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Lieutenant Jimmy Cross Character Analysis

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The Things They Carried is a story that takes place during the Vietnam War. It is about soldiers at war, narrated by Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, involving the explanations of the soldiers carrying literal and nonliteral objects that are either a necessity physically or mentally. Throughout The Things They Carried, written by Tim O’Brien, there are examples that can be criticized through a feministic approach. More specifically, examining the relationship between Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and Martha. Even though Lieutenant Jimmy Cross used Martha as a comfort mechanism, he has a misogynistic view towards her. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross puts an overpowering emphasis on the thought if Martha is or is not a virgin. This fixation on her virginity, plays into …show more content…
There are a few times in the text where he references her schooling. He mentions that she is a good writer. Although, this does not seem to be as important to him as his physical desire. A quote from Lieutenant Cross on the subject of Martha’s education says, “She was an English major at Mount Sebastian, and she wrote beautifully about her professors and roommates and midterm exams… she never mentioned the war, except to say, Jimmy Cross, take of yourself” (665). This is indicating that he acknowledges her majoring in English, but when he speaks of her writing, it is romanticized. He also only speaks of her writing when talking about her letters to him. He goes into intimate detail of what she wrote to him. This gives proof that Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is inherently misogynistic. If he did not show misogynistic character traits, he would speak about her education in a way that would portray her as being intelligent. Instead, he romanticizes her letters to him and limits her education to what her words mean to him. By examining the relationship between Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and Martha, one can see that there are examples that can be criticized through a feministic approach when looking at The Things They Carried. One sees this through Lieutenant Cross’s sexualizing and objectifying views of Martha. Examples include his fixation on her virginity and his sexual desires towards her that limit her as a person. Even though it apparent that Lieutenant Jimmy Cross used Martha as a comfort mechanism while he is away at war, he has a misogynistic and prejudicial view towards

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