Communication in "The Things They Carried"

Paper Summary:

This paper uses the Army platoon, as exemplified in the novel, "The Things They Carried", to examine the interactions, roles, conflicts, and the leadership among that characters that make the group a success. The author points out that the most widely accepted theory of group leadership is the Transformational Leadership Theory, which states that people can choose to become leaders and can learn leadership skills; in the book, Jimmy Cross is the "implied leader". The paper relates that Army officers use the autocratic leadership style because of the high-stress, crisis nature of the military, where decisions must be made quickly; but, in the case of characters, Sanders and Cross, group members may resent an authoritarian leader and refuse to abide by his word.

From the Paper:

"Narrator, Tim, tells stories to bring the dead back to life. With a story, a man can feel like his dead friend is with him or like he had not just killed a real person. The stories change - names, dates, and even events transform - but the memories are kept alive by the storyteller. The stories in this book tell of Tim's young and unprepared platoon, which is run by a very unskilled First Lieutenant, Jimmy Cross, who only desires to be back at home in New Jersey, without all the responsibilities of war. The men of this platoon change drastically, due to the unrelenting stresses placed upon them by the realities of war. There are terrible memories that they have experienced that will haunt the men for the full duration of their lives. War is ugly. War is cruel."

More papers on Communication in "The Things They Carried":

• Book Review # 75424 : "The Things They Carried"
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• Persuasive Essay # 141014 : "Legalizing Guns On Campus: Why It Is Necessary"

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