Lieutenant Jimmy Cross' platoon of soldiers are a group of very young men, most of whom are unprepared for the Vietnam War. They carry heavy rations and supplies, and pictures of their girlfriends, and fear and sadness and confusion. They often pretend that they do not feel as much as they do, because they don't want to look silly to the other soldiers. Jimmy Cross loves a girl named Martha who he knows will never love him back, and he continues to love her long after the war ends. The men do sometimes reveal their emotions, in heartfelt or comical ways.
Battling the war of love in his head, asnd battling the Vietnam War as well, is a great means of PTSD in the making. “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, is a short story about a group of men serving in the Vietnam War. These men are all carrying different items aside from the usual necessities needed while in combat. The items they are carrying are personal effects, and gives insight on how their lives could lead if they are back home. Lieutenant Cross’s personal items however, may be the reason members of his platoon are dying.
Tim O’Brien and The Effects of The Vietnam War The Vietnam War was a horrific war that changed many people forever. Young men between eighteen and twenty-three years old were shipped off to a foreign land to fight in a war that they didn’t fully understand. Over the years, there have been many literary works about the Vietnam War, but none compare to the accuracy and brutal reality of Tim O’Brien’s works. Tim O’Brien’s short story “The Things They Carried” explores the hardships of the Vietnam War during combat, and his short stories “Speaking of Courage” and “Field Trip” show the after effects of the Vietnam War and how it changed people forever. Tim O’Brien is considered one of the only authors who portrays the Vietnam War exactly how it was.
Where he tells us different things that the soldiers carried, and these could be an abstract explanation of their personalities. Lt. Jimmy Cross carries letters from his crush named Martha, he is constantly thinking about her and getting distracted when on missions. The lieutenant is the “master” and this character is a prime example of the outcome when you are immature to handle the responsibility. Another example is Ted Lavender; who is a scared young solider that calms him self with tranquilizers. Their young age is an instrument that intensifies their emotional
The Red Badge of Courage Book Summary The Red Badge of Courage is the story of Henry Fleming, a teenager who enlists with the Union Army in the hopes of fulfilling his dreams of glory. Shortly after enlisting, the reality of his decision sets in. He experiences tedious waiting, not immediate glory. The more he waits for battle, the more doubt and fear creep into his mind. When he finally engages in his first battle, he blindly fires into the battle haze, never seeing his enemy.
SHORT PLOT/CHAPTER SUMMARY (Synopsis) Despite all the action of the novel, Crane's emphasis is on the Youth's psychological and unconscious response to the battlefront. Henry Fleming begins the novel as an untried youth with all the misconceptions and mystifications of war that boys are raised to believe; as a result, he eagerly joins the Union army. At first he enjoys military life as his regiment marches in parades before cheering civilians. Soon, however, the Youth is disappointed to realize that army life is boring drudgery. His regiment is marched, drilled, and halted repeatedly.
The Red Badge of Courage Henry Fleming is a young, shy boy who signs up for the war. Unlike most of the soldiers, Henry is scared of what will happen during the war. He is very excited to be a soldier. Henry doesn’t want to end up being a coward and run away during the battle. He has never been under fire before.
English 2 H, P. 4 20 January 2012 War’s warping ways: Analysis of Remarque's Use of Imagery to Demonstrate the Destructiveness of War in His Novel, All Quiet on the Western Front George McGovern opines, “I’m fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.” Young men’s lives forever change by entering battles which they do not comprehend. Older men who declare war easily sacrifice innocent lives. Similarly, in Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, nineteen year old Paul Baumer departs for the German Army. He becomes a victim of war, sentenced to death by government officials who persuade him and many other young men into fighting battles for their own essential needs. Paul and his comrades enlist as fresh creatures of the world that change due to the abhorrence in World War One.
In the real life based novel about his early war life in Sierra Leone, Ishmael Beah tells his story while facing these conflicts of war. This war leaves him without family. He becomes desperate to survive leading to him joining the army. His time in the army desensitized him and made him a different person who could kill at the snap of a finger. This is due to the ability to adapt in times of desperation.
The Weight of Emotion Tim O-Brien’s “The Things They Carried” was an interesting story about a group of solders trying to get the best out of a not so good situation. The main character, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, was a young man responsible for his troop, which he had been assigned during the Vietnam War. The first thing you think about when you read the title and begin reading the story is what supplies the troop carried on their mission. After reading the “The Things They Carried,” you realize the story is about so much more than first meets the eye. Although you might suggest otherwise that the story is about a group of young men in their journey of survival crossing the battlefield.