The Things They Carried Essay Example for Free

The Things They Carried Essay Every work of literature has a recurring theme. Whether it is about a love, guilt or a desire for revenge, every character comes across a struggle between their passion and responsibility. The Things They Carried features many characters that overcome conflicts. Jimmy cross struggles with his responsibility to his men as well as his love for a woman that does not love him back. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is a young, carefree man who is still searching for his future. Without realizing what he was getting himself into, he applies for the Reserve Officers Training Corps at his college in New Jersey. Many of his friends knew he did not care about the war. Even Cross himself never gave it a second thought. He never thought he would actually go to war by taking the Reserve Officers Training Corps course. Later that year, he is drafted to the war as Lieutenant of several men under his charge, and he is unsure about everything he does. He had no desire to be a team leader, let alone lead a group of men into a blind war. Up until the day he was drafted, Jimmy Cross did not care for the war and what was happening. Being only a sophomore in college, he was still a young man with no experience when it came to war and being Lieutenant. As the war goes on, Cross begins to grasp that he is responsible for the safety of his own men. Although he did not want to be, he understood that someone had to be the leader. While they were all in Vietnam for the war, Jimmy Cross’ men find him day dreaming frequently. His mind was on Martha, a woman he fell in love with while attending college in New Jersey. Even he would find himself day dreaming about old memories of her and what his future would be like with Martha. Lieutenant Cross carried various reminders of his love for her. He would often read letters from her and gaze at her photographs she sent him. He knew she did not love him back like how he loved her. Cross wished things were different between the two of them. He wanted her to love him back but he knew that was too good to be true. When Ted Lavender died, Jimmy blamed himself. He felt guilty for not watching over his men at the time when they needed him the most. He should have saved Lavender but instead, his mind was filled with thoughts of Martha, a woman who gave no indication of ever loving him back. As a result, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross struggles to make the right decision for his men and burns all letters, photographs and memories of Martha. His struggle for Martha’s love kept him from protecting his men and he now holds guilt for Lavender’s death deep within. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross struggled throughout the novel frequently. He had conflicts with what he wanted from Martha, and his responsibility to his soldiers. In the end, Cross steps up and takes control of his situation. He becomes the leader that everyone expects him to be by giving up Martha and focusing on the war and his men. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross did what was right for his men to keep them safe from harm.