The destructive nature of war can leave many people, regardless of age, race, or gender, in a dilapidated state of mine. War veterans suffer from harsh psychological effects such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Many young men come back with an unusual thought perspective that can make their loved ones nervous. Tim O’Brien exemplifies this in his short story “The Things They Carried” about a young man named Lieutenant Cross who was drafted into the Vietnam War. This immature soldier becomes infatuated with a woman named Martha; however, after his indulgence in fantasies, he finds himself in a devastating situation. Lieutenant Cross often daydreams of his love for Martha, a woman who is in college and seems to accept herself. A contrast
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The letters and his interactions with the invisible woman are further explained by Lorrie Smith, she breaks them down by saying “Martha 's writing--and, implicitly, her reading of his war experience--are sexualized through association: her inability to respond to his love and his longing suggest the blank page of virginity in patriarchal discourse” (10). Cross by no means quotes Martha directly; therefore, he is free to reflect on himself and his needs or wants through her actions. She becomes his out in many situations, O 'Brien illustrates this during the first introduction of Cross ' character “In the late afternoon...[Lieutenant Cross would] unwrap the letters, hold them with the tips of his fingers, and spend the last hour of light pretending...[Martha and he were on] romantic camping trips into the White Mountains...” …show more content…
While waiting for his comrade, Lee Strunk, to crawl out of a dangerous tunnel, Cross “...gazed at the tunnel. But he was not there. He was buried with Martha under the white sand...” (O 'Brien 12). Cross paid no mind to his men, including Ted Lavender, who had gone to relieve himself. It was only after their short victory that included Lee Strunk 's survival when Cross let himself back into reality, and at the same time, the untimely murder of Ted Lavender occurred. Cross left in an undignified stupor; furthermore, it made him think about how his actions affected his men. Chen rationalizes his behavior by stating, “The subsequent death of Ted Lavender jolts him into awareness, forcing the realization that the romantic fantasies produced by an exilic consciousness longing to return home to America are unable to meet the exigencies of combat experience in Vietnam” (10). Cross realizes that his fantasies will only hinder his own survival during the war. He decides to remove the temptations from his possessions by burning Martha 's photos and letters. Lieutenant Cross tries to rationalize his actions and throw his self-loathing onto a woman, who became a symbol for his humanity, by thinking that“[Martha] wasn 't involved...He hated her. Love, too, but it was a hard, hating kind of love” (O 'Brien
The letters and his interactions with the invisible woman are further explained by Lorrie Smith, she breaks them down by saying “Martha 's writing--and, implicitly, her reading of his war experience--are sexualized through association: her inability to respond to his love and his longing suggest the blank page of virginity in patriarchal discourse” (10). Cross by no means quotes Martha directly; therefore, he is free to reflect on himself and his needs or wants through her actions. She becomes his out in many situations, O 'Brien illustrates this during the first introduction of Cross ' character “In the late afternoon...[Lieutenant Cross would] unwrap the letters, hold them with the tips of his fingers, and spend the last hour of light pretending...[Martha and he were on] romantic camping trips into the White Mountains...” …show more content…
While waiting for his comrade, Lee Strunk, to crawl out of a dangerous tunnel, Cross “...gazed at the tunnel. But he was not there. He was buried with Martha under the white sand...” (O 'Brien 12). Cross paid no mind to his men, including Ted Lavender, who had gone to relieve himself. It was only after their short victory that included Lee Strunk 's survival when Cross let himself back into reality, and at the same time, the untimely murder of Ted Lavender occurred. Cross left in an undignified stupor; furthermore, it made him think about how his actions affected his men. Chen rationalizes his behavior by stating, “The subsequent death of Ted Lavender jolts him into awareness, forcing the realization that the romantic fantasies produced by an exilic consciousness longing to return home to America are unable to meet the exigencies of combat experience in Vietnam” (10). Cross realizes that his fantasies will only hinder his own survival during the war. He decides to remove the temptations from his possessions by burning Martha 's photos and letters. Lieutenant Cross tries to rationalize his actions and throw his self-loathing onto a woman, who became a symbol for his humanity, by thinking that“[Martha] wasn 't involved...He hated her. Love, too, but it was a hard, hating kind of love” (O 'Brien