The Things They Carried

How does the word “love” have significance in the story “The Things They Carried”? And how does it affect Jimmy Cross to learn a lesson about war?

            In “The Thing They Carried” by Tim O’ Brien, the author focuses on Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’ love for Martha while he was in the war. Romance seemed to take an important role in the story because his love for Martha was continuously mentioned throughout the story. He was obsessed with her and she became a distraction for him. While he was in duty, he would “wonder if Martha was a virgin” (367).  He carried two photographs of Martha and at night, he wondered who had taken the picture, if she had other boyfriends, and examined the picture more closely. Jimmy Cross seemed like a stalker in the story and he wanted to know more about her. He always thought about her and “he had difficulty keeping his attention on the war” (371). When he gave his men duties, he would be a hypocrite and tell them to keep their eyes open. However, “he would slip away into daydreams, just pretending, walking barefoot along the Jersey shore, with Martha, carrying nothing” (372). When the other men were working hard, he would be thinking about his love for Martha. During hard times, he also thought about her and without knowing, he would be thinking about her constantly. Jimmy Cross was the leader and he would have to take responsibility for the lives of his men. He began to realize that he should pay attention to the war when Ted Lavender died. Jimmy Cross had not really loved Martha and love was not important to him anymore. His love for Martha helped him to realize and straighten up. He felt guilty and shameful for loving Martha more than his men. Lavender’s death “was something he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war” (377). He thoughts had led him astray and “he realized she did not leave him and never would” (378). Jimmy Cross learned to suck it up and face the horrors of death. He was “now determined to perform his duties firmly and without negligence” (384). His love for Martha had faded completely and he learned that “his obligation was not to be loved but to lead” (384).