Throughout time and the existence of man, there has been war. Whether the war was with a different tribe, a different town, a different state, a different, country, a different continent, or even within oneself. War can come in all shapes and sizes whether it is from the Revolutionary War or to having a war within one’s mind. No matter the size of the war, there will always be damages, even if the damage is not direct. The stories “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien and “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich, take place during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was a devastating war that took our men and even the young boys from their families and got them killed, either physically or mentally. Lieutenant Cross from “The Things They Carried”
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While the squadron was camping out for the night, Private Lavender went outside the perimeter to use a “restroom,” but no one was keeping eyes on him. Take a guess at what happened next. Cross was absolutely devastated by the fact that Lavender’s death was his fault. His mind just was not on the mission at hand, and it got one of his subordinates killed. How can someone so young even begin to cope with something like that? Yet, some of the other guys try to lighten the mood by coming up with some ridiculous phrases like “Offed, lit up, zapped while zipping” (123). After the incident, he decides to burn the pictures of his dear Martha to eliminate the distractions, but “the letters were in his head. And even now, without photographs, Lieutenant Cross could see Martha” (125). Yet, the way he decided to handle that traumatic event was to become a much better leader. He decided to become strict and do everything properly. In the story, it says, “He was now determined to perform his duties firmly and without negligence” (125) explaining that Cross was getting his head into the gear and becoming more
While the squadron was camping out for the night, Private Lavender went outside the perimeter to use a “restroom,” but no one was keeping eyes on him. Take a guess at what happened next. Cross was absolutely devastated by the fact that Lavender’s death was his fault. His mind just was not on the mission at hand, and it got one of his subordinates killed. How can someone so young even begin to cope with something like that? Yet, some of the other guys try to lighten the mood by coming up with some ridiculous phrases like “Offed, lit up, zapped while zipping” (123). After the incident, he decides to burn the pictures of his dear Martha to eliminate the distractions, but “the letters were in his head. And even now, without photographs, Lieutenant Cross could see Martha” (125). Yet, the way he decided to handle that traumatic event was to become a much better leader. He decided to become strict and do everything properly. In the story, it says, “He was now determined to perform his duties firmly and without negligence” (125) explaining that Cross was getting his head into the gear and becoming more