The two characters Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and Oedipus the King of Thebes have been presented as being responsible characters. Oedipus is ruler who takes quick action with great insight working to the expectations of the people he rules. For instance, when the citizens request him to act on the plaque, he has is already a step in advance having sent Creon to the Delphi oracle for top seek advice on the issue. Jimmy Cross on the other hand takes responsibility in the Vietnam War. He is unwilling to take up a role as a team leader in the Vietnam War. However, he is led into the combat among several men under his command. He is presented with indecisive moves out of confusion during the battle. Jimmy Cross and Oedipus take responsibility of their situation making them the center of the stories in the two books; The Things They Carried and Oedipus the King respectively.
The two characters are faced with difficulty situations which they have to deal with. The citizens of Thebes where Oedipus are dying out of plague and since no one knows how to solve the situation, Oedipus, the King has to find a way out. He requests his brother in law, Creon, who is also a ruler to go to Delphi Oracle and get the solution to the plague. He claims, ““Here I am myself- you all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus” (Sophocles 7). He proclaims that he has the power to heal the plaque, and works to see that a solution is found. However the events in the story turn out tragic in the end for him. In Oedipus at Colonus, the director of the song view Oedipus as a curse and makes a statement, “You, you’re that man” (Sophocles 238). Oedipus acts swiftly with a lot confidence to solve the issue facing his citizens.
Jimmy Cross is led into the Vietnam War where he has to command several men. He is tasked with the responsibility even if he does not really mind about the war and has no craving to lead a team into war. He is presented fighting between courage and cowardice and the author tries to define the concept of courage, "Secret of cowardice" (O'Brien 20). He thought to, “tap into a secret reservoir of courage that accumulated over the years." (O'Brien 43). Jimmy is faced with "the soldier's greatest fear, the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to" (O'Brien 21). He does not make a better leader, but rather only followed the orders he was given.
Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and Oedipus the King of Thebes fail in their roles as leaders. Jimmy is a team leader, but he is not courageous enough to effectively lead his company and he fears the shame of failure. He thinks that; "All those eyes on me the town, the whole universe and I couldn't risk the embarrassment. I couldn't endure the mockery, or the disgrace, or the patriotic ridicule. I would got to war, I would kill and maybe die because I was embarrassed not to” (O'Brien 61). He does not hold to the resolutions he makes. He regrets assuming responsibility for the death of Kiowa, "My own fault” (O'Brien 168). The death of Kiowa evokes him to make a resolution to be a become a better Lieutenant, but does not live to accomplish it. His leadership is distracted by the thoughts of Martha, who takes photos of here and sees it that he receives them alongside romantic letters.
Oedipus is constantly trying to bring under his control the issues his people face. He is displayed taking swift actions under his control. For instance, he questions Creon, demands that the shepherd who directed him to Corinth, and even makes orders for the shepherd to be exiled. However, starts to admit that things are getting out of his control as the story ends. In Oedipus at Colonus, the director of the song view Oedipus as a curse and makes a statement, “You, you’re that man” (Sophocles 238). The citizens are faced with hard times and turn to their king for, ”Wailing on the altar stair, wives and grandams rend the air, long-drawn moans and piercing cries blent with prayers and litanies” (Sophocles 186). They lose faith in the king’s ability to solve the issues they are facing and turn to other ways of solving the issues. Oedipus gropes unknowingly and gets helpless when Creon takes away his children. He completely depends on Theseus after which he sets to be in peace. He does not link his past and the present times and this causes his ruin. When the elderly priest informs him about the plaque that the people, and Oedipus comments that, “I cloud not fail to see this (Sophocles 72).
In conclusion, the two characters are faced with difficulty situations which they have to deal with. The citizens of Thebes where Oedipus are dying out of plague and since no one knows how to solve the situation, Oedipus, the King has to find a way out. Jimmy Cross is led into the Vietnam War where he has to command several men. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and Oedipus the King of Thebes fail in their roles as leaders. Jimmy is a team leader, but he is not courageous enough to effectively lead his company and he fears the shame of failure. Oedipus is courageous and makes resolutions that he sticks to contrary to Jimmy, but both fail in the end.
Works cited
O’Brien, Tim “The Things They Carried” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts, Robert Zweig. 5th Compact Ed. Pearson Education, Inc. 2012. 96-107.
Sophocles. “Oedipus The King” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Robert Zweig. 5th Compact Ed. New York: Pearson Education, 2012. 968-1004. Print.
