Essay about Violence in Greasy Lake and The Things They...

Both Tim OBriens The Things They Carried and T. Coraghessan Boyles 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 Crosss 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†¦show more content†¦He couldnt help it (OBrien 630). Surrounded by a world a war and violence, these daydreams are the only escape Lieutenant Cross has and he embraces them fully. When faced with violence, the main character from Greasy Lake not only acce pts it, but encourages it. Upon the boys arrival to Greasy Lake, he and his friends mistakenly hassle a stranger and his girlfriend. Instead of apologizing for the disturbance and trying to reason with the stranger, he and his friends immediately engage in battle, beating the stranger unconscious. The rage and violence of this attack does not end here. The main character turns his attention to the strangers girlfriend: It was the foxÂ… that set us offÂ… she was already tainted. We were on herÂ… grabbing for flesh (Boyle 133). The rape does not occur as the boys are chased away by an approaching vehicle, but the intent of a second violent event was fully present. Every opportunity for violence encountered by the main character is met with open arms. In The Things They Carried, violence brings forth an epiphany for First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Lieutenant Cross, while seeking comfort in his imagination, allows one of his men to be shot and killed. His lack of security led to an unnecessary casualty: [Cross] hated himself. He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender wasShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Voice Within1869 Words   |  8 Pagesdesperate for attention, but they couldnt be more wrong. Jo Lunch, people, get down here now, screeched Laura, the managing assistant, dead on 1:15 every single day without fail. She was a middle-aged sickly looking woman, with long greasy jet-black hair. It was always scraped tight into a bun, pulling her skin so taut that it successfully stretched out the wrinkles beginning to show beneath her eyes. Jodie closes her diary and makes her way over to the bedroom doorRead MoreThe Ballad of the Sad Cafe46714 Words   |  187 Pagesterm in the penitentiary, caused ruin, and then went on his way again. The cafà © has long since been closed, but it is still remembered. The place was not always a cafà ©. Miss Amelia inherited the building from her father, and it was a store that carried mostly feed, guano, and staples such as meal and snuff. Miss Amelia was rich. In addition to the store she operated a still three miles back in the swamp, and ran out the best liquor in the county. She was a dark, tall woman with bones and muscles