In this book there are three major women Linda, Martha and Mary Anne. Linda's role is positive but very saddening because, in a way, she gave Tim O'Brien the power to tell in-depth stories using his memories. The role of Mary Anne is encouraging because she comes to Vietnam and throughout the journey she discovers herself; she redefines the typical role of a woman. Martha's role in this book could be considered positive because she keeps Jimmy Cross's spirits up but, at the same time, it could be negative because she guides him. The role of women in the book therefore has a great positive influence. Mary Anne is described as the best woman in the book. She is only seventeen and her high school sweetheart, Mark Fossie, arranges for her to come and stay with him for a while in Vietnam. When she first arrives, she distracts the boys, making them feel more comfortable. "Men really liked her. On the volleyball court she wore cut-off blue jeans and a black swimsuit top, which the guys liked, and in the evenings she liked to dance to the music from the portable tape recorder of Rat" (95). At first she is happy with Mark, but over time she changes and this shows that she is becoming a woman and really maturing. “In his second week, Eddie Diamond taught him how to take apart an M-16, how the different parts worked, and from there it was a natural progression to learning how to use the weapon” ( 98). As the story progresses, it shows that she becomes more and more of a soldier. In the end, she acted very differently than most women, which for women was a positive thing because it gave her power and a new outlook on life. It can also be negative because Mark Fossie lost the girl he once loved. His image continues to become more and more negative, middle of paper throughout the book. In general, women in this book are portrayed quite positively. Except for some things Mary Anne and Martha do that mess with the soldiers' heads, which shows them negatively, although you can't really blame them. They were just finding each other. It was a shame that they had such a negative presence in some areas, but for the most part, they didn't do things on purpose. Linda, aside from being an incredibly sad story, is the best character in the entire book. His story is told to help understand the rest of the book. This helps explain what all the other stories in the book meant to Tim. Linda's story shows how and why Tim coped with the death he experienced during the war. Linda ended up helping Tim without even realizing it, thanks to his love for her, she helped him cope with death and write an incredible book..