Entry #3

Paradox, page 23- "He loved her but he hated her."

While this statement may seem contradictory, it does reveal a truth. When i first read this, I was thinking that it is impossible to love and hate a person at the same time, but then I started to ponder about it. Sometimes, a person does things that make you so angry with them and you swear that you will never talk to them again and yet you still go back. People on the outside will have their own opinions and they will think you are wrong, but for some reason, you hate this person for what they do but love them for who they are.

I believe that this is how Jimmy Cross feels about Martha. He loves the image he has of her and the way she makes him feel, but hates her for distracting him away from his work and causing him pain. This paradox is effective because every reader can relate to what he is feeling with this one statement. They know that while he is in love, he also feels a deep hate for her. In a way, it seems that he loves to hate her and hates to love her. His emotions are confused and instead of trying to work them out, he turns away from his fantasies and becomes a soldier again.