at the beginning of the story or at the end of the story.
One example would be Jimmy Cross displaying weakness. As a result of giving up the thing that helps him deal with pain, he becomes bitter and more controlling. Essentially, he loses his respectable qualities. He becomes more and more a product of war.
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The kindness and sensitivity that once made him so honorable suddenly vanished. He makes life harder for himself and his men. ‘Their days would seem longer and their loads heavier’ (404). He becomes a leader who resembles the brutality of war. By being harder on his men, he isn’t helping the situation, he is just making it worse.
They need someone who is strong enough to pull them through the havoc and confusion they are being forced to deal with. The soldiers need the strength that they used to have. This demonstrates Lieutenant Cross being strong at the beginning because he is recognizing
That he has something besides the war to live for. After he loses that, he loses the strength that he possessed. Another way that one could view this story is that Cross has a stronger character toward the end of the story. He showed this by burning the pictures of Martha, which suggests starting a new life by devoting himself to his job, becoming a better leader, and by getting rid of other distractions. “
He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence..”, “ He would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war”. Jimmy Cross started out being a quiet, easy-going leader. He would be in the midst of the war, yet he would be thinking of Martha back home. He was always distracted thinking of her and looking at pictures of her. This shows weakness in him.
References
- The Things They Carried – Sample Essay
- Literary Devices in The Things They Carried
- Study Guide for Themes in The Things They Carried
- Book Summary of The Things They Carried
- Essay Writing Tips from Purdue OWL
- Tips for Essay Exams from UNC Writing Center
- Psychological Impact of War: Literature Review
- Articles on Ideological Aspects of the Vietnam War from The New York Times
