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A Lovestruck Officer Becomes Dehumanized in Tim O'Brien's "T

             Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried- tells the story of First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and how his love for a woman and the death of one of his men ultimately lead to his dehumanization. Lieutenant Cross is very captivated by a girl named Martha, although he knows she does not love him and never will. Martha writes Cross letters that he keeps in the bottom of his rucksack. Sometimes he reads her letters before nightfall and imagines romantic vacations with her. "He would sometimes taste the envelope flaps, knowing her tongue had been there- (706) . Cross often wonders if Martha is a virgin. It is obvious that Cross has an obsession with Martha. Cross is an officer for the United States Army, and he has a duty to be a leader for his men in the midst of a very brutal war. But Cross has other things on his mind; he thinks about Martha constantly. .
             .
             When Ten Lavender is so tragically shot, Cross is also shot, but not with a bullet "with reality. As the platoon leader, Cross immediately blames himself for the death of Lavender and comes to the realization that he cares for Martha more than his men. "Ted Lavender was dead because he loved her so much and could not stop thinking about her- (709). Shame now fills every ounce of Cross's body; therefore, he tries to eliminate Martha from his mind, and become a leader to his troops.
             The death of Ted Lavender does not make Cross a better officer, but instead dehumanizes him. Cross blames himself for Lavender's death, but he takes his anger out in other ways. Cross leads his men into the village of Than Khe. "They burned everything- (713). Cross and his men shoot chickens and dogs, but there is no mention of any humans. Cross is making a desperate attempt to regain control of his men and live up to his rank as a first lieutenant. This displays to the reader the climax of Cross's dehumanization. He does not engage in an actual battle, but instead cowardly trashes a village and kills some animals.


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