In "The Things They Carried," women play a supporting role, not seen, but very much on the mind of the men. Lieutenant Cross, although he is in charge of his men's safety, he is also distracted thinking a girl, Martha, who writes letters to him. They are just friends, but Cross imagines that there could be more between them and these thoughts transport him from the battlefield to the sandy beaches of New Jersey, in his mind.
"As hard as he tries to concentrate on Strunk and the tunnel, Cross can think only of Martha, imagining the two of them together "under the white sand at the Jersey shore.’’ Strunk finally emerges, ‘‘filthy but alive,’’ but ‘‘right then Ted Lavender is shot in the head on his way back from peeing.’’
As a result of his daydreaming, Lieutenant Cross feels responsible for the death of one of his men, Ted Lavender.
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