Emotionally, Cross still carries the guilt of Lavender's death. After the war Jimmy carried a new picture of the girl he loved, Martha. . They carry a whole host of complex feelings but they hide them inside. Use this CliffsNotes The Things They Carried Study Guide today to ace your next test! “First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried letters from a girl named Martha. After the war Jimmy still carries a picture of his lover Martha even though she has no feelings for him. Or is that more realistic? I agree with the narrator I believe memories make a story. Just as the soldiers carry burdens, Jimmy Cross carries compasses, maps but also the responsibility for the men in his charge. The soldiers carry not just things but social obligations. He still loved her even though she did not feel the same about him. Get free homework help on Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried: book summary, chapter summary and analysis, quotes, essays, and character analysis courtesy of CliffsNotes. When he is visit Tim O'Brian and confesses that he feels at fault.The narrator says that stories are what bring back memories and writing down stores is a good way to deal with the pain. He felt like if he wasn't so caught up on Martha, Ted would have not been killed. That still gets to him all those years later. Young and inexperienced, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross leads Alpha Company in Vietnam in The Things They Carried. I think stories are a perfect opportunity to leave whatever I'm dealing with and watch someone else's life, develop connections with fictional characters, and try new things, all without actually doing anything. I agree because whenever I tell stories or other people are telling them it will bring back memories or what happened. The good times I had in those memories uplift my mood and I usually wish to go back to those times. He also still carries the guilt for Lavender’s death. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. After Ted Lavender’s death he has much more to carry around with him so he disposes of the lightest items he possesses, those that weigh the most on his heart. The things they carry depend on their rank and role. Emotionally he carries the guilt of Lavender's death. It makes you think and I agree with Ted. Emotionally, he carried the guilt of watching his friend Ted Lavender die. Jus... "Enemies"Why did Jensen break his own nose? Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is a lieutenant and so he carries a different kind of gun and the responsibility to protect his men. Lexi, what do you think Martha's problem is? “Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Because of this decision, he is placed in a position of leadership in Vietnam. Is it only that she doesn't feel for Jimmy what he feels for her? https://www.shortform.com/blog/lieutenant-jimmy-cross-the-things-they-carried Stories certainly have an escapist value, Abby. After the war, Cross caries a new copy of the volleyball picture that was given to him in person by Martha. The narrator say that stories are forever. Kiowa's repetitive description of Lavender's death illustrates how death is harsh, swift and meaningless—like a rock falling. She gives it to him and tells him not to burn it, even though she doesn't love him back. It wasn't the exact one but a copy of the same picture. I agree with that statement. By carrying the pebble of Martha around, Jimmy Cross creates a false hope of them being together, knowingly distracting him from his duties as leader of his platoon. (The Things They Carried.16) This haunts Jimmy Cross through the book. Maybe Cross is using the picture as a reminder of his mistake and what it cost him.-Tim O'Brian makes the statement that "stories are for eternity,when memory is erased, and there is nothing left to remember except the story." And the lottery is even bigger than the lottery of drawing numbers that the soldiers set up. The things they carry are determined by superstition: The carried items by superstition further flesh out the characters, but also show that superstition won't protect you. He was married to Peggy Ryan. Strunk is in the more precarious situation, while Lavender is just off peeing. If somebody says, "Let me tell you a story," is it different than, "Let me tell you a joke?". Emotionally he carried all the memories in his head that he could remember happening. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Some people, myself included, see writing as cheap therapy. Martha a girl that he had known back in the states, not his girlfriend but he liked to think that they were. Death can come just from drawing the chosen number—it's literally a lottery—there is no way to predict whether or not the tunnels would collapse or explode. I try to keep a journal, but I find that I don't update it much these days. -Graham S. The things they carry depend on their rank and role. I tend to keep track of my memories in some form of writing because when I go back to read them, I imagine myself in those memories and they bring back some feeling of satisfaction. He was very carrying about what happened to his men and was very unhappy when he would loose a man. Its blunt introduction shows the arbitrariness and suddenness of death. -Even after the many years that have passed since the end of the war, Lt. Cross continues to carry the guilt of Lavender's death. The narrator, Tim O'Brien believes that stories connect the past and present by eternalizing it. After the war, Jimmy carried the physical ability to still be able to talk about all the things that went on during the war- no matter how terrible. As a first lieutenant and platoon leader, Jimmy Cross carried a compass, maps, code books, binoculars, and a.45-caliber pistol that weighed 2.9 pounds fully loaded. Cross can't accept Martha's love as he fears his death in the war, thinking she writes out of pity. Tim is suggesting that when a person looks back on his or her life and has "memories" of all of the crazy (or not so crazy) things that they have done that they are not really memories of the events themselves, but rather a memory of the story the tell describing that event. Rat Kiley is a medic and carries medical supplies. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!”, “This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Jimmy Cross did not want the responsibility of leading these men. While others who are just trying to get through the war may carry dope to keep them sane. I think this is very close to my view of stories because writing about them can certainly help you to deal with the emotional pain of it. Along with his emotional burden of the guilt he feels about Lavender, Cross carries a new picture of Martha playing volleyball. He also had an obsession at the beginning of the book. I like your interpretation of Jimmy's ability to talk about his experiences. No questions. They tell jokes. After the war, Jimmy physically carried a picture of Martha even after she rejected him. The burning of Martha’s things is symbolically used by O’Brien to signify a turning point in Cross’ development. This causes Jimmy cross to start blaming himself for his death. The role of stories is to help remember. After the war Jimmy physically carried another picture of Martha. Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story." He thinks this because she ended her letters with, "love Martha." The narrator claims the stories bring back memories and then writing about them helps with Dealing with what happened. They way he talked about her seems to be more admiring then love . Cross would also carry his feelings for Martha, feelings that would never be expressed. It's an endless, awful cycle (and the stories repetitive structure might also be described as cyclical). Cross has the highest rank, and responsibility is his greatest weight. Not in a bad way, but in a good way because you enjoyed yourself. I think that it was realistic he did not. Are there any other reasons for stories to exist besides laughs and memories? Some authors even use this in order to write some of their own stories. But he doesnt care about the war and has no desire to be a team leader. As first lieutenant and platoon leader, cross carried Compass, maps, code books, binoculars, and.45 caliber pistol, strobe light, responsibility of lives of his men How much did the pistol cross carried weigh 2.9 lbs fully loaded They imagined being trapped below, being blown up, being bitten by rats. What does Tim, the narrator, say the role of stories is? Instead, they comfort themselves with thinking of home, but do their duty, even though they can find no moral in it. I know I always feel better once I've written things down, even if it's just a To Do list that I can cross items off of. 12 What did Martha give Jimmy Cross, twice? The Things They Carried (1990) is a collection of linked short stories by American novelist Tim O'Brien, about a platoon of American soldiers fighting on the ground in the Vietnam War.His third book about the war, it is based upon his experiences as a soldier in the 23rd Infantry Division.. O'Brien generally refrains from political debate and discourse regarding the Vietnam War. To carry something was to hump it, as when Lieutenant Jimmy Cross humped his love for Martha up the hills and through the swamps. The narrator says that stories are what we tell about the memories we remember. I agree with Tim that in most cases people have forgotten the event (or have tried to forget in order to distance themselves from a traumatic occurrence) and are just repeatedly reiterating the story. That's the reason some people keep journals or diaries and the way many authors come up with good books. A story that exists somewhere, no matter how old, will always be able to be read or told by someone who will probably share it with someone else. “He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence 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”. I agree with what he says because whenever I write a story I tend to base it off of something that I have experienced or a certain feeling that a memory gives me. Use this CliffsNotes The Things They Carried Study Guide today to ace your next test! Jimmy Crosss character represents the profound effects responsibility has on those who are too immature to handle it. Jimmy Cross: Initials are J. C. Jimmy Cross: Last Name is Cross Martha: Jesus had a friend named Martha Lee Strunk: Jimmy Cross is there when Lee Strunk rises from the dead. Even though these men had things they had to carry, they elected to carry more. They all think about ways to leave the war, but don't leave because they would shame themselves and their families. Struggling with distance learning? For example, think of any stereotypical movie with an uncle or grandpa who has one story that they tell everybody so often that the other characters in the movie can finish the story for him in a grumbling tone. Stories are for this late hours in the night when you cant remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Were you surprised that he and his college love didn't get together? Tim's idea about the purpose of story asks: does your grandpa really remember the event, or is it so far in the past that he only remembers the story? In Tim O'Brien's story, "The Things They Carried," O'Brien details the plight of Vietnam soldiers along with how they shoulder the numerous burdens placed upon them. Though it may not be true, its what he carried everyday after through the war. This makes me wonder whether his futile love for Martha or his feelings of guilt are more powerful. This would constantly keep it part of the present, and eventually the future. Lt. Cross was in charge of the platoon that was followed in this story. Good thoughts on stories and their role throughout our lives, Evan. 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