Jimmy Cross Character Analysis
“Moments of kindness and reconciliation are worth having, even if the parting has to come sooner or later.” These words to live by from Alice Munro would have been very beneficial to Jimmy Cross in Tim O’Brien’s, The Things They Carried. Although he was a symbol of Jesus Christ, Cross knew he could have been a better leader, especially with how absorbed he was in his love, Martha. By burning his letters and photographs of Martha, though, Jimmy Cross came to terms with a reconciliation emphasized by the themes there is an abiding concern with the question of battlefield courage and love overrules war.
To begin, Jimmy Cross had a spiritual reassessment when he decided to get rid of his mementos from Martha. Cross obsessed over this girl who …show more content…
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.” (O’Brien, 16) Lavender’s death was by no means Cross’s fault, but he still felt responsible. The symbolism of Jesus Christ is demonstrated here as mentioned, “He carried a strobe light and the responsibility for the lives of his men.” (O’Brien, 5) Just like how Jesus was the metaphorical light and leader for many during his time, Jimmy Cross was physically the light and leader of his platoon. Although Jimmy Cross and Jesus Christ have the same initials and Jimmy’s last name is Cross, the deeper representation is perceived through how Jesus held responsibility for his disciples similar to how Jimmy was responsible for his men in the platoon. The difference between the two is that Jimmy did not want to be a leader. He wanted to think about Martha and not the war. He realized he could not do this as soon as Ted Lavender …show more content…
His moment of realizing he needed to take his leadership position more seriously was worth all the effort of burning Martha’s pictures and letters. Tim O’Brien’s, The Things They Carried demonstrates that not all men are able to provide courage, especially during a war many were against, and that many men choose love over being loyal to their duty. Tim O’Brien stated that there is never a moral to a story, but by analyzing Jimmy Cross, it is clear that there is moral to overcoming mental
To begin, Jimmy Cross had a spiritual reassessment when he decided to get rid of his mementos from Martha. Cross obsessed over this girl who …show more content…
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.” (O’Brien, 16) Lavender’s death was by no means Cross’s fault, but he still felt responsible. The symbolism of Jesus Christ is demonstrated here as mentioned, “He carried a strobe light and the responsibility for the lives of his men.” (O’Brien, 5) Just like how Jesus was the metaphorical light and leader for many during his time, Jimmy Cross was physically the light and leader of his platoon. Although Jimmy Cross and Jesus Christ have the same initials and Jimmy’s last name is Cross, the deeper representation is perceived through how Jesus held responsibility for his disciples similar to how Jimmy was responsible for his men in the platoon. The difference between the two is that Jimmy did not want to be a leader. He wanted to think about Martha and not the war. He realized he could not do this as soon as Ted Lavender …show more content…
His moment of realizing he needed to take his leadership position more seriously was worth all the effort of burning Martha’s pictures and letters. Tim O’Brien’s, The Things They Carried demonstrates that not all men are able to provide courage, especially during a war many were against, and that many men choose love over being loyal to their duty. Tim O’Brien stated that there is never a moral to a story, but by analyzing Jimmy Cross, it is clear that there is moral to overcoming mental