How do Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and Kiowa respond in both similar and different ways to Ted Lavender's death?

In Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," the characters Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and Kiowa exhibit both similar and different reactions to the death of their fellow soldier Ted Lavender.

Similar Responses: Both Lieutenant Cross and Kiowa experience a deep sense of shock and grief at Lavender's sudden death. They are both soldiers in the same platoon and share the common bond of being directly affected by the loss of a comrade. This creates a shared experience of mourning and loss that they both respond to in their own ways, but the core emotions are quite similar.

Different Responses: Lieutenant Jimmy Cross feels an intense sense of guilt and responsibility for Lavender's death. As the platoon leader, he believes that his preoccupation with his romantic fantasies about a girl named Martha back home distracted him from the duties of ensuring his men’s safety. This leads him to take Lavender's death personally, blaming himself and deciding to abandon his daydreams to focus strictly on the duties of his command.

Kiowa, on the other hand, reacts with more of a philosophical reflection. He is deeply affected by the death but tends to internalize his feelings to a greater degree than Cross. Kiowa tries to make sense of the event through his faith and personal belief system. While he does not carry the leadership burden that Cross does, Kiowa seeks to find a lesson or meaning in Lavender’s death. He is also practical, immediately recognizing the need to move on from the spot to prevent more casualties, showing a pragmatic side in coping with the situation.

Ultimately, while their emotional reactions to loss are similar, their coping mechanisms and internal responses to the death underscore their differences in rank, responsibility, and personal philosophy.