Transformation of Lieutenant Cross: A Love Torn Narrative

Martha reflect the changes he undergoes in the course of the narrative.
Lieutenant Jimmy Cross goes through a constant struggle between what he remembers about Martha and what he feels about Martha despite the fact he knows in his own mind that what he imagines is not true. Since Lieutenant Cross was the head of the unit, it was his job to lead his members. It was his job to maintain a leadership. However, Lieutenant Cross’s thoughts and feelings about Martha change as he goes through changes within himself throughout the narrative of this short story.
In paragraph one, the narrative stated that Lieutenant Cross carried letters he received from Martha. Although they were not love letters, all Lieutenant Cross could do was hope they were.

The letters were signed “Love, Martha,” but Lieutenant knew they did not mean anything, even though he deeply desired for them to mean the way he wanted them to. Lieutenant Cross longed for Martha’s love. He cherished all that he remembered about her. Throughout his journey with the members of the unit, all he did was thought about the things he would do with Martha if she were with him.
Since Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was the head of the unit, he was supposed to act as a leader to his members. He was supposed to act as a foundation for the unit. He was known for following standard of procedures, also known as, SOP, in the narrative. His obedience was supposed to help him become a better leader. However, because he was so focused on the standard procedures and the norm of what he learned, he was not able to adapt to different environments and the attitudes of the other members of the unit. Instead of being a member of the unit, working as a team, Lieutenant Cross acted as one. In addition, Martha, whom he was not in a real relationship with, was a distraction to him. Instead of leading unit with clear instructions, he often dazed off thinking about Martha and the things he should have done to her. He often thought about what their life would be.
I can see why the narrative was so relatable to the author. The author, Tim O’Brien went through his own personal experience during the Vietnam War. Throughout the narrative, O’Brien was not only the narrator, but he was also a soldier and an individual that goes through a series of different thoughts.