The Things They Carried Character Analysis Essay

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In The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien employs indirect characterization through imagery and refrain to illustrate a collective brutal rite of passage for young American men. The audience is exposed to the protagonist’s, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, experiences in the Vietnam War as he reminisces about a girl named Martha, develops a closer relationship with his comrades, and further understands the horrors of war. At the beginning of the war Jimmy is withdrawn emotionally and inexperienced; by the end of the war he sacrifices his love and fantasy for Martha for the protection and safety of his men. In this story O’Brien uses the description of specific items to give the reader a better understanding of the key characters. Using a repetitive…show more content…
This characterization is repeated throughout the story, implying that the sum of the men is, in terms of the theme, greater than the parts. Together they bear strikingly similar traits that are brought to the forefront through description of the things they carry, and it is this description of similarity that allows O'Brien to relate the true nature of…show more content…
Cross can be compared as a Christ-like figure not only on a superficial level, they share the same initials of JC, but also in the nature of his role as the lieutenant of the platoon. In The Things They Carried, Cross carries grief of lavenders death for the members of the Alpha Company. At the end of the story, he burns the letters from Martha so that he will no longer be distracted by her memory; this instance signifies the transformation from premature soldier to mature lieutenant. In each case, Cross makes a Christ-like sacrifice so that his fellow men—Norman Bowker and Kiowa, in this case—can carry on without being crippled by grief and

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