Quote by Tim O'Brien
First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried letters from a girl named Martha, a junior at Mount Sebastian College in New Jersey. They were not love letters, but Lieutenant Cross was hoping, so he kept them folded in plastic at the bottom of his rusack. In the late afternoon, after a day's march, he would dig his foxhole, wash his hands under a canteen, unwrap the letters, hold them with the tips of his fingers, and spend the last hour of light pretending.
Summary
This quote from Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" introduces the character of First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. It explains that Lieutenant Cross carries letters from a girl named Martha, even though they are not love letters. Despite this, Lieutenant Cross hopes that they might become something more. The quote highlights his longing for connection and the solace he finds in the letters, as he takes time each day to read and imagine a relationship with Martha. It reflects the soldiers' need for emotional support and their yearning for human connection amidst the hardships of war.
By Tim O'Brien
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