Analysis: The Facade Of Love

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The Facade of Love A newborn child takes its first breaths. Lub dub, lub dub goes its heart. The change from the warm womb to the cold room causes the newborn to cry, but the newborn child does not know that yet. The first time the parents get to hold their newborn child is one moment they will never forget. The fresh baby scent and fragileness of the child allows the parents to get a glimpse of the miracle they have created together. The newborn’s parents vow to protect them from the horrors of the world, yet inevitably that is impossible. As life goes on, the newborn will begin to lose its clear conscious and piece by piece they will eventually realize the facade that life offers. As a result, the child will become like everyone else, being…show more content…
Lieutenant Cross’ longing for Martha’s love during the war had caused his judgement to be clouded and “He blamed himself… He pictured Martha’s smooth young face, thinking he loved her more than anything...and now Ted Lavender was dead because he loved her so much and could not stop thinking about her.” (O’Brien 8). Cross’ obsession with Martha in this situation would be considered as a negative effect of love. Cross was so invested with the idea of him and Martha being together to the point that his leading skills were not up to par. As a result of his distraction, he let his platoon down— especially Ted Lavender. In contrast, love has the power to positively guide one’s actions. When Kiowa was drowning in the field, Bowker’s sense of urgency associated with the love he had for Kiowa allowed him to attempt to save him. Unfortunately, he was not able to save Kiowa Because “the shit was in his nose and eyes” and “it was inside him, in his lungs— he couldn't tolerate it.” (O’Brien 143). Bowker preserved as much as he could to the point where he could not physically anymore. It is implied that Bowker was willing to sacrifice his own life to save him, which only the power of love could do. It could be argued that attempting to risk one’s life for another is not a good thing since it could result in the death of all. However, the rush of adrenaline from love was euphoric making…show more content…
In The Things They Carried, the influence of love can be seen by the actions of the characters. Lieutenant Cross “humped his love for Martha up the hills and through the swamps.” (O’Brien 3). The hopeful idea of being with Martha after the war allowed Cross to continue on his journey through Vietnam. Cross was well poised as a result of his optimism. In addition, Henry Dobbins kept his girlfriend's pantyhose since it had “properties of a good luck charm” (O’Brien 111). Something about having her nylon pantyhose with him at all times made him feel safe and secure during the war. The pantyhose, in a way, represented her always being with him. The idea of her gave Dobbins the inclination to not die. For Ted Lavender, he loved his tranquilizers since he “was scared” (O’Brien 2). The tranquilizers, which are classified as a depressant, lowered the function of his nervous system. As a result, Lavender’s dependence on the tranquilizers allowed him to become numb to the pain of the war and persevere. As for O’Brien, his first love, Linda gave him the willpower to continue on in the war. Though Linda died at an early age from cancer, O’Brien was able to realize how much potential life offers from her (O’Brien 223). The fact that O’Brien still can recollect fine details about her highlights the significant impact she had on him. Love can make life worth living. The
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