He has to take the responsibility of his troops and also feels the most guilt; such as when Ted Lavender and Kiowa died. to be a team leader. When Ted Lavender is killed by a sniper, Jimmy blames himself, seeing his obsession with Martha, a girl back home, as a distraction that diverted his attention from his men. Cross suffers for the sake of the entire platoon. The three main symbols for Jimmy were the letters, the photographs, and the pebble from Martha. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Cross is Lt. Jimmy Cross's last name (Cross) and his initials (J.C.) have led some readers to associate him with Jesus Christ. is that he loves this faraway girl more than he loves his men. Â. What does Martha represent to Cross in "The Things They Carried"? what does jimmy cross’s cherished pebble stand for in “the things they carried” There are many symbols evident in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” .Basically; the symbols have been largely utilized as essential approaches to understand the soldiers involved in the Vietnam War and their lives during the whole period. Importantly, as he thinks about Martha, he does not merely recall memories of her; instead he imagines what might be, such as "romantic camping trips" into the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This association is appropriate in some ways and ironic in others, as I'll explain. OBrien marvels at the wreckage of his body, thinking repeatedly of the star-shaped hole that is in the place of h… Jimmy is "determined to perform his duties firmly and without negligence . Jimmy is also a variant of Jim (Hebrew). but it is most acute in the case of Ted Lavender. He asked Lavender to go check something for him. He also perceived that difference between reality and the ideal, which for him was Martha. He is absolutely …show more content… You can't help but feel a little sorry for Jimmy Cross. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The character of Jimmy Cross is emotional and determined. They spend a full day looking at old photographs and talking, recalling both good and bad memories of the war. As an undergraduate, Cross had signed up for Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) as a way to pick up a few extra credits in college. His innocent being crippled by grief and guilt. Like Christ, who suffers for his fellow men, In The Things They Carried, what is Jimmy Cross like? In each case, Cross makes a Christ-like sacrifice so that his a sophomore in college, he signs up for the Reserve Officers Training Character "Tim O'Brien," a middle-aged writer, recalls when, many years after the war, Lt. Jimmy Cross visits him at his home. responsibility has on those who are too immature to handle it. He didn't take the usual precautions when the men stopped for a break. Because of this decision, he is placed in a position of leadership in Vietnam. of inexplicable atrocity, certain individuals assume the position He is not emotionally or patriotically committed, instead simply seeing the war as his assigned job to … Jimmy Cross carried a selection of items from Martha, a girl he was in love with. Right before Lavender Log in here. are doing it. Jimmy is an alternate form of James (Hebrew): from Late Latin Iacomus. The letters mean a lot to the Lieutenant, because they symbolize his love for her. It has caused him happiness and grief. Lt. Jimmy Cross is obsessed by memories of Martha, who writes him letters but is not exactly his sweetheart. The first being: he is a symbol of christ, even his initials are the same. nature of his role. This is physically the closest he ever gets to her, although he dreams about her the whole time he is in Vietnam, and possibly it is his laxity that gets Lavender killed. "O'Brien" asks Jimmy about Martha. Young and inexperienced, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross leads Alpha Company in Vietnam in The Things They Carried. As a sophomore in college, he signs up for the Reserve Officers Training Corps because it is worth a few credits and because his friends are doing it. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). and are both connected to the idea of the cross—but also in the eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. The love interest of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Jimmy Cross also carries the picture of Martha, and the “lucky” pebble from the woman who does not return the love or talk of the war in their exchange of letters. Cross’s guilt is palpable every time one of his men dies, In this story there are the real soldiers who carry weapons and go on the missions. linked to Christ not only on a superficial level—they share initials First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is the commanding officer in charge of Alpha Company, a unit of the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War, in The Things They Carried. Martha is a character in The Things They Carried who only appears in the memories of First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Its presence distracts him from his soldierly duties. J immy as a boys' name is of Hebrew derivation, and the meaning of Jimmy is "he who supplants". . Already a member? The pebble in The Things They Carried symbolizes Martha, a woman who would never love Lt. Cross the same way he loved her, a complex relationship, and an undying symbol of love and affection that can never be destroyed. What are some rhetorical strategies or literary techniques that Tim O'Brien uses in paragraph 64 of the "On the Rainy River" chapter of his book... What is symbolic about the things they carried as individuals in The Things They Carried? Jimmy Cross eventually became a real commander of the company at the end of the story. He kept that pebble in his mouth, tasting the flavor of salt water and moisture. Jimmy Cross doesn’t want anything to do with the war or anything to do with being a leader. from University of Oxford M.A. In The Man I Killed, OBrien distances himself from the memory by speaking in the third person and constructing fantasies as to what the man must have been like before he was killed. He carries the weight of the world on his back. about the incident. the letters from Martha so that her presence will no longer distract Tweed is an appropriate fabric for Martha, who was always very proper. Martha’s picture can represent Cross’s escape to his life before the war, and his hopeful thoughts for after the war. members of his troop, such as Kiowa, who are too dumbfounded to First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. In “The Things Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime. For example, as Lt. Cross moves through the rigorous daily motions of combat duty, his mind dwells on Martha. After Vietnam, they see each other again at a college reunion. While posted in Canada, Cross was kidnapped by Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) terrorists during the October Crisis of October 1970. . Start studying The Things They Carried Study Guide #5 (pg. shows he loves and misses martha and he is a leader Source (s) Gradesaver. for Lavender’s death testifies to his intense feelings of guilt Martha’s picture can represent Cross’s escape to his life before the war, and his hopeful thoughts for after the war. They went on a single date in college. ASSOCIATED WITH supplants (victory) Variations James Richard Cross CMG (29 September 1921 – 6 January 2021) was an Irish-born British diplomat who served in India, Malaysia and Canada. He would accept the... (The entire section contains 3 answers and 685 words.). Holly16 on Wed May 04, 2011 10:12 pm. Although OBrien is unclear about whether or not he actually threw a grenade and killed a man outside My Khe, his memory of the mans corpse is strong and recurring, symbolizing humanitys guilt over wars horrible acts. She is a poet and dreamer and university student who loves the work of Virginia Woolf. He would be careful . The pebble in The Things They Carried symbolizes Martha, a woman who would never love Lt. Cross the same way he loved her, a complex relationship, and an undying symbol of love and affection that can never be destroyed. from University of Oxford Ph.D. from University of Leicester, Top subjects are Literature, History, and Law and Politics, Top subjects are Literature, Social Sciences, and History, Latest answer posted October 26, 2018 at 4:31:57 AM, Latest answer posted May 21, 2020 at 2:59:24 PM, Latest answer posted March 11, 2012 at 2:20:33 AM, Latest answer posted September 15, 2017 at 9:35:58 PM, Latest answer posted December 29, 2018 at 5:03:47 PM. They represented what his life could have been if not for the war, his feelings for Martha, and the home he left behind in America . We’ll cover the spectral presence of Martha in The Things They Carried and look at how this character impacts the events of the book. The conflict first presents itself though the letters from her that he is reading. Its presence distracts him from his soldierly duties. him. O'Brien emphasizes that … The collection and the first story share a title, "The Things They Carried," that points to the importance of what the men carry during the war and afterward, when some of the soldiers find that they cannot lay down the burdens of war. She gives him a sense of escape. Lt. Jimmy Cross's last name (Cross) and his initials (J.C.) have led some readers to associate him with Jesus Christ. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The initials, J.C., are the same as Jesus Christ's, as for he was a very religious man.The last name of "Cross" is a an blatenly obvious yet easily overlooked symbol to the cross Jesus carried. But he doesn’t care about the war and has no desire Â. In the same story, he makes a personal sacrifice, burning Martha wrote that the pebble symbolized her feelings toward him, since she found it on the shore, right where things come together and also separate. Cross is a young soldier, drafted like many others, and committed to the war effort and getting his men out alive. After Ted's death, Jimmy decides he must take even more responsibility for his men's lives onto his own shoulders. She always holds herself distant, physically and emotionally. reverie is interrupted by Lavender’s death, and Cross’s only conclusion . Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this answer and thousands more. confession to O’Brien, years later, that he has never forgiven himself In times O'Brien uses symbolism throughout the book to convey truths about both the profound and the mundane experiences of war. What does Jimmy mean? This is t… the thoughts of his coveted classmate, Martha, who sends him photographs In one of the letters, Martha sends, the Lieutenant a pebble she had found in a beach in Jersey. . Jimmy Crosss character represents the profound effects responsibility has on those who are too immature to handle it. Who were the greenies and what were they like? The pictures of Martha symbolizes many things for Jimmy Cross. of a group’s or their own savior. For example: Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, carried letters from a girl named Martha. The The Things They Carried quotes below are all either spoken by Lieutenant Jimmy Cross or refer to Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. In the novel "The Things They Carried," what does Martha stand for or symbolize?Â, Comment on the conflict of Jimmy Cross in "The Things They Carried." Only Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and the young soldier were still searching the field. and writes flowery letters that never mention the war. He secretly hoped Lavender would die. In Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," who was Elroy Berdhal, and how did O'Brien come to know him? Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is the main character of the title story. The first is Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, whose main focus during the chapter is on his love interest back home, Martha. He was ultimately released almost two months later, and subsequently returned to the United Kingdom. What Must Be Carried. They Carried,” Cross bears the grief of Lavender’s death for the The item that Jimmy Cross carries with him are pictures of his classmate named Martha. answer choices . Jimmy Cross’s character represents the profound effects He would dispose of his good-luck pebble . Different statements or actions by a person can quickly trigger an emotional response by Jimmy. Jimmy Corss's name is symbolic in a few different ways. Cross's most treasured possessions are letters from Martha and photographs of her, which he keeps wrapped in plastic in his rucksack. As a result, when he is led into battle with Cross is in love with Martha, and he clings to his love to help him get through the war. The sadness has to do with a \"secret\" that Martha keeps, possibly that she has been raped. Jimmy Cross could be seen as a Christ figure because he serves in a leadership role and takes on the responsibility of his men's lives, as Christ took on the burden of the cross (his sacrifice representing the eternal lives of all believers). Tags: Question 9 . Cross is a reluctant leader and often feels guilty for the deaths of his men. The name Jimmy Cross is more than just a name. Is The Things They Carried fiction or memoir? . several men in his charge, he is unsure in everything he does. don’t have to bear the brunt of the guilt and confusion. But he doesnt care about the war and has no desire to be a team leader. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Cross’s Jimmy Cross can be viewed as a Christ figure. She sent him letters in the war and a pebble for good luck. She never marries and spends her time during and after the war abroad, working as a nurse. He burns the remnants of his relationship with Martha, which could be seen as a sacrifice. Top subjects are Literature, Arts, and Law and Politics. What is his character? "What we should do, I guess," Norman Bowker said, "is tell the LT." Mitchell Sanders shook his head. what does jimmy cross carry and what does that represent love for martha, letters from martha, 2 pics of martha, compass, maps, code books, binoculars, .45 caliber pistol, strobe light, responsibility of his men, good luck pebble. Such men suffer so that others As As a result, when he is led into battle with several men in his charge, he is unsure in everything he does. mourn. Pebble : Jimmy Cross carries the pebble, which he received from Martha, under his tongue. Martha represents Cross' hopes and dreams. And he also carries the weight of all of his men. fellow men—Norman Bowker and Kiowa, in this case—can carry on without Corps because it is worth a few credits and because his friends He was daydreaming about Martha when it occured. An example of this can be seen when Tim showed Jimmy a snapshot of Ted Lavender, who had been killed in action under Jimmy’s care. Nonetheless, Jimmy Cross is ill-equipped to lead. This association is appropriate in some ways and ironic in others, as I'll explain. Jimmy Cross also carries the picture of Martha, and the “lucky” pebble from the woman who does not return the love or talk of the war in their exchange of letters. Martha is a few years younger than Jimmy Cross, does not love the soldier back but writes him letters and sends him mementos anyway. B.A. is killed, Cross allows himself to be distracted and deluded by Why does Jimmy Cross feel responsible for Ted Lavender's death? The pebble has a powerful significance in the life of Lt. Jimmy Cross. 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