The AP English Language and Composition course is designed to enable students to become skilled readers and writers in diverse genres and modes of composition. As stated in the Advanced Placement Course Description, the purpose of the Language and Composition course is “to enable students to read complex texts with understanding and to write papers of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers” (The College Board, May 2007, May 2008, p.6).
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Things They Carried 3 Questions 3 Observations
Friday,
Post your 3 questions and 3 observations as comments here for the class.
1 i noticed how martha gave jimmy a new picture and told him not to burn it this time.The burning of the picture represented forgetting martha and with her telling him not to burn it meant her telling him to not forget her. 2. The author talks alot about carry alot of weight during war and then when he starts talking about martha, theres a change in mood, war= weight and pressure home= light happy. 3. Canada... He will be away from war if he goes but he will lose his past, he will go to war if he doesnt go to canada so he still loses everything there really isnt a third choice for him. linh truong
Questions: 1. Why did Tim decide to go to the war instead of Canada? 2. Why does Jimmy blame himself for Ted Lavendar's death? 3. Why doesn't Martha love Jimmy?
Observations: 1. I enjoyed the pages when Tim is deciding whether to go to war or not and all the important people in his life are standing on the banks of the river. 2. It was benefical to hear some of the stories from the war that weren't so gory. 3. I didn't know soldiers were allowed to use drugs during the war.
This book is getting more and more though provoking each time I open a page and dive in. It truly has the emotional value to move me. Even so, I still have some questions and comments about the book!
Question 1: What prevented Tim from actually crossing into Canada? Surely there are many reasons…
Question 2: What effect did Elroy have on Tim during his stay?
Question 3: If you were in Tim’s shoes, would you have make the same decisions?
Observation 1: It was very thought-provoking as Tim saw his entire past, present, and future on the shores of America as he approached Canada. Was he really to give up his destiny; his life in this world to start another?
I hope society would be more tolerant of those who did not wish to fight in such a war if the problem of a draft came up again.
And I just can’t help to wonder why the soldiers feel the need to show such cruelty to animals. Perhaps they feel as if they have no control over their own lives, and wish to have power over another. Innocent things must die because they take the role of God into their own hands, and use this power to make seemingly disturbing decisions.
Questions: What are ways to avoid or get out of the draft?
How soon after the draft notice do you have to respond or report for duty?
How much of O'Brien's writing at this point is true, and how much of it is a compilation of Noble Truths?
And: What would YOU do if you were drafted? and I realize many of the people in our class said without hesitation that they would get pregnant. But honestly is that the right decision, because as soon as you have that child it would be sent to live with your relative and then you would be sent to war. So really would that be the best choice to make, having extra things to leave behind, but delaying your time in war a bit... I'm not sure.
Observations: I really liked areas such as pg 41 when O'Brien says "Knowledge, of course, is laways imperfect, but it seemed to me that when a nation goes to war it must have reasonable confidence in the justice and imperative of its cause. You can't fix your mistakes. Once people are dead, you can't make them undead." I felt that the understanding and thoughts that were provoked by not only me, the reader, but also by O'Brien were very remarkable. His writing made me think more about war, the purpose of it, and the shame or guilt one must have after killing someone or making a life changing decision or act.
Another section that I found to be very deep writing was pg 44-45 in which O'Brien discusses the pros and cons, the fears and embarrassments he faces as he makes a huge decision of escaping his duty toward his country or not.
I really liked the way that Elroy, the old man, played a small but very significant role in the story. He seemed to be an intimidating person for O'Brien even though he didn't really say or do much, he just was and silently made O'Brien fully think through his decisions and think through his reasoning for everything he was choosing to do.
Questions: 1) In his speech Tim said he did not like abstractions and that writing should be concise. Page 17 and a bit of 18 however is quite abstract. What does he mean by "Like cement, Kiowa whispered in the dark. I swear to God-boom, down. Not a word." What does he mean by things like this?? Anyone keen on what he's describing? 2) What are pappa-sans and mamma-sans? 3) I have to say, I'm still confused on the whole shooting stray puppy out of cannon thing. Why did that man do that? Is this significant about the soldiers' emotions?
Observations: 1) The way the choice between doing what you're supposed to and doing what is right is told in a really interesting way through the perspective of a drafted man. 2) Tim has some very strong ideas that come back every once in a while. My favorite right now is "they were too frightened to be cowards." 3) When Tim wants to make a powerful statement he shortens paragraphs to 1 or 2 sentences.
Questions 1. What would I do if I was in Tim's position? 2. How did the old man know how to get them through the mine field? 3. Why do men always feel that they have to be ontop of things, that is is wrong for them to feel "weak" emotions?
Observations 1. I was shocked when I read about the man who blew up the puppy, with his excuse being "...I'm just a boy." I don't see how anyone could do that to something as innocent as a puppy, no matter what situation they were in. 2. Elroy is a interesting person. His actions make me wonder what was going through his head while Tim was staying with him. 3. Tim's job at the meatpacking plant was disgusting. It reinforces my reasoning for being a vegetarian.
Questions: 1. How would you react in the same situation? 2. How did they pick the things to bring with them that were the most valuable? 3. How did the experience change who they are as people?
Observations: 1. The author uses juxtaposition to help describe something in a way that makes perfect sense, even though the words don't normally go together. 2.The author uses a lot of short sentences for impact. 3.The characters are forced to do things that they would never want to do, just because of the situation they are in and their need to surive.
Questions: 1) Does Elroy have a role later in the novel?
2) How long would someone that was drafted be kept in Vietnam, and how long would someone that enlisted be kept?
3) What is O'Brien's purpose in writing the first chapter about Jimmy Cross, but having the rest of the book (so far) be about him?
From the observatory: 1) The river plays a role as a physical barrier, as well as a symbolic barrier. It splits Tim's past and his potential future. Had he just driven across the border at a different place on land, he might've just gone right through, without having to make such a difficult decision.
2) O'Brien never explains why he thinks his family would be upset with his decision to flee instead of fight. I would support whatever decision my son/daughter made, and would even him/her to avoid the draft, somehow.
3) O'Brien is confused as to the nature of the war, going into it. This shows the rich-man's-war, poor-man's-fight kind of deal that happened to those who were drafted. Though he isn't necessarily poor, he is an average guy being forced to fight for his government and its war, and not his own. At one point he writes that he thinks those in favor of it should be forced to go by law, but he never touches on it again. I find it surprising that he doesn't emphasize the fact that it is not his war for a longer period of time, and does not use that as justification for escaping to Canada.
1. Why did O'Brien feel the need to tell this story at this particular point in his life, and what exactly is he trying to communicate?
2. What does he mean when he writes, "a place where your life exists before you live it?"
3. How did he choose what the important things to put in this book were? How did he remember all of this so vividly? How much is skewed?
1. I love O'Brien's writing style. It seems personal and honest. When he elaborates or adds lots of detail, it is always for a purpose and not just for the sake of language.
2. The beginning section is very powerful in describing the things they carried, but I want to see where this theme goes as the book progresses.
3. I found Elroy to be very God-like, as O'Brien mentions. It was as if he was more of a symbol than a person. His role in the story was necessary for O'Brien to do what came next, even if it wasn't necessarily the "right" thing.
Questions 1. What is up with Martha? What is her deal? 2. How do you decide what to bring with you into the Army, or into a war zone? 3. Can you just say you're a pacifist and be automatically exempt from the draft?
Observations 1. I noticed that O'Brien gives you the gory details of war, but in a way that makes you want to continue reading, not stop. 2. I didn't realize there wasn't any system for regulating/keeping drugs out of Vietnam. 3. I realized that you have to numb yourself to everything that's going on around you. Like that guy singing while peeling his comrade off a tree.
1. Why does O'Brien choose "The Things They Carried" as a title for his book? Why is this title more significant than the titles of the other short stories?
2. What prevents Martha from loving Jimmy Cross?
3. How would it be if the buffalo Rat Kiley killed was full-grown, not a baby? Would we feel the same sympathy and horror?
Observations:
1. The scene in "On the Rainy River" when O'Brien sees his past and future on the riverbanks reminds me of Henry in The Time Traveler's Wife. In both stories, the character can look ahead (literally or figuratively) to see the consequences of his/her actions.
2.I remembered that in "How to Tell a True War Story" that O'Brien describes Dave Jensen singing a song called "Lemon Tree" as he helped to remove Curt Lemon's body from the tree. So I did a little Google-ing, and found the lyrics to "Lemon Tree" because I thought they might have some sort of message. Here's the chorus:
"Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat."
Significant?
3. This line in particular struck me: "In many cases a true war story cannot be believed. If you believe it, be skeptical." (page 71) This seems contradictory at first, but oddly makes sense. You don't need to believe something word for word, but often the war story only needs to convey an true idea, not a true event.
Questions 1. Why does Jimmy Cross love Martha so deeply? And why doesn't she love him back? 2. Would reading this book decrease the number of those enlisting in the army? 3. How much of these stories are true? Dow we know at all? Will we ever know?
Observations 1. To me O'Brien's writing is very deep. It's simple but it hits you in the pit of your stomache. I find it fascinating the way O'Brien controls hiw writing and how it will effect the reader.
2.I find myself sometimes hoping that none of this is true yet when I read it and think that none of it is true I feel betrayed and doubtful. How do we know what's the truth? What do we believe?
3. I am intrigued by O'Briens stories. His writing keeps me engaged which can be hard sometimes with a story about war. His stories are interesting and really portray the way the soldiers felt.
Questions 1. Was Martha sexually assaulted and is that why she seems to be uninterested and offended by men? 2. Is there anything at all true in this story? 3. What ultimately made Tim decide not to go to Canada?
Observations 1. O'Brien's writing is so simple but has so much meaning. He doesn't try to "sugar coat" things as he said in his speech. 2. I find the entire depiction of war to be so disturbingly real and it is obvious that O'Brien had been there himself. 3. I find this to be a really important book to be reading considering that we have troops in Iraq. It puts war into perspective for me.
He stepped off the trail a few meters with his rifle and his E-tool to take a shit when he tripped what must have been a booby-trapped bomb or artillery shell.
One moment he was alive with a gut cramp and diarrhea, the next instant he was vaporized.
When his remains were collected by his buddies and placed in a poncho, his squad leader carried him back to the LZ- his rifle in one hand, the poncho in the other like a bag of dirty socks.
And so it all came down to this.
Soon his mother would receive the "body" of her son who had left home three months before as a 170-pound Marine and whose remains now weighted less than the baby boy she had brought into this world just eighteen years before.
questions 1.How was the girl allowed to stay with the platoon? why wasnt she kicked out? 2.how come kurt lemon's sister never responded to his letter? 3.Why did Cross continue to love martha, even after he learned that she would never love him back?
observations 1. The part when O'Brien wanted to go to Canada was very powerful, and his relationship between him and Elroy was exactly what he needed to realize that he should go to war because he did not pry. 2. Throughout their time in Vietnam, the soldiers formed a strong bond, and when the two men get in a fight it seems to totally disrupt their ways and flow of how they work together. 3. O'Brien uses very blunt and short statements to get his point across about how intense it was for them, but uses more discriptive language when he talks about the soldiers having down time.
1) How much in The Things They Carried is fiction and how much is the truth?
2)How can the soldiers not be effected by death in more extreme ways?
3)How many soldiers committed suicide after the Vietnam war?
I notice how although the death of other soldiers effected the soldiers they maintain a level of distance from their emotions. Mostly when the soldier's death is horrid, the other soldiers clean up the body and move on with out words.
The way O'Brien writes is powerful and seems to be made to make his point across. He uses powerful short sentences and repeats details about what he is trying to explain. Like when Tim killed the man, O'Brien keeps explaining the way he looks. He keeps repeating the details.
Some of the war stories seem not very realistic. Although i have never experienced any thing like war. But some of O'Brien's stories seem to do a little intense and not likely to happen.
Questions 1. at the beginnging of the book as well as in the middle O'brien changes to third person. At the the beginning i was unsure if i had simply misread the entire first chapter. eventually i realized that it wasnt my mistake but the authors choice. My question is why does O'Brien do this? 2. what from the book actually comes from personal life experiences? 3. why does O'Brien talk about the kid he kills as if he knew him personally?
observations: 1. the books clear descriptive ideas give the reader feels that sent shivers down my back after i read them. 2. Obrien's style of speaking directly to the audience is interesting and sets a different feel in the book than in many others. 3. In the book when O'Brien talks about notes for the book within the book i felt somewhat confused. books are supposed to be stone and done not with parts that were added in mid publication or whenever they were added...
Questions: 1. Why is it that the soldiers are obsessed with the art of storytelling? 2. Why doesn't O'Brien just tell the straight truth and not decorate it with so many odd details? 3. Why is it that the soldiers are so heartless?
Observations: 1. O'Brien really enjoys using different forms of repetition. 2. Although I am really annoyed by the fact that I do not want to read about the war, and I do not care about how Kiowa carries his illustrated New Testament bible everywhere, I enjoy reading O'Brien's short stories. His writing is just amazing and I'm really trying to mimic both him and Anne Michaels in my Fugitive Peices story. 3. O'Brien's sentence variation is really effectie. The short sentences speed up the reading, but when the complex ones come back I am forced to once again, really take in and examine his writing.
3 observations 1. they treated Ted Lavender's death as if it was normal and nothing ws wrong (to them it was pretty much a joke.) 2. i am intrigued by kiowa's character.i feel like something diffrentiates him from the other soldiers. 3. Tim O'brien tells the story from his POV but doesn't go in depth of his character as much as everyone elses.
3 Questions
1. why is Lieutenant Cross so in love with Martha? 2. why are there so many references to animal cruelty in war? perhaps to promote a theme of savagry? 3. do most people in war die a quick death or a slow and painful death?
3 observations
ReplyDelete1 i noticed how martha gave jimmy a new picture and told him not to burn it this time.The burning of the picture represented forgetting martha and with her telling him not to burn it meant her telling him to not forget her.
2. The author talks alot about carry alot of weight during war and then when he starts talking about martha, theres a change in mood, war= weight and pressure home= light happy.
3. Canada... He will be away from war if he goes but he will lose his past, he will go to war if he doesnt go to canada so he still loses everything there really isnt a third choice for him. linh truong
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. Why did Tim decide to go to the war instead of Canada?
2. Why does Jimmy blame himself for Ted Lavendar's death?
3. Why doesn't Martha love Jimmy?
Observations:
1. I enjoyed the pages when Tim is deciding whether to go to war or not and all the important people in his life are standing on the banks of the river.
2. It was benefical to hear some of the stories from the war that weren't so gory.
3. I didn't know soldiers were allowed to use drugs during the war.
This book is getting more and more though provoking each time I open a page and dive in. It truly has the emotional value to move me. Even so, I still have some questions and comments about the book!
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1: What prevented Tim from actually crossing into Canada? Surely there are many reasons…
Question 2: What effect did Elroy have on Tim during his stay?
Question 3: If you were in Tim’s shoes, would you have make the same decisions?
Observation 1: It was very thought-provoking as Tim saw his entire past, present, and future on the shores of America as he approached Canada. Was he really to give up his destiny; his life in this world to start another?
I hope society would be more tolerant of those who did not wish to fight in such a war if the problem of a draft came up again.
And I just can’t help to wonder why the soldiers feel the need to show such cruelty to animals. Perhaps they feel as if they have no control over their own lives, and wish to have power over another. Innocent things must die because they take the role of God into their own hands, and use this power to make seemingly disturbing decisions.
Questions:
ReplyDeleteWhat are ways to avoid or get out of the draft?
How soon after the draft notice do you have to respond or report for duty?
How much of O'Brien's writing at this point is true, and how much of it is a compilation of Noble Truths?
And: What would YOU do if you were drafted?
and I realize many of the people in our class said without hesitation that they would get pregnant. But honestly is that the right decision, because as soon as you have that child it would be sent to live with your relative and then you would be sent to war. So really would that be the best choice to make, having extra things to leave behind, but delaying your time in war a bit... I'm not sure.
Observations:
I really liked areas such as pg 41 when O'Brien says "Knowledge, of course, is laways imperfect, but it seemed to me that when a nation goes to war it must have reasonable confidence in the justice and imperative of its cause. You can't fix your mistakes. Once people are dead, you can't make them undead." I felt that the understanding and thoughts that were provoked by not only me, the reader, but also by O'Brien were very remarkable. His writing made me think more about war, the purpose of it, and the shame or guilt one must have after killing someone or making a life changing decision or act.
Another section that I found to be very deep writing was pg 44-45 in which O'Brien discusses the pros and cons, the fears and embarrassments he faces as he makes a huge decision of escaping his duty toward his country or not.
I really liked the way that Elroy, the old man, played a small but very significant role in the story. He seemed to be an intimidating person for O'Brien even though he didn't really say or do much, he just was and silently made O'Brien fully think through his decisions and think through his reasoning for everything he was choosing to do.
this is sara dill by the way
Just a test to see what it is I need to do to post comments...please ignore this post...
ReplyDelete-megan g.
yay! post!
ReplyDeleteHokay so.
Questions:
1) In his speech Tim said he did not like abstractions and that writing should be concise. Page 17 and a bit of 18 however is quite abstract. What does he mean by "Like cement, Kiowa whispered in the dark. I swear to God-boom, down. Not a word." What does he mean by things like this?? Anyone keen on what he's describing?
2) What are pappa-sans and mamma-sans?
3) I have to say, I'm still confused on the whole shooting stray puppy out of cannon thing. Why did that man do that? Is this significant about the soldiers' emotions?
Observations:
1) The way the choice between doing what you're supposed to and doing what is right is told in a really interesting way through the perspective of a drafted man.
2) Tim has some very strong ideas that come back every once in a while. My favorite right now is "they were too frightened to be cowards."
3) When Tim wants to make a powerful statement he shortens paragraphs to 1 or 2 sentences.
-meg gilfoy
Questions
ReplyDelete1. What would I do if I was in Tim's position?
2. How did the old man know how to get them through the mine field?
3. Why do men always feel that they have to be ontop of things, that is is wrong for them to feel "weak" emotions?
Observations
1. I was shocked when I read about the man who blew up the puppy, with his excuse being "...I'm just a boy." I don't see how anyone could do that to something as innocent as a puppy, no matter what situation they were in.
2. Elroy is a interesting person. His actions make me wonder what was going through his head while Tim was staying with him.
3. Tim's job at the meatpacking plant was disgusting. It reinforces my reasoning for being a vegetarian.
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. How would you react in the same situation?
2. How did they pick the things to bring with them that were the most valuable?
3. How did the experience change who they are as people?
Observations:
1. The author uses juxtaposition to help describe something in a way that makes perfect sense, even though the words don't normally go together.
2.The author uses a lot of short sentences for impact.
3.The characters are forced to do things that they would never want to do, just because of the situation they are in and their need to surive.
Questions:
ReplyDelete1) Does Elroy have a role later in the novel?
2) How long would someone that was drafted be kept in Vietnam, and how long would someone that enlisted be kept?
3) What is O'Brien's purpose in writing the first chapter about Jimmy Cross, but having the rest of the book (so far) be about him?
From the observatory:
1) The river plays a role as a physical barrier, as well as a symbolic barrier. It splits Tim's past and his potential future. Had he just driven across the border at a different place on land, he might've just gone right through, without having to make such a difficult decision.
2) O'Brien never explains why he thinks his family would be upset with his decision to flee instead of fight. I would support whatever decision my son/daughter made, and would even him/her to avoid the draft, somehow.
3) O'Brien is confused as to the nature of the war, going into it. This shows the rich-man's-war, poor-man's-fight kind of deal that happened to those who were drafted. Though he isn't necessarily poor, he is an average guy being forced to fight for his government and its war, and not his own. At one point he
writes that he thinks those in favor of it should be forced to go by law, but he never touches on it again. I find it surprising that he doesn't emphasize the fact that it is not his war for a longer period of time, and does not use that as justification for escaping to Canada.
David Markakis
1. Why did O'Brien feel the need to tell this story at this particular point in his life, and what exactly is he trying to communicate?
ReplyDelete2. What does he mean when he writes, "a place where your life exists before you live it?"
3. How did he choose what the important things to put in this book were? How did he remember all of this so vividly? How much is skewed?
1. I love O'Brien's writing style. It seems personal and honest. When he elaborates or adds lots of detail, it is always for a purpose and not just for the sake of language.
2. The beginning section is very powerful in describing the things they carried, but I want to see where this theme goes as the book progresses.
3. I found Elroy to be very God-like, as O'Brien mentions. It was as if he was more of a symbol than a person. His role in the story was necessary for O'Brien to do what came next, even if it wasn't necessarily the "right" thing.
Questions
ReplyDelete1. What is up with Martha? What is her deal?
2. How do you decide what to bring with you into the Army, or into a war zone?
3. Can you just say you're a pacifist and be automatically exempt from the draft?
Observations
1. I noticed that O'Brien gives you the gory details of war, but in a way that makes you want to continue reading, not stop.
2. I didn't realize there wasn't any system for regulating/keeping drugs out of Vietnam.
3. I realized that you have to numb yourself to everything that's going on around you. Like that guy singing while peeling his comrade off a tree.
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. Why does O'Brien choose "The Things They Carried" as a title for his book? Why is this title more significant than the titles of the other short stories?
2. What prevents Martha from loving Jimmy Cross?
3. How would it be if the buffalo Rat Kiley killed was full-grown, not a baby? Would we feel the same sympathy and horror?
Observations:
1. The scene in "On the Rainy River" when O'Brien sees his past and future on the riverbanks reminds me of Henry in The Time Traveler's Wife. In both stories, the character can look ahead (literally or figuratively) to see the consequences of his/her actions.
2.I remembered that in "How to Tell a True War Story" that O'Brien describes Dave Jensen singing a song called "Lemon Tree" as he helped to remove Curt Lemon's body from the tree. So I did a little Google-ing, and found the lyrics to "Lemon Tree" because I thought they might have some sort of message. Here's the chorus:
"Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat."
Significant?
3. This line in particular struck me: "In many cases a true war story cannot be believed. If you believe it, be skeptical." (page 71) This seems contradictory at first, but oddly makes sense. You don't need to believe something word for word, but often the war story only needs to convey an true idea, not a true event.
Your comments and questions so far are wonderful. Let's discuss some of them in class tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteMs. Gamzon
Questions
ReplyDelete1. Why does Jimmy Cross love Martha so deeply? And why doesn't she love him back?
2. Would reading this book decrease the number of those enlisting in the army?
3. How much of these stories are true? Dow we know at all? Will we ever know?
Observations
1. To me O'Brien's writing is very deep. It's simple but it hits you in the pit of your stomache. I find it fascinating the way O'Brien controls hiw writing and how it will effect the reader.
2.I find myself sometimes hoping that none of this is true yet when I read it and think that none of it is true I feel betrayed and doubtful. How do we know what's the truth? What do we believe?
3. I am intrigued by O'Briens stories. His writing keeps me engaged which can be hard sometimes with a story about war. His stories are interesting and really portray the way the soldiers felt.
Questions
ReplyDelete1. Was Martha sexually assaulted and is that why she seems to be uninterested and offended by men?
2. Is there anything at all true in this story?
3. What ultimately made Tim decide not to go to Canada?
Observations
1. O'Brien's writing is so simple but has so much meaning. He doesn't try to "sugar coat" things as he said in his speech.
2. I find the entire depiction of war to be so disturbingly real and it is obvious that O'Brien had been there himself.
3. I find this to be a really important book to be reading considering that we have troops in Iraq. It puts war into perspective for me.
Remind you of Curt Lemon's death?
ReplyDeleteHe stepped off the trail
a few meters
with his rifle and his E-tool
to take a shit
when he tripped
what must have been a booby-trapped
bomb or artillery shell.
One moment he was alive
with a gut cramp and diarrhea,
the next instant
he was vaporized.
When his remains were collected
by his buddies
and placed in a poncho,
his squad leader carried him back to the LZ-
his rifle in one hand,
the poncho in the other
like a bag of dirty socks.
And so it all came down to this.
Soon his mother would receive
the "body" of her son
who had left home
three months before
as a 170-pound Marine
and whose remains now weighted less
than the baby boy
she had brought into this world
just eighteen years before.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
copyright © 1996 by John Musgrave, from his book "Under a Flare-lit Sky: Vietnam Poems," all rights reserved.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. Did O'Brien write each short story separately or with a novel in mind?
2. Why all the jumps from person to person?
3. How much is based on actual experience?
Observations:
ReplyDelete1. O'Brien often directly adresses the audience, which I think only works sometimes.
2. Every chapter is disjointed, seperate from others, but at the same time certain events keep popping up, like Curt Lemon's death
3. The first chapter focuses on Lt Cross, and then he sort of fades out of the narrative.
questions
ReplyDelete1.How was the girl allowed to stay with the platoon? why wasnt she kicked out?
2.how come kurt lemon's sister never responded to his letter?
3.Why did Cross continue to love martha, even after he learned that she would never love him back?
observations
1. The part when O'Brien wanted to go to Canada was very powerful, and his relationship between him and Elroy was exactly what he needed to realize that he should go to war because he did not pry.
2. Throughout their time in Vietnam, the soldiers formed a strong bond, and when the two men get in a fight it seems to totally disrupt their ways and flow of how they work together.
3. O'Brien uses very blunt and short statements to get his point across about how intense it was for them, but uses more discriptive language when he talks about the soldiers having down time.
1) How much in The Things They Carried is fiction and how much is the truth?
ReplyDelete2)How can the soldiers not be effected by death in more extreme ways?
3)How many soldiers committed suicide after the Vietnam war?
I notice how although the death of other soldiers effected the soldiers they maintain a level of distance from their emotions. Mostly when the soldier's death is horrid, the other soldiers clean up the body and move on with out words.
The way O'Brien writes is powerful and seems to be made to make his point across. He uses powerful short sentences and repeats details about what he is trying to explain. Like when Tim killed the man, O'Brien keeps explaining the way he looks. He keeps repeating the details.
Some of the war stories seem not very realistic. Although i have never experienced any thing like war. But some of O'Brien's stories seem to do a little intense and not likely to happen.
Questions
ReplyDelete1. at the beginnging of the book as well as in the middle O'brien changes to third person. At the the beginning i was unsure if i had simply misread the entire first chapter. eventually i realized that it wasnt my mistake but the authors choice. My question is why does O'Brien do this?
2. what from the book actually comes from personal life experiences?
3. why does O'Brien talk about the kid he kills as if he knew him personally?
observations:
1. the books clear descriptive ideas give the reader feels that sent shivers down my back after i read them.
2. Obrien's style of speaking directly to the audience is interesting and sets a different feel in the book than in many others.
3. In the book when O'Brien talks about notes for the book within the book i felt somewhat confused. books are supposed to be stone and done not with parts that were added in mid publication or whenever they were added...
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. Why is it that the soldiers are obsessed with the art of storytelling?
2. Why doesn't O'Brien just tell the straight truth and not decorate it with so many odd details?
3. Why is it that the soldiers are so heartless?
Observations:
1. O'Brien really enjoys using different forms of repetition.
2. Although I am really annoyed by the fact that I do not want to read about the war, and I do not care about how Kiowa carries his illustrated New Testament bible everywhere, I enjoy reading O'Brien's short stories. His writing is just amazing and I'm really trying to mimic both him and Anne Michaels in my Fugitive Peices story.
3. O'Brien's sentence variation is really effectie. The short sentences speed up the reading, but when the complex ones come back I am forced to once again, really take in and examine his writing.
Nautica Lawrence
ReplyDelete3 observations
1. they treated Ted Lavender's death as if it was normal and nothing ws wrong (to them it was pretty much a joke.)
2. i am intrigued by kiowa's character.i feel like something diffrentiates him from the other soldiers.
3. Tim O'brien tells the story from his POV but doesn't go in depth of his character as much as everyone elses.
3 Questions
1. why is Lieutenant Cross so in love with Martha?
2. why are there so many references to animal cruelty in war? perhaps to promote a theme of savagry?
3. do most people in war die a quick death or a slow and painful death?