The time and energy he invests in fantasizing about his fantasies between him and Martha clearly shows that she is important to Jimmy. Of course, daydreaming about Martha while she's at war will have its consequences. This is something he noted as a dereliction of duty, as he comes to believe that his daydreams were a contributing factor in the death of one of the Ted Lavenders. “He was ashamed. He hated himself. He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a result Lavender was now dead, and he would have to carry this like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war. (O'Brien 606), this quote illustrates the fact that Martha is much greater than her men. In "The Things They Carried", Martha plays a vital role in the story, although she doesn't seem too crucial to the story nor to Jimmy Cross. However, in reality, it represents escapism for Jimmy Cross, helping him avoid the experiences of pain he indulged in during the Vietnam War; It helps him mentally escape Vietnam. On the contrary, I think Tim O'Brien included Martha in the story to highlight that war is extremely tiring for soldiers and that they need a tool to help them escape, in this case Martha is a valuable tool for Lieutenant Jimmy