Weblog 10: The Things They Carried

What is Martha’s significance to Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and how does she affect his performance in the war?

            At the beginning of the short story The Things They Carried, written by Tim O’Brien, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was obsessed with a girl named Martha. He was madly in love with her, and he desperately wanted her to love him back but he knew that that was not the case. He was so obsessed with her that he had a hard time focusing on the war because he was so caught up in his thoughts about her.  “On occasion he would yell at his men to spread out the column, to keep their eyes open, but then he would slip away into daydreams, just pretending, walking barefoot along the Jersey shore, with Martha, carrying nothing.” (372) He was constantly thinking about her subconsciously. “And then suddenly, without willing it, he was thinking about Martha.” (373)

            Later on, his daydreams cost him the life of one of his men. He carried “the responsibility for the lives of his men,” (369) but because he was thinking about Martha, Ted Lavender died. Although Ted Lavenders death wasn’t completely Lieutenant Cross’s fault, he was their leader and he had to carry the responsibility of their lives. He was partially responsible for Ted Lavenders’ death. After Ted Lavenders’ death, Lieutenant Cross is so filled with guilt that he burns all of Martha’s letters and photos. “He felt shame. He hated himself. He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence, Lavender was now dead, and this was something he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war.” (377) This shows how Lieutenant Cross felt about himself after Lavenders death. This was his turning point. He decided to love his men more than Martha after Lavenders death. He also realized that “she did not love him and never would.” (378) He also considers his past love for Martha as fantasies. After Ted Lavenders’ death, Lieutenant Cross begins to hate Martha. He realizes that “his obligation was not to be loved but to lead.” (384)

            I think that O’Brien purposely included Martha in this short story to compare and contrast the balance of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’ priorities, and to show how his personality changes throughout the story.