What Could Jimmy Cross Never Forgive Himself For?

Years after the end of the war, Jimmy Cross goes to visit Tim O’Brien at his home in Massachusetts. They drink coffee and smoke cigarettes, looking at photographs and reminiscing. When they come across a picture of Ted Lavender, Cross confesses that he has never forgiven himself for Lavender’s death.

Why could Jimmy Cross never forgive himself for Lavender’s death?

His innocent reverie is interrupted by Lavender’s death, and Cross’s only conclusion is that he loves this faraway girl more than he loves his men. Cross’s confession to O’Brien, years later, that he has never forgiven himself for Lavender’s death testifies to his intense feelings of guilt about the incident.

How has Jimmy changed by the end of the story what has he learned about himself or to put it another way what has he lost and what has he gained?

What has he learned about himself/ what has he lost or gained? Jimmy has changed because he realized that his men and keeping his men safe were more important than Martha. He will be different because he no longer has any distractions and keeps his mind focused.

What do we learn about Azar’s character in this story?

1. What do we learn about Azar’s character in this story? He is sympathetic.

How did Jimmy get a new photograph of Martha playing volleyball?

O’Brien asks Jimmy about Martha. He is surprised when Jimmy produces the photograph of Martha playing volleyball in a small frame, because he thought Jimmy had burned it after one of his men died. Jimmy had, but he saw Martha years later at a high school reunion and she eventually gave him a replacement photograph.

Why does Lieutenant Jimmy Cross blame himself for Lavender’s death?

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross blames himself for Ted Lavender’s death because he loves Martha so much that he’s been preoccupied. They burn Than Khe. Kiowa keeps describing the way Lavender fell when he died.

Why is Jimmy Cross guilty?

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is consumed with guilt over Lavender’s death, as he has been—and will be—about all the men who die under his command. He believes that he was daydreaming and distracted while thinking about Martha, and that this led to Lavender’s demise.Dec 5, 2019

How has Jimmy Cross changed by the end of the story?

By the end of the story Jimmy realizes that he needs to move on from Martha. He is going to shut down his day dreams and be a leader again. This will make Jimmy more focused on the war, but since he has no one to keep him moving forward he might lose his sanity.

How did Jimmy Cross change in the things they carried?

In the final stage of the march in Vietnam, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was able to make the right decision after Ted Lavender’s death to concentrate on the war and protect his men. He finally came into realization that his men and the war were at that point in time more important than his fantasy for Martha.

How does Jimmy Cross want to be remembered why is this important to him?

*How does Jimmy Cross want to be remembered? Why do you think this is important to him? as a brave and good leader and the best platoon leader. He doesn’t want to be associated with lavender because he doesn’t want people to know he screwed up.

When back in college how did the narrator feel about the war?

When back in college, how did the narrator feel about the war? He hated it.

How did LT Cross feel about being a soldier?

How did Lt. Cross feel about being a soldier? He blames himself for making the wrong decision, concluding that he should have followed his first impulse and removed the men from the field. He feels that his oversight caused Kiowa’s death.

What did Azar do to the puppy?

Unable to cope with stress, Azar brutally kills Ted Lavender’s adopted puppy and uses his immaturity and youth as an excuse for his actions.

What does Jimmy Cross carry in The Things They Carried?

The things they carry are also determined by their rank or specialty. As leader, for example, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries the maps, the compasses, and the responsibility for his men’s lives. The medic, Rat Kiley, carries morphine, malaria tablets, and supplies for serious wounds.

What favor did Jimmy Cross ask the narrator?

For what favor did Jimmy Cross ask the narrator? To not say that Martha was a lesbian.

Why do you suppose Jimmy still loves Martha after she makes it clear that she has no interest in him?

Why do you suppose Jimmy still loves Martha after she makes it clear that she has no interest in him? Jimmy is in a war full of men & Martha is the closest women he has ever come to love. Jimmy longs for this feeling even though Martha is not interested.

Why does LT cross react to his death as he does?

When Lavender died, Lieutenant Cross was busy blaming himself because he was thinking about Martha. He felt if his mind had been on the men, this would not have happened. He disposed of Martha’s picture and vowed not the think about her any more.Mar 4, 2020

How does Jimmy Cross feel about Lavender’s death quizlet?

How does Jimmy Cross feel about Lavender’s death? He feels responsible for it. What happens to Lee Strunk when he goes down into a tunnel before the platoon destroys it? Nothing happens.

What does Jimmy decide to do to help himself feel better about the death?

As an attempt to make himself feel better, he apologizes to the men who for so long have tried to shut him up. He finally feels the guilt and pain that the other men have been carrying with them about this incident and about Vietnam in general. Read more about Azar.

Why does Jimmy Cross burn Martha’s letters?

After Ted Lavender is killed, Cross feels deeply guilty that he was not able to protect him, and burns Martha’s letters and photo as way of trying to apologize and make things right.

What kind of person is Jimmy Cross?

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is the young, inexperienced leader of Alpha Company in Tim O’Brien’s ‘The Things They Carried. ‘ Cross’s youth, inexperience, and poor judgment sometimes have disastrous results for the men, though Jimmy Cross accepts responsibility for his ineptitude.

Was Jimmy Cross Real?

Jimmy Cross never visited me at my house in Massachusetts, because of course Jimmy Cross does not exist in the world of objects, and never did. He’s purely invented, like Martha, and like Kiowa or Mitchell Sanders and all the others. I never ran way to the Rainy River. I wanted to—badly—but I didn’t.Jun 20, 2017

What did Jimmy Cross carry after the war emotionally?

In Tim O’Brien’s historical fiction novel The Things They Carried, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries letters and pictures from Martha in the bottom of his pack. He carries them with him as comfort, reading them at night, until Ted Lavender is killed. Cross burns the letters and pictures after Lavender’s death.

Does Jimmy Cross change?

Tim O’Brien’s story “The Things They Carried” has an open ending, which he uses to signal a new beginning with the transformation of Jimmy Cross. The transformation greatly ties in with one of the major themes of the story, that war changes people.

What is the overall message of The Things They Carried?

The primary theme in the novel The Things They Carried is the burdens we all carry. The first chapter of the novel is dedicated to the physical and emotional burdens the men carried with them as they marched: the guns, the gear, the photos, the letters, the hope, the fear, the memories, and the guilt.

What was Lt Jimmy Cross epiphany?

He uncovers this theme through the epiphany of the main character, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, when one of his men die while he is daydreaming about life at home and a woman who does not feel as strongly about him as he does her. Cross realizes that his distraction endangers all his men and quickly becomes a strong leader.

How old is Jimmy Cross in The Things They Carried?

Jimmy Cross – 1st lieutenant and platoon leader, age 24, he carries a pebble, pictures, and letters from Martha.May 21, 2020

Is Jimmy a dynamic or static character in The Things They Carried?

Jimmy Cross- Lieutenant Cross is the leader of the Alpha Company. Cross is a dynamic character because he realizes, after Ted Lavender dies, that Martha doesn’t love him and stops staring at her picture. He starts forcing his men to follow protocol and looking out for them better.

What did Jimmy Cross carry in The Things They Carried chapter 1?

Characters. The narrator opens the first chapter by reflecting about Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, known for carrying the letters written by a girl named Martha. He carries these letters because he wants Martha to love him, though, according to the narrator, she does not.Dec 27, 2021

Why is the Rainy River important in the story?

In the context of the collection’s later stories, “On the Rainy River” weighs the guilt of avoiding the draft against the guilt of committing atrocities against other humans.

What did the narrator return to a field in Vietnam?

The chapter begins with the narrator’s description of the time he brought his daughter to visit the site where his comrade, Kiowa, died. The narrator returned to Vietnam in hopes of finding some sort of grace or sense of closure. He also wanted his daughter to see the land that had so profoundly shaped his life.

What does the narrator believe about war on the Rainy River?

The narrator doesn’t believe in the war and doesn’t want to die for the cause.