Violence In "Greasy Lake" And "The Things They Carried"
Both Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" and T. Coraghessan Boyle's "Greasy Lake" display characters' similar reactions to violence, but in different settings and circumstances. In "The Things They Carried," Fist Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is a soldier in the Vietnam War who finds solace and escape in fantasies of a young woman from home. One of Cross's soldiers dies due to his daydreaming and forces him to abandon these fantasies. In "Greasy Lake," the main character finds enjoyment in picking fights and breaking the law. A late night tussle leads to encounter with a dead body, causing the main character to reflect upon his wild lifestyle. Both stories show a coming to maturity through violence, though in different forms.
In "The Things They Carried," violence was a way of life forced upon First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Cross, as a soldier in the Vietnam War, fights for his country, the safety of his fellow soldiers, and for his own survival. In describing the morale of......
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