Our narrator is Tim O'Brien, an 21 year old who was unlucky enough to be drafted into the pointless Vietnam War. He was the average American 21 year old who was trying to get into college and get through a job. He enters the war terrified; so terrified in fact, that he tried to escape to Canada to flee the draft. He meets a man, Elroy Berdahl, who changes his whole outlook. He explains it on page 54, how it felt, "Would you think about your family and your childhood and your dreams and all you're leaving behind? Would it hurt? Would it feel like dying? Would you cry, as I did" (O'Brien)? Inside O'Brien was torn with a decision. Elroy knew what O'Brien was doing near the border and had planned to get him across, but Tim could never bring himself to do it because of the shame he felt and the shame he feels he would bring to his community. Yet he also doesn't want to go to war and die. He wants to be strong and make his own decision, but instead he believes his cowardice made him go to the war. However, I disagree, O'Brien was a great person and I thought of him as a great person throughout the entire book. He was capable of being sensitive and morbidly honest, and the only reason the readers can understand the suffering of war is because of him. His fate of being drafted provided him with the knowledge to realize what each soldier goes through in each war. O'Brien also possessed the strength to grit his teeth and push through the war.
O'Brien also experienced many tragedies in war and life. When he was a boy he lost his friend Linda and developed a coping strategy. Then he experienced the deaths of Ted Lavender, Curt Lemon, and the man he killed. He developed coping methods for the tragedies he witnessed. One is his book writing, he only writes war stories, according to his daughter. He states, " But this too is true: stories can save us. I'm forty three years old, and a writer now, and even still, right here, I keep dreaming Linda alive. And Ted Lavender, too, and Kiowa, and Curt Lemon..."(O'Brien 213). He admits his book writing can't cope with everything. His whole experience he hoped never happened but yet he was part of something that no one else can explain to us. He showed us on page 213-215 when they killed that old man, how some people react to creepy, deathly, incapable things. Tim showed us a world that is repressed by many and not explained at its full capacity. The realistic ways of coping with the dead.
Tim O'Brien, our narrator and author chose himself because it was his story. He tells us a true war story that has none of the heroic "BS" that the other stories possess. O'Brien wanted everyone to catch the morbid reality that was his life. O'Brien says," If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie" (65). His perspective is true but in his own way. He may not be exactly precise, there may be some exaggerated truth, but it's truth. That is how the narrator's perspective changes the story. There is more detail and dimension to every morbid reality in the war.
My opinion of the narrator is true to him. He is a special human thrown into hell on Earth. O'Brien's capability of looking at everything and then showing the world through words is terrifyingly beautiful. He was able to tell us about a terrifyingly beautiful thing: war. War is terrifying, destructive, and ecstatic. O'Brien is still a good person because of his ability to tell the world of the atrocities that humans can commit against each other. He realized instead of violently beating his family or being a drunk, he could deal with his trauma through books and writing. He used his experience for good and to help the world be a better place.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Danny Schultz final blog post
Tim O'Brien is a narrator that really goes in depth with his novels. He writes a lot of war related books that show us the true meaning of what the life of being in "war" is like. The quote "It's safe to say that in a true war story nothing is ever absolutely true" (O'Brien 82). He shows us what it truly means to experience war and how to go through it, the narrator really analyzes his analysis on the book and shows us that no matter what happens no one will truly know what war is like until you have been through it first hand like O'Brien. Tim O'Brien is the type of author that uses very descriptive words to really captivate our minds and show us that we are watching the soldiers firsthand, he draws us in and shows us and when you are reading the book it doesn't sound like you're reading it feel like you're really there watching the soldiers go through the things that they are going through.
At first I really didn't think too much about O'Brien he was a great author in narrator, but once I started really reading it O'Brien shows us that matt at first I really didn't think too much about O'Brien he was a great author in narrator, but once I started really reading it O'Brien shows us that he has experienced these things, and understands what it is like. This book honestly could not be written by anyone else except someone who has gone through war. The book has things that O'Brien personally has seen, and no one else has. Yes, my opinion of him as changed, I really like the way the book is written out, and has O'Brien being the author and the narrator. The book has a unique approach too it and I like that he took such a risk being the author and narrator. I think that's what made the book so special.
I think O'Brien chose himself to be the narrator is, so he could tell the novel the way he envisioned it would always be, I think since he is the narrator in the author the story really changes because he is the one telling us everything that the soldiers have been going through I think Jimmy Cross going through the things that he has went through is part of O'Brien, I think O'Brien has part of Jimmy Cross and him and I think that's why he such a powerful character because he can relate to him firsthand that may not be the case, but in my opinion I think that's what it means to O'Brien. He is the narrator and the author and he can develop the characters more since he is the one telling the story. I think this adds uniqueness and specialty, O'Brien does something different than what most people do and I think war changes people and I think that's why it is s I think this adds uniqueness and specialty, O'Brien does something different than what most people do and I think war changes people and I think that's why he is the one telling it, because it adds so much to the story since he is a veteran writing a war story.
"Once you're alive, you can never be dead"(O'Brien 244). This quote used by O'Brien is so much more than what is on the surface. He is trying to covey to us that since you have lived the life you have lived, nothing can ever kill you, because you made you're mark on the world. When he writes about all of the soldiers, especially Jimmy Cross he is saying no matter what happens to them in battle, they have lived a strong heartfelt life and they are the ones fighting for our country, they lay their own lives out on the battlefield and do not expect anything from anyone. O'Brien is a type of author that does show true meaning in war and life in general. He sends a message saying to never give up because you have made the mark on the world that everyone will remember. I truly like him as an author and after reading this book he showed me so much about what really goes on in war, he shows us that the little things matter to the soldiers and I think that's what really sets me apart from the rest is because he as little detail in this novel. He is an exceptional writer and really captivates you're emotion right off the bat and keeps it until the end!
-Danny
At first I really didn't think too much about O'Brien he was a great author in narrator, but once I started really reading it O'Brien shows us that matt at first I really didn't think too much about O'Brien he was a great author in narrator, but once I started really reading it O'Brien shows us that he has experienced these things, and understands what it is like. This book honestly could not be written by anyone else except someone who has gone through war. The book has things that O'Brien personally has seen, and no one else has. Yes, my opinion of him as changed, I really like the way the book is written out, and has O'Brien being the author and the narrator. The book has a unique approach too it and I like that he took such a risk being the author and narrator. I think that's what made the book so special.
I think O'Brien chose himself to be the narrator is, so he could tell the novel the way he envisioned it would always be, I think since he is the narrator in the author the story really changes because he is the one telling us everything that the soldiers have been going through I think Jimmy Cross going through the things that he has went through is part of O'Brien, I think O'Brien has part of Jimmy Cross and him and I think that's why he such a powerful character because he can relate to him firsthand that may not be the case, but in my opinion I think that's what it means to O'Brien. He is the narrator and the author and he can develop the characters more since he is the one telling the story. I think this adds uniqueness and specialty, O'Brien does something different than what most people do and I think war changes people and I think that's why it is s I think this adds uniqueness and specialty, O'Brien does something different than what most people do and I think war changes people and I think that's why he is the one telling it, because it adds so much to the story since he is a veteran writing a war story.
"Once you're alive, you can never be dead"(O'Brien 244). This quote used by O'Brien is so much more than what is on the surface. He is trying to covey to us that since you have lived the life you have lived, nothing can ever kill you, because you made you're mark on the world. When he writes about all of the soldiers, especially Jimmy Cross he is saying no matter what happens to them in battle, they have lived a strong heartfelt life and they are the ones fighting for our country, they lay their own lives out on the battlefield and do not expect anything from anyone. O'Brien is a type of author that does show true meaning in war and life in general. He sends a message saying to never give up because you have made the mark on the world that everyone will remember. I truly like him as an author and after reading this book he showed me so much about what really goes on in war, he shows us that the little things matter to the soldiers and I think that's what really sets me apart from the rest is because he as little detail in this novel. He is an exceptional writer and really captivates you're emotion right off the bat and keeps it until the end!
-Danny
sydney derrow final blog post
Sydney Derrow
Final Blog Post
My narrator of "The Things They Carried", Tim O’Brien, is an 21 year old man that got drafted in the Vietnam War. He enters the war a scared young man afraid of the shame that dodging the war would bring him and leaves the war a guilt-ridden middle-aged man who tells stories about Vietnam in order to cope with his painful memories. “And sometimes remembering will lead to a story, which makes it forever. That's what stories are for. Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for those late hours in the night when you can't remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story” (O’Brien 36). This quote shows the significance of the stories he tells. It's a way for O'Brien to cope, yet it's for everyone to remember the soldiers that were invloved in the war. Only the soldiers that were actually in the war would know what happened during those times. These stories mean a lot to O'Brien. It's what kep him sane more than half of the book.
Tim was very hesitant when it came down to going to the war. He was contemplating on whether he should go to Vietnam or run off to Canada. “I survived, but it's not a happy ending. I was a coward. I went to the war” (O’Brien 58). Usually, you'd think that cowards run from the war, but O'Brien calls himself out for going in the first place. He let his shame and fear win out over his principles. For O'Brien, the strong thing to do would have been to run away from the war and bear the censure. Instead, he was weak. I think of Tim O’Brien as a strong, independent man that suffices to everything that goes on in his life. He seems to adapt naturally to a lot of stressful situations. My opinion of Tim O’Brien was consistent throughout the story. He seemed like a genuine human being. He had the feelings and reactions as everyone would have in the war, may a little better than usual. He never sugar coated anything throughout the story. Everything he described was gritty and realistic.
The narrator, Tim O'Brien, is the author of the book. He told his side of the story, and gave people the thoughts of what he went through in Vietnam. He basically gave the readers and inside look of the hardships, deaths, and skin crawling memories he saw while serving his country. "He was a slim, dead, almost dainty young man of about twenty. He lay with one leg bent beneath him, his jaw in his throat, his face neither expressive nor inexpressive. One eye was shut. The other was a star-shaped hole" (O'Brien 124). That quote explains some of the gory deaths he's seen. That could easily scar someone for life, especially explaining that dead young man with so much detail. He's seen severeal more deaths, and explaing what he saw just proves to the readers he's been through a lot. Tim’s perspective of the story shows the readers that not everything is what it seems to be. This perspective gives more depth and understanding to the readers.
Along with that, O'Brien keeps the readers involved and wanting to know more about the sufferings these men overcame. “War is hell, but that's not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead (O’Brien 76). He says this to explain the good and bad of the war, but the bad definitely outweighs the good. The deaths, terrible weather, mind-boggling situations of them not knowing what to actually do, and constant terror blows my mind. I couldn’t imagine myself going through the things O’Brien and his men did.
Tim was very hesitant when it came down to going to the war. He was contemplating on whether he should go to Vietnam or run off to Canada. “I survived, but it's not a happy ending. I was a coward. I went to the war” (O’Brien 58). Usually, you'd think that cowards run from the war, but O'Brien calls himself out for going in the first place. He let his shame and fear win out over his principles. For O'Brien, the strong thing to do would have been to run away from the war and bear the censure. Instead, he was weak. I think of Tim O’Brien as a strong, independent man that suffices to everything that goes on in his life. He seems to adapt naturally to a lot of stressful situations. My opinion of Tim O’Brien was consistent throughout the story. He seemed like a genuine human being. He had the feelings and reactions as everyone would have in the war, may a little better than usual. He never sugar coated anything throughout the story. Everything he described was gritty and realistic.
The narrator, Tim O'Brien, is the author of the book. He told his side of the story, and gave people the thoughts of what he went through in Vietnam. He basically gave the readers and inside look of the hardships, deaths, and skin crawling memories he saw while serving his country. "He was a slim, dead, almost dainty young man of about twenty. He lay with one leg bent beneath him, his jaw in his throat, his face neither expressive nor inexpressive. One eye was shut. The other was a star-shaped hole" (O'Brien 124). That quote explains some of the gory deaths he's seen. That could easily scar someone for life, especially explaining that dead young man with so much detail. He's seen severeal more deaths, and explaing what he saw just proves to the readers he's been through a lot. Tim’s perspective of the story shows the readers that not everything is what it seems to be. This perspective gives more depth and understanding to the readers.
Along with that, O'Brien keeps the readers involved and wanting to know more about the sufferings these men overcame. “War is hell, but that's not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead (O’Brien 76). He says this to explain the good and bad of the war, but the bad definitely outweighs the good. The deaths, terrible weather, mind-boggling situations of them not knowing what to actually do, and constant terror blows my mind. I couldn’t imagine myself going through the things O’Brien and his men did.
Caroline Humphrey Final Blog Post
Caroline Humphrey
The Things They Carried final post
The narrator of The Things They Carried is Tim O'Brien who was a war veteran that began serving when he was just eighteen years old in Vietnam. Some experiences throughout his life completely effected his personality and behaviors. First, when he was a young boy, his best friend, Linda, passed away from cancer, and he began using a coping method to cope with his loss. He would kindle the memory of Linda in his dreams and using this he could keep her with him at all times. O'Brien states, "I'm forty-three years old, and a writer now, and even still, right here, I keep dreaming Linda alive"(213). This interesting form of grieving very much effected the next portion of life that changed him forever.
When O'Brien was drafted for war, he was not exactly keen on the idea of leaving. He was truly scared and nervous, which is expected. He even went as far to consider fleeing the country to Canada to avoid having to go. This is when the idea of Linda is extremely prevalent. I believe that having to cope withWthe loss of her made a huge impact on his life and pained him forever, and so, he did not want to go to war and be around death all the time. He eventually went to Vietnam despite his fears, and those experiences changed the man O'Brien was forever, just like Linda's death did. He continued the same coping method during the war when he keeps his friends like Kiowa alive by writing about them and dreaming about them. My opinion on Tim O'Brien did change a lot throughout the book. When it initially started, I was anxious to learn about his story and motives. Then, when he almost fled the war, I believed he was a tiny bit cowardly. After that incident, my opinion about Tim O'Brien remained constant: this man is truly heroic. While I know O'Brien claims that after a war story you should not have a sense of optimism, I came out of this feeling truly blessed and inspired. This man had a tough beginning of life, and despite that, he still went over to a war to defend our country. Now, he tells the story of his friends and keeps their memories alive, so that they never die. This is so incredibly inspiring. Tim O'Brien is brave, strong, and someone who changes the world with the stories that he tells.
The author of this story is also the narrator. O'Brien chose himself to be the narrator because these are his stories to tell, and he knows that only he can tell them and keep their full integrity. This method is extremely effective. If it would have been some made up author who wasn't actually in the war, the overall intensity and realness would not have been as obvious throughout the novel. The way he tells the story is cryptically sensitive. He uses a perfect blend of harshness, but we can still see a softer side coming through in his writing. The fact that he was there and experiencing it all changes everything. Writing about a time in your life that was not happy or your best time is extremely difficult, but I am glad O'Brien bared the responsibility and had the strength to write about this time to keep his memories alive.
When O'Brien talks about the things soldiers carried in the first part of the book, he states, "They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die" (20). This quote really helped me developed my opinion on Tim O'Brien. This man knew that he could most definitely die while in the war and went into it with emotional baggage that he already had to carry on his back. He still went into the war knowing that he could come out carrying so much more, and he did. Yes, O'Brien was scared to go to the war and even considered fleeing, but he did not leave. This just makes me have so much respect for him. He carries so much emotional baggage, and we can see the way this effects him in his writing. I have a very high opinion on this man. He took his struggles and hardships and turned it into a phenomenal piece of literature that has forever changed my heart and the way that I view war. He sought out to make this a "real war story," and he succeeded. Everyone struggles, but it takes a certain type of person to take that pain and create a story.
The Things They Carried final post
The narrator of The Things They Carried is Tim O'Brien who was a war veteran that began serving when he was just eighteen years old in Vietnam. Some experiences throughout his life completely effected his personality and behaviors. First, when he was a young boy, his best friend, Linda, passed away from cancer, and he began using a coping method to cope with his loss. He would kindle the memory of Linda in his dreams and using this he could keep her with him at all times. O'Brien states, "I'm forty-three years old, and a writer now, and even still, right here, I keep dreaming Linda alive"(213). This interesting form of grieving very much effected the next portion of life that changed him forever.
When O'Brien was drafted for war, he was not exactly keen on the idea of leaving. He was truly scared and nervous, which is expected. He even went as far to consider fleeing the country to Canada to avoid having to go. This is when the idea of Linda is extremely prevalent. I believe that having to cope withWthe loss of her made a huge impact on his life and pained him forever, and so, he did not want to go to war and be around death all the time. He eventually went to Vietnam despite his fears, and those experiences changed the man O'Brien was forever, just like Linda's death did. He continued the same coping method during the war when he keeps his friends like Kiowa alive by writing about them and dreaming about them. My opinion on Tim O'Brien did change a lot throughout the book. When it initially started, I was anxious to learn about his story and motives. Then, when he almost fled the war, I believed he was a tiny bit cowardly. After that incident, my opinion about Tim O'Brien remained constant: this man is truly heroic. While I know O'Brien claims that after a war story you should not have a sense of optimism, I came out of this feeling truly blessed and inspired. This man had a tough beginning of life, and despite that, he still went over to a war to defend our country. Now, he tells the story of his friends and keeps their memories alive, so that they never die. This is so incredibly inspiring. Tim O'Brien is brave, strong, and someone who changes the world with the stories that he tells.
The author of this story is also the narrator. O'Brien chose himself to be the narrator because these are his stories to tell, and he knows that only he can tell them and keep their full integrity. This method is extremely effective. If it would have been some made up author who wasn't actually in the war, the overall intensity and realness would not have been as obvious throughout the novel. The way he tells the story is cryptically sensitive. He uses a perfect blend of harshness, but we can still see a softer side coming through in his writing. The fact that he was there and experiencing it all changes everything. Writing about a time in your life that was not happy or your best time is extremely difficult, but I am glad O'Brien bared the responsibility and had the strength to write about this time to keep his memories alive.
When O'Brien talks about the things soldiers carried in the first part of the book, he states, "They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die" (20). This quote really helped me developed my opinion on Tim O'Brien. This man knew that he could most definitely die while in the war and went into it with emotional baggage that he already had to carry on his back. He still went into the war knowing that he could come out carrying so much more, and he did. Yes, O'Brien was scared to go to the war and even considered fleeing, but he did not leave. This just makes me have so much respect for him. He carries so much emotional baggage, and we can see the way this effects him in his writing. I have a very high opinion on this man. He took his struggles and hardships and turned it into a phenomenal piece of literature that has forever changed my heart and the way that I view war. He sought out to make this a "real war story," and he succeeded. Everyone struggles, but it takes a certain type of person to take that pain and create a story.
Ethan Cantrell - Final Post
Questions one and two are integrated, on account of the narrator being the author.
Our narrator is Tim O'Brien, who is also the author. Tim O'Brien served in the Vietnam War, in Alpha Company, alongside many of the characters who feature heavily in the novel. O'Brien is different from how I would have imagined him to be, prior to reading "The Things They Carried". In the book, it was shown that he was actually against the war, and had no desire to join it at all, shown in the quote "I was drafted to fight a war I hated. I was twenty-one years old. Young, yes, and politically naive, but even so the American war in Vietnam seemed to me wrong. Certain blood being shed for uncertain reasons" (O'Brien 38). I appreciate Tim O'Brien's perspective on this, as I feel that had the narrator been some war-hawk super-patriot I would've been unable to identify with him. I also approve of how O'Brien characterized himself in the story. He did not make himself out to be a hero, not even slightly. In fact, he often showed how he was not even remarkable in the slightest, or was unable to cope with some events, such as killing another person.
I am glad that O'Brien wrote the story from his perspective rather than making up a character, as having a firsthand account (even if it was modified at times to better fit the story-truth) provides a very powerful perspective that I doubt would have been the same had it been completely fictional. This is a point I cannot stress enough, Tim O'Brien's writing is powerful. His writing is infused with this kind of profound sadness that I can't really describe in words, it's something you can only understand if you've read it. I believe that his writing is this way because of his philosophy of what counts as a true war story. He explains this rather simply here: "A true war story, if truly told, makes the stomach believe" (O'Brien 74). On that, O'Brien has succeeded greatly, for "The Things They Carried" has become one of my favorite books.
Our narrator is Tim O'Brien, who is also the author. Tim O'Brien served in the Vietnam War, in Alpha Company, alongside many of the characters who feature heavily in the novel. O'Brien is different from how I would have imagined him to be, prior to reading "The Things They Carried". In the book, it was shown that he was actually against the war, and had no desire to join it at all, shown in the quote "I was drafted to fight a war I hated. I was twenty-one years old. Young, yes, and politically naive, but even so the American war in Vietnam seemed to me wrong. Certain blood being shed for uncertain reasons" (O'Brien 38). I appreciate Tim O'Brien's perspective on this, as I feel that had the narrator been some war-hawk super-patriot I would've been unable to identify with him. I also approve of how O'Brien characterized himself in the story. He did not make himself out to be a hero, not even slightly. In fact, he often showed how he was not even remarkable in the slightest, or was unable to cope with some events, such as killing another person.
I am glad that O'Brien wrote the story from his perspective rather than making up a character, as having a firsthand account (even if it was modified at times to better fit the story-truth) provides a very powerful perspective that I doubt would have been the same had it been completely fictional. This is a point I cannot stress enough, Tim O'Brien's writing is powerful. His writing is infused with this kind of profound sadness that I can't really describe in words, it's something you can only understand if you've read it. I believe that his writing is this way because of his philosophy of what counts as a true war story. He explains this rather simply here: "A true war story, if truly told, makes the stomach believe" (O'Brien 74). On that, O'Brien has succeeded greatly, for "The Things They Carried" has become one of my favorite books.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Brice Lucas- Final Post 2
In The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien is both the author and the narrator. He chose himself to be the narrator over creating a fictional character or telling the story from another person in the war's point of view because he has unique, inside, first person information that no one else has. He can use the fact that it was him in the war and he is the narrator to give himself credibility and ensure readers that the stories he tells throughout the book are accurate and true. O'Brien gives credible sources throughout the story: "As soldiers, the ARVNs were useless; the Ruff-and-Puffs were outright dangerous. And yet even with decent troops the place was clearly indefensible" (O'Brien 87). O'Brien gives so much detail in his opinions that the reader knows that they are true.
By choosing to use his own voice, O'Brien makes the stories he tells interesting and compelling. He does an excellent job of making the reader feel the emotions he went through while explaining in vivid detail the experiences he faced while in Vietnam. I think O'Brien's use of himself as a narrator was a good choice. Because he was engulfed in the story, he poured his emotions on to the pages. I respect that he published an entire book about his personal experiences in the most traumatic, life threatening time of his life. He gave his own thoughts on the events that transpired which allowed the reader to understand how he really felt during this time, and why he did the things he did to deal with the horrible situations he went through during the war.
Brice Lucas- Final Post 1
The narrator of The Things They Carried is Tim O'Brien. O'Brien is a veteran of the Vietnam War, who shares his traumatic and compelling experiences of his one year in Vietnam. The reader learns a great deal about O'Brien. He speaks about many good and bad aspects of his tour of duty. There is, of course, more bad than good. His awful experiences portray how terrible the Vietnam War really was. O'Brien focuses on himself and his company, relaying very little of his own life's back story prior to the War. He gave us hints into what his life was like when he was young, but never gave us specific details about his daily life before his service.
At the beginning of the story, he is a scared, timid, fragile man who has no idea where he is or why he is there. He becomes more comfortable in his surroundings throughout the story, as comfortable as one can be in war. He develops a mean streak as a consequence of the devastating situations he encounters, including being shot twice and having to watch many of his friends die. However, living through such tragedy actually allows him to keep moving through the obstacles he faces by making him seek revenge.
In the beginning of the story, O'Brien told about how he almost went to Canada to dodge being drafted. O'Brien commented on his feelings as he was driving north toward the border: "A giddy feeling, in a way, except there was a dreamy edge of impossibility to it- like running dead-end maze-no way out-it couldn't come to a conclusion and yet I was doing it anyway because it was all I could think of to do it" (O'Brien 44). That lead me to think negatively about him and that he was somewhat cowardly. However, as the story develops, and O'Brien details the horrors of war and how he deals with them, I started to understand why he would want to dodge the draft in the first place, and began to respect him for the decisions he made throughout the book. He becomes a compelling character who I root for and want to succeed and get home safely.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Danny 4
The character I picked was Jimmy Cross. I honestly feel bad for the man because he has to lead everyone because he is a Lieutenant and overall he has to go through a lot of things he has to go through so much and he thinks about his love Martha all the time and I think that makes him a better person because he knows that he has to overcome obstacles in order to get to her. But Lieutenant Jimmy Cross has to lead everyone he can't break down he always has to keep looking forward everyone in the Army has hard times but I think being a leader in the Army is even tougher because you can't break you always have to keep moving and you have to be the man in charge everyone looks to you and I think it's very hard for Jimmy Cross because he always has to be the man standing tall. I think his role in the novel is very important being a leader everyone has to look to you and I think being a leader is very hard especially in Vietnam, but I think he is a good leader he always. The man day dreams a lot which is understandable he has to get his mind off of things to keep himself in tact. I think for the rest of his life he will always blame himself when a soldier dies and that can't be on him he can't do it all, I understand day dreaming can be bad because you are not focused, but he has to think of something to make himself happy. Martha may not love him back, but I think Jimmy will eventually make his character bold and he will be a very important character overall! "Imagination is a killer" (O'Brien 11). I think this quote honestly is for Jimmy cross, day dreaming all the time is nice because it takes your mind off things, but if you are not focused one hundred percent it can kill you.-Danny
Analyze a Charcter in your story. How are they characteized in the novel? What is their role in the story? What do you think of them? Why?
Danny 3
I think that without the narrator I don't think this story would be the same I think he really captures our attention with his words and emotion in every word. Since O'Brien has experienced war he can see the perspective of every single one of his characters. Every character in this story has some sort of back story that O' Brien really captures our attention. The first think the narrator really changes about this story is that he has his own outlook on what he can see it really feels like he is right there with us explaining the story, and what I really like about our authors writing is that he takes time and thought in the story. He can write in a way that you can see almost. When Lavender dies I think he honestly changed the tone of the story in only a few short sentences and it went from goofing around to a really serious moment that one of the soldiers had died. I think that takes real talent that you can change the tone so quick in a story that you honestly feel like you saw the death right there and I think that O'Brien uses certain phrases and time in his writing and I think that in this novel the narrator makes or breaks the story, without O'Briens work in the army he can relate to all of the characters and that's how the narrator Truly changes the story, he knows about everything that has happened and he tries to convey everything he felt in Vietnam. The narrator is in the story and he has a unique out look because he uses his own doings in the story he writes "Mellow, man. We got ourselves a nice mellow war today" (O'Brien 33). I think this quote states is that even though we are relaxed we have to stay on our guard, and this ties together with O'Brien and his ability to show us that even though things are calm for now they can always change - danny
How does the narrator change the story?
How does the narrator change the story?
Brady Wood Post 4 Week 2
What makes a man? What does a man have to do to keep his profile? Why do so many breakdown in front of other men?
"I tried to swallow it back. I tried to smile, except I was crying...All I could do was cry. Quietly, not bawling, just the chest-chokes. At the rear of the boat Elroy Berdhal pretended not to notice."(O'brien 54)
A man has so many public profiles, men have to be strong physically and mentally. They are held to such a high standard and are not allowed to break. Especially at the time he was living in. Men were superior and the fight for complete equality was just about to begin. A man has to stuff away his emotions and be that center of the household. However in the real world psyche, men breakdown a lot, most of the times in front of other men because sometimes other men know the basics of the problem. Other men have also been in the same position, so its easier that way. Men can only hold in so much stress before it releases. Everyone has been through it. The narrator at this time was in one of the most stressful decisions in the world. Flee his country and shame everyone in connection to him, or go and fight a war with no purpose and possibly die. It's a lot of stress because it's so contradicting. Also, O'brien says he wants us, the readers, to feel the stress that he was feeling that day and every time I read it, I tear up, my heart races, and I feel chills because that is how it can be.
"I tried to swallow it back. I tried to smile, except I was crying...All I could do was cry. Quietly, not bawling, just the chest-chokes. At the rear of the boat Elroy Berdhal pretended not to notice."(O'brien 54)
A man has so many public profiles, men have to be strong physically and mentally. They are held to such a high standard and are not allowed to break. Especially at the time he was living in. Men were superior and the fight for complete equality was just about to begin. A man has to stuff away his emotions and be that center of the household. However in the real world psyche, men breakdown a lot, most of the times in front of other men because sometimes other men know the basics of the problem. Other men have also been in the same position, so its easier that way. Men can only hold in so much stress before it releases. Everyone has been through it. The narrator at this time was in one of the most stressful decisions in the world. Flee his country and shame everyone in connection to him, or go and fight a war with no purpose and possibly die. It's a lot of stress because it's so contradicting. Also, O'brien says he wants us, the readers, to feel the stress that he was feeling that day and every time I read it, I tear up, my heart races, and I feel chills because that is how it can be.
Brady Wood Post 3 week2
"Elroy Berdahl: eighty-one years old, skinny and shrunken and mostly bald. He wore a flannel shirt and brown work pants" (O'brien 46)
This quote and mainly this part of the book leaped out at me. The quote is very regular and barely descriptive, however; everyone has seen this type of person in their life. The author during this section of the book really comes and shows us his transformation. For him the getaway from life and being able to relax around someone who didn't care enough was "just alright". The narrator turned from and overly schizophrenic boy trying to jump the border, to a man who was ready to face his call for duty. Even so, O'brien probably knew that Elroy had his speculations but Mr. Berdahl gave him his privacy and the narrator enjoyed it as O'brien put it on page 49, "To an extent, I suppose, his reticence was typical of that part of Minnesota, where privacy still held value..."
This quote and mainly this part of the book leaped out at me. The quote is very regular and barely descriptive, however; everyone has seen this type of person in their life. The author during this section of the book really comes and shows us his transformation. For him the getaway from life and being able to relax around someone who didn't care enough was "just alright". The narrator turned from and overly schizophrenic boy trying to jump the border, to a man who was ready to face his call for duty. Even so, O'brien probably knew that Elroy had his speculations but Mr. Berdahl gave him his privacy and the narrator enjoyed it as O'brien put it on page 49, "To an extent, I suppose, his reticence was typical of that part of Minnesota, where privacy still held value..."
Brice Lucas- Post 4
The literary technique used most often by the author is that of wartime death. The book has an overall focus on death. Most of O'Brien's memories center around the terrible, deadly times of war. This focus makes sense because there really deaths are the most tragic, memorable aspects of war, as happy times are few and far between. A soldier is always in a panic, always facing deadly situations, never knowing whether he or she will make it to the next day.
O'Brien's use of this technique is very effective, as it drives home with the reader the horror that soldiers stationed in Vietnam faced while there. O'Brien says, "He told me that the man would've died anyway. He told me that it was a good kill, that I was a soldier and this war, that I should shape up and stop staring and ask myself what the dead man would've done if things were reversed" (127). He speaks about his thoughts after killing an enemy. Kiowa tells him it was a good kill. There is no such thing as a good kill. This shows there were many more horrible things than good things. O'Brien achieved his goal of ensuring readers of the book were made aware of the unthinkably tragic experiences soldiers of the Vietnam War encountered. Having little knowledge of what occurred in the Vietnam War before reading this book, I now feel I have a much better understanding of what soldiers went through. I think making the reader appreciate that situation was O'Brien's goal in writing this book, and as such, I believe the technique he used was very effective.
-Brice Lucas
O'Brien's use of this technique is very effective, as it drives home with the reader the horror that soldiers stationed in Vietnam faced while there. O'Brien says, "He told me that the man would've died anyway. He told me that it was a good kill, that I was a soldier and this war, that I should shape up and stop staring and ask myself what the dead man would've done if things were reversed" (127). He speaks about his thoughts after killing an enemy. Kiowa tells him it was a good kill. There is no such thing as a good kill. This shows there were many more horrible things than good things. O'Brien achieved his goal of ensuring readers of the book were made aware of the unthinkably tragic experiences soldiers of the Vietnam War encountered. Having little knowledge of what occurred in the Vietnam War before reading this book, I now feel I have a much better understanding of what soldiers went through. I think making the reader appreciate that situation was O'Brien's goal in writing this book, and as such, I believe the technique he used was very effective.
-Brice Lucas
Brice Lucas Post 3
Technology of this time period brings a huge disadvantage compared to technology of today. The time of this war brings many more challenges and uncertainties. The way things were conducted are very different. These soldiers were going into war blind. Their intelligence of what was going on in the place they are heading was virtually non-existent. They did not have the communication, offensive, or defensive advances we have today. This lack of knowledge of what you are going into or even what is right in front of you caused many deaths throughout the story. If the technology we have today was around back then, lives probably would have been saved. Soldiers would have received messages earlier about what was ahead, which would have allowed them to make their next move strategically and safely.
People of this time period did not have the detailed knowledge of the world around them. O'Brien says, "Looking out toward the river, he knew for a fact that he had made a mistake setting up here" (157). He did not have the knowledge to know that they set up camp in a venerable place that would cause a death. They were less aware of things like diseases, viruses, and treatment of such things. The time period caused death and illness because the science of medicine was not as advanced as it is now. Overall, the time period hurt the characters of this story drastically. It put them at a disadvantage in these life and death situations during war time in an unfamiliar land.
-Brice Lucas
People of this time period did not have the detailed knowledge of the world around them. O'Brien says, "Looking out toward the river, he knew for a fact that he had made a mistake setting up here" (157). He did not have the knowledge to know that they set up camp in a venerable place that would cause a death. They were less aware of things like diseases, viruses, and treatment of such things. The time period caused death and illness because the science of medicine was not as advanced as it is now. Overall, the time period hurt the characters of this story drastically. It put them at a disadvantage in these life and death situations during war time in an unfamiliar land.
-Brice Lucas
Ethan Cantrell Post 4
How does the perspective of the narrator change the story? What do you think the author is trying to convey with this?
In the chapter "The Man I Killed", O'Brien tells us about the first time he killed someone in combat. The majority of the chapter consists of O'Brien staring at the corpse, describing in detail the way his mangled body looks, and describing in even greater detail the life of the man he killed. O'Brien had no way of knowing anything about the man's life, and yet he created a complex backstory, from his childhood, through adolescence, to college, to when he joined the war. He explained the thoughts and beliefs of the man, the things he was interested in. "He had been born, maybe, in 1946 in the village of My Khe near the central coastline of Quang Ngai Province, where his parents farmed, and where his family had lived for several centuries, and where, during the time of the French, his father and two uncles and many neighbors had joined in the struggle for independence (O'Brien 119). I think that by giving us this perspective, O'Brien was trying to show us how he couldn't simply kill a man and walk away, he had to know the man. He wouldn't settle for just assuming the man he killed was bad, because he knew that that wasn't usually the case.
In the chapter "The Man I Killed", O'Brien tells us about the first time he killed someone in combat. The majority of the chapter consists of O'Brien staring at the corpse, describing in detail the way his mangled body looks, and describing in even greater detail the life of the man he killed. O'Brien had no way of knowing anything about the man's life, and yet he created a complex backstory, from his childhood, through adolescence, to college, to when he joined the war. He explained the thoughts and beliefs of the man, the things he was interested in. "He had been born, maybe, in 1946 in the village of My Khe near the central coastline of Quang Ngai Province, where his parents farmed, and where his family had lived for several centuries, and where, during the time of the French, his father and two uncles and many neighbors had joined in the struggle for independence (O'Brien 119). I think that by giving us this perspective, O'Brien was trying to show us how he couldn't simply kill a man and walk away, he had to know the man. He wouldn't settle for just assuming the man he killed was bad, because he knew that that wasn't usually the case.
Ethan Cantrell Post 3
Analyze a character in your story. How are they characterized by the author? What is their role in the story? What do you think of them? Why?
I hadn't planned on writing a post in response to this question so soon. But then the chapter with Mary Anne happened. I hadn't expected her story to turn out the way it did at all when I started the chapter. She was initially described as being extremely "innocent" and naive. The ideal girl the soldiers would think of. Eventually, however, she began showing an interest in the soldiers, their equipment, and, more importantly, Vietnam. Over the course of the chapter, Mary Anne becomes increasingly obsessed with Vietnam, taking every opportunity she could get to see more of it, to experience it, to consume the land. She went off with the Green Berets on their night missions, sometimes being gone for a week or more. Considering how elite the Green Berets are, we can only assume Mary Anne impressed them enough that she joined them. The majority of men cannot handle the Green Berets, so the fact that a woman in the 1960s was able to tells us a lot about how Mary Anne changed while in Vietnam.
After finishing the chapter, it occurred to me that the Mary Anne we were introduced to at the beginning of the chapter, the naive, innocent girl, was not the real Mary Anne. Or perhaps, she was, and the person (was she even a person anymore at the end, or something else?) she became at the end was something new, something that could only have been made in Vietnam. Either way, it is undeniable that Vietnam changed Mary Anne on a fundamental level. This quote from her illustrates this: ""Sometimes I want to eat this place. The whole country-the dirt, the death-I just want to swallow it and have it there inside me. That's how I feel. It's like this appetite. I get scared sometimes-lots of times-but it's not bad. You know? I feel close to myself. When I'm out there at night, I feel close to my own body, I can feel my blood moving, my skin and fingernails, everything, it's like I'm full of electricity and I'm glowing in the dark-I'm on fire almost-I'm burning away into nothing-but it doesn't matter because I know exactly who I am. You can't feel like that anywhere else" (O'Brien 106). This also supports my belief that this story would not have been the same if it hadn't been in Vietnam. You just can't get the same kind of atmosphere.
I think Mary Anne is a fascinating character, and in one chapter became one of my favorites, for reasons explained above.
"She had crossed to the other side. She was part of the land. She was wearing her culottes, her pink sweater, and a necklace of human tongues. She was dangerous. She was ready for the kill" (O'Brien 110). With that quote in mind, what did Mary Anne become at the end? And why?
I hadn't planned on writing a post in response to this question so soon. But then the chapter with Mary Anne happened. I hadn't expected her story to turn out the way it did at all when I started the chapter. She was initially described as being extremely "innocent" and naive. The ideal girl the soldiers would think of. Eventually, however, she began showing an interest in the soldiers, their equipment, and, more importantly, Vietnam. Over the course of the chapter, Mary Anne becomes increasingly obsessed with Vietnam, taking every opportunity she could get to see more of it, to experience it, to consume the land. She went off with the Green Berets on their night missions, sometimes being gone for a week or more. Considering how elite the Green Berets are, we can only assume Mary Anne impressed them enough that she joined them. The majority of men cannot handle the Green Berets, so the fact that a woman in the 1960s was able to tells us a lot about how Mary Anne changed while in Vietnam.
After finishing the chapter, it occurred to me that the Mary Anne we were introduced to at the beginning of the chapter, the naive, innocent girl, was not the real Mary Anne. Or perhaps, she was, and the person (was she even a person anymore at the end, or something else?) she became at the end was something new, something that could only have been made in Vietnam. Either way, it is undeniable that Vietnam changed Mary Anne on a fundamental level. This quote from her illustrates this: ""Sometimes I want to eat this place. The whole country-the dirt, the death-I just want to swallow it and have it there inside me. That's how I feel. It's like this appetite. I get scared sometimes-lots of times-but it's not bad. You know? I feel close to myself. When I'm out there at night, I feel close to my own body, I can feel my blood moving, my skin and fingernails, everything, it's like I'm full of electricity and I'm glowing in the dark-I'm on fire almost-I'm burning away into nothing-but it doesn't matter because I know exactly who I am. You can't feel like that anywhere else" (O'Brien 106). This also supports my belief that this story would not have been the same if it hadn't been in Vietnam. You just can't get the same kind of atmosphere.
I think Mary Anne is a fascinating character, and in one chapter became one of my favorites, for reasons explained above.
"She had crossed to the other side. She was part of the land. She was wearing her culottes, her pink sweater, and a necklace of human tongues. She was dangerous. She was ready for the kill" (O'Brien 110). With that quote in mind, what did Mary Anne become at the end? And why?
"The Things They Carried"-Sydney Derrow 4
How does the time period affect the characters?
"For instance, I want to tell you this: twenty years ago I watched a man die on a trail near the village of My Khe. I did not kill him. But I was present, you see, and my presence was guilt enough. I remember his face, which was not a pretty face, because his jaw was in his throat, and I remember feeling the burden of responsibility and grief. I blamed myself. And rightly so, because I present" (O'Brien 171). Obviously, this is going to scar him, and who knows what other gruesome moments they witnessed? They watched their pals die, women and children be slaughtered, and watched themselves slowly deteriorate mentally and physically. From my research earlier before we read the book, I wrote in the group pamphlet that there was no parades to support them from their return. They were spit on and outcasts from society. They were blamed for a war they didn't start, accused of killing innocent people, called dope heads, and ridiculed by citizens. They had the hardest time adjusting to society because the way they were treated when they returned, and all of the awful memories they had. It haunted them. They had to overcome physical injuries, emotional problems, and drug addictions form their time in Vietnam. Around this time, feminism was a huge topic throughout the Vietnam war era. Women started standing up for themselves, getting jobs, and some were sent to Vietnam. For example, Mary Anne. She wasn't mistreated, but the men were confused. Men in Vietnam had no control on what's going on back home, especially with the whole women's rights movement.
-Sydney Derrow
"The Things They Carried"- Sydney Derrow 3
Analyze a character in your story. How are they characterized by the author? What's their role in the story? What do you think of them? Why?
In the chapter, Notes, Norman Bowker was introduced. "'Speaking of Courage" was written in 1975 at the suggestion of Norman Bowker, who three years later hanged himself in the locker room of the YMCA in his hometown in central Iowa" (O'Brien 149). Bowker was in Nam with O'Brien. He seemed to have depression because on page 149, O'Brien explained that Bowker had several jobs when he returned but none of them lasted for more than 10 weeks. He lived with his parents and played basketball.He drank heavily and drove around. "..and then at night he drove around town in his father's car, mostly alone, or with a six pack of beer, cruising"(O'Brien 150). Norman had a letter of some sort that O'Brien had access to. Bowker wrote, "There's no place to go, not just in this lousy town. In general. My life, I mean. It's almost like i got killed over in Nam.... Feels like I'm still in deep shit"(O'Brien 150). The letter jumped from self-pity, to anger, to irony, to guilt, to a kind of indifference. I feel Bowker's role in this chapter showed how much the war affected the soldiers. Bowker was tough, like everyone, but when Kiowa died, that's all he can think about. Bowker talked about how they weren't paraded when they returned and it's not like they wanted to kill anyone. I think highly of Bowker. He did what he had to do, saw some knarly stuff he didn't want to witness, and it took a huge toll on him. It's just sad how he thought his only option was suicide.
-Sydney Derrow
In the chapter, Notes, Norman Bowker was introduced. "'Speaking of Courage" was written in 1975 at the suggestion of Norman Bowker, who three years later hanged himself in the locker room of the YMCA in his hometown in central Iowa" (O'Brien 149). Bowker was in Nam with O'Brien. He seemed to have depression because on page 149, O'Brien explained that Bowker had several jobs when he returned but none of them lasted for more than 10 weeks. He lived with his parents and played basketball.He drank heavily and drove around. "..and then at night he drove around town in his father's car, mostly alone, or with a six pack of beer, cruising"(O'Brien 150). Norman had a letter of some sort that O'Brien had access to. Bowker wrote, "There's no place to go, not just in this lousy town. In general. My life, I mean. It's almost like i got killed over in Nam.... Feels like I'm still in deep shit"(O'Brien 150). The letter jumped from self-pity, to anger, to irony, to guilt, to a kind of indifference. I feel Bowker's role in this chapter showed how much the war affected the soldiers. Bowker was tough, like everyone, but when Kiowa died, that's all he can think about. Bowker talked about how they weren't paraded when they returned and it's not like they wanted to kill anyone. I think highly of Bowker. He did what he had to do, saw some knarly stuff he didn't want to witness, and it took a huge toll on him. It's just sad how he thought his only option was suicide.
-Sydney Derrow
Caroline Humphrey Post 4
How does the perspective of the narrator change the story? What do you think the author is trying to convey with this?
Tim O'Brien being the narrator has a lot of impact on the way the story is told. If it was some random person who has never served in the war telling the story, it would not seem as plausible and sad. O'Brien serving in the Vietnam War is what makes this story so marvelous. It can be seen in his writing that this war has changed this man forever. He has this certain tone in the way he writes. He does not embellish the truth to make it more interesting. One of the main chapters that you could see his true feelings and this way of writing come through was during "How to Tell a True War Story." He talks about how when people tell about the war, they have this want to make it seem like everything is okay when in fact it is not. O'Brien states, "If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie" (95). That makes me want to believe him more as an author. He is trying to say that this war was not some beautiful, heroic thing. It was terrible and not pretty to be in or hear about.
His writing is a little bit monotone and does not show a lot of emotion. That makes a huge impact on the way the reader hears the story. In my life, we all have had this vision of these false war stories that O'Brien talks about because that is all we have ever known. When you read this novel, everything changes. Another main thing that sticks out to me is the way he talks about people dying. It is almost flat like it is an everyday occurrence, and that is when you realize, this is an everyday occurrence for these men. That is extremely powerful and heartbreaking. Tim O'Brien telling this story is incredible and makes all the difference.
Tim O'Brien being the narrator has a lot of impact on the way the story is told. If it was some random person who has never served in the war telling the story, it would not seem as plausible and sad. O'Brien serving in the Vietnam War is what makes this story so marvelous. It can be seen in his writing that this war has changed this man forever. He has this certain tone in the way he writes. He does not embellish the truth to make it more interesting. One of the main chapters that you could see his true feelings and this way of writing come through was during "How to Tell a True War Story." He talks about how when people tell about the war, they have this want to make it seem like everything is okay when in fact it is not. O'Brien states, "If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie" (95). That makes me want to believe him more as an author. He is trying to say that this war was not some beautiful, heroic thing. It was terrible and not pretty to be in or hear about.
His writing is a little bit monotone and does not show a lot of emotion. That makes a huge impact on the way the reader hears the story. In my life, we all have had this vision of these false war stories that O'Brien talks about because that is all we have ever known. When you read this novel, everything changes. Another main thing that sticks out to me is the way he talks about people dying. It is almost flat like it is an everyday occurrence, and that is when you realize, this is an everyday occurrence for these men. That is extremely powerful and heartbreaking. Tim O'Brien telling this story is incredible and makes all the difference.
Caroline Humphrey Post 3
What does the role of gender play in your story? How are men and women portrayed differently?
When I first looked at this question, I thought it was not relavent to this novel, for women are rarely mentioned in the book. That is when I realized that said a lot about females in this time period. This story takes place in the sixties, and at the same time in the United States, a major feminism movement was occurring. When women are actually mentioned like Mary Anne and Martha, they are not perceived the same way men are. For example, when Lieutenant Cross mentions Martha he constantly talks about her being a virgin and not about her personality or what she wants to do for the rest of her life. Then, when Mary Anne was brought up, they were extremely in awe that a woman would come to Vietnam. O'Brien even makes comments like, "it was the sort of show that a girl will sometimes put on for her boyfriend's entertainment"(91). They talked about her like she was some fragile, helpless girl and was only there to please her boyfriend. Then, she started to show interest in the war, and they were in awe. These are the only two women mentioned in the novel so far.
I do not believe the men in this novel were being jerks, but they were just ignorant to the situation at home because they were gone for so long. Even if they did realize what was going on, some of them may have been using this as a coping mechanism. They could have been refusing to believe that life was going on without them. This is actually very sad to think about. They were living in Vietnam fighting a war, and everything that they knew back in America was changing. We talk about their tiny things that they use as "good luck charms," but this just shows how nervous and upset these men were to be here. They used denial and tiny items to make themselves believe everything would be okay. The role of gender in this novel is briefly mentioned,but when it is, it really shows a lot about these men and how tough war was.
When I first looked at this question, I thought it was not relavent to this novel, for women are rarely mentioned in the book. That is when I realized that said a lot about females in this time period. This story takes place in the sixties, and at the same time in the United States, a major feminism movement was occurring. When women are actually mentioned like Mary Anne and Martha, they are not perceived the same way men are. For example, when Lieutenant Cross mentions Martha he constantly talks about her being a virgin and not about her personality or what she wants to do for the rest of her life. Then, when Mary Anne was brought up, they were extremely in awe that a woman would come to Vietnam. O'Brien even makes comments like, "it was the sort of show that a girl will sometimes put on for her boyfriend's entertainment"(91). They talked about her like she was some fragile, helpless girl and was only there to please her boyfriend. Then, she started to show interest in the war, and they were in awe. These are the only two women mentioned in the novel so far.
I do not believe the men in this novel were being jerks, but they were just ignorant to the situation at home because they were gone for so long. Even if they did realize what was going on, some of them may have been using this as a coping mechanism. They could have been refusing to believe that life was going on without them. This is actually very sad to think about. They were living in Vietnam fighting a war, and everything that they knew back in America was changing. We talk about their tiny things that they use as "good luck charms," but this just shows how nervous and upset these men were to be here. They used denial and tiny items to make themselves believe everything would be okay. The role of gender in this novel is briefly mentioned,but when it is, it really shows a lot about these men and how tough war was.
Friday, February 12, 2016
Brady Wood Post 2
"Run, I'd think. Then I'd think, impossible" (O'Brien 42)
In this quote he believes that he the war is stupid and that he should flee to Canada, but then he also has a sense of morality and patriotism. He is torn between two decisions. and in life we have decisions that are life changing all the time. He wants to do the right thing but then again he wants whats best for him.
In this quote he believes that he the war is stupid and that he should flee to Canada, but then he also has a sense of morality and patriotism. He is torn between two decisions. and in life we have decisions that are life changing all the time. He wants to do the right thing but then again he wants whats best for him.
Brady Wood Post 1
"They carried the land itself- Vietnam, the place, the soil- a powdery orange-red dust that covered their boots and fatigues and faces" (O'Brien 14).
In this quote I believe Tim O'Brien doesn't only mean they carried the war of Vietnam physically but emotionally and mentally as well. Men would sometimes leave Vietnam in Vietnam and some would take it home with them. It was something they would never forget, even if they tried to repress the memory as much as they wanted. Vietnam was always there with the reddish dirt or with the memories.
In this quote I believe Tim O'Brien doesn't only mean they carried the war of Vietnam physically but emotionally and mentally as well. Men would sometimes leave Vietnam in Vietnam and some would take it home with them. It was something they would never forget, even if they tried to repress the memory as much as they wanted. Vietnam was always there with the reddish dirt or with the memories.
"The Things They Carried" -Sydney Derrow 2
"They were afraid of dying but they were even more afraid to show it"(O'Brien 19). It's not everyday you find out that you're getting drafted into the war. It's not everyday you find yourself in harms way. I feel O'Brien and the men he fought with were extremely afraid to show they were scared because they had to be strong for one another. For example, when you build a house of cards, if one card falls then the whole house collapses. If one guy is paranoid and scared then everyone else is going to be the same way. What I'm trying to get at is you have to be strong for the people around you. Especially in the middle of a war that you're so unfamiliar with. You grow as brothers with the men you fight with in battle. They are the people you depend on for advice, support, and strength. Dying is nothing compared to showing you're afraid to the people you're supposed to be strong for. O'Brien and his buddies are strong willed, yet naive. -Sydney Derrow
"The Things They Carried" Ethan Cantrell Post 2
How does the perspective of the narrator change the story? What do you think the author is trying to convey with this?
Tim O'Brien's perspective as a soldier in the war has a great effect on how the story is conveyed to us. It gives us a personal insight into the experience of soldiers in Vietnam, and all that they went through. Also, O'Brien's position as someone not really supportive of the war casts a different light on the events. Nothing so far has been glorified or romanticized in any way. The vast majority of all scenes in the book explore some negative consequence the war has on them, or explain how they cope with it.
An example of O'Brien showing us what the war could be like is in this quote: "[T]he war was nakedly and aggressively boring. But it was a strange boredom. It was boredom with a twist, the kind of boredom that caused stomach disorders. You'd uncurl your fists and let your thoughts go. Well, you'd think, this isn't so bad. And right then you'd hear gunfire behind you and your nuts would fly up into your throat and you'd be squealing pig squeals. That kind of boredom" (O'Brien 32-33). I think that that description gives a good insight into the daily life of a soldier in Vietnam.
Tim O'Brien's perspective as a soldier in the war has a great effect on how the story is conveyed to us. It gives us a personal insight into the experience of soldiers in Vietnam, and all that they went through. Also, O'Brien's position as someone not really supportive of the war casts a different light on the events. Nothing so far has been glorified or romanticized in any way. The vast majority of all scenes in the book explore some negative consequence the war has on them, or explain how they cope with it.
An example of O'Brien showing us what the war could be like is in this quote: "[T]he war was nakedly and aggressively boring. But it was a strange boredom. It was boredom with a twist, the kind of boredom that caused stomach disorders. You'd uncurl your fists and let your thoughts go. Well, you'd think, this isn't so bad. And right then you'd hear gunfire behind you and your nuts would fly up into your throat and you'd be squealing pig squeals. That kind of boredom" (O'Brien 32-33). I think that that description gives a good insight into the daily life of a soldier in Vietnam.
"The Things They Carried" Ethan Cantrell Post 1
Analyze a character in your story. How are they characterized by the author? What is their role in the story? What do you think of them? Why?
It is our narrator, Tim O'Brien, who has interested me the most in this story. The chapter focusing on him was the first to really pull me in. I suppose this is because he's extremely different from how I expected him to be. If you had asked me prior to reading this book what Tim O'Brien was like before joining to the war, I probably would've predicted him to be a fiercely patriotic young man who couldn't wait to go off and fight. It turns out that I couldn't have been more wrong, because Tim O'Brien is actually a coward. He was opposed to the war, he had zero desire to join the military and fight. And one day he receives a notice that he will be drafted, and this terrifies him, so much so that he suffers what amounted to a mental breakdown and fled north, in an attempt to make it to Canada so he could avoid the draft. He shows this fear in the quote "Beyond all this, or at the very center, was the raw fact of terror. I did not want to die. Not ever. But certainly not then, not there, not in a wrong war. Driving up Main Street, past the courthouse and the Ben Franklin store, I sometimes felt the fear spreading inside me like weeds" (O'Brien 42). I empathize with him on this. War means death, and death is scary. Scary to Tim O'Brien, scary to all the soldiers who served in Vietnam, on both sides, scary to more or less everyone, myself included.
There were two great fears he had in this time: going to war, and fleeing to avoid it. The first one has already been explained, but the second reason is the most interesting to me. He was afraid of the ridicule and mocking he would be subjected to if he dodged the draft and fled to Canada, as he states in this quote: "I feared losing the respect of my parents. I feared the law. I feared ridicule and censure" (O'Brien 42). In the end, it was that fear which overpowered the other and forced him to go to war. "I was a coward. I went to the war" (O'Brien 58). That sets him apart from most other men who were drafted. The ones who were scared were scared of the prospect of fighting more than they were of the idea of being mocked for fleeing. But O'Brien is instead more terrified of ridicule than the war, and ultimately that's what causes him to join.
So I like Tim O'Brien quite a lot so far, because I can understand his situation, and his fear.
It is our narrator, Tim O'Brien, who has interested me the most in this story. The chapter focusing on him was the first to really pull me in. I suppose this is because he's extremely different from how I expected him to be. If you had asked me prior to reading this book what Tim O'Brien was like before joining to the war, I probably would've predicted him to be a fiercely patriotic young man who couldn't wait to go off and fight. It turns out that I couldn't have been more wrong, because Tim O'Brien is actually a coward. He was opposed to the war, he had zero desire to join the military and fight. And one day he receives a notice that he will be drafted, and this terrifies him, so much so that he suffers what amounted to a mental breakdown and fled north, in an attempt to make it to Canada so he could avoid the draft. He shows this fear in the quote "Beyond all this, or at the very center, was the raw fact of terror. I did not want to die. Not ever. But certainly not then, not there, not in a wrong war. Driving up Main Street, past the courthouse and the Ben Franklin store, I sometimes felt the fear spreading inside me like weeds" (O'Brien 42). I empathize with him on this. War means death, and death is scary. Scary to Tim O'Brien, scary to all the soldiers who served in Vietnam, on both sides, scary to more or less everyone, myself included.
There were two great fears he had in this time: going to war, and fleeing to avoid it. The first one has already been explained, but the second reason is the most interesting to me. He was afraid of the ridicule and mocking he would be subjected to if he dodged the draft and fled to Canada, as he states in this quote: "I feared losing the respect of my parents. I feared the law. I feared ridicule and censure" (O'Brien 42). In the end, it was that fear which overpowered the other and forced him to go to war. "I was a coward. I went to the war" (O'Brien 58). That sets him apart from most other men who were drafted. The ones who were scared were scared of the prospect of fighting more than they were of the idea of being mocked for fleeing. But O'Brien is instead more terrified of ridicule than the war, and ultimately that's what causes him to join.
So I like Tim O'Brien quite a lot so far, because I can understand his situation, and his fear.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
2 -Brice Lucas
Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is a very interesting character. He is a very deep emotional person who attaches to his "true love," a girl from college. The way Cross acts and thinks may not make you think of a war leader. He does not have the characteristics needed to lead a team of men into battle during a war. He comes off to me as a very troubled and maybe a little unstable person. I see him as someone with not having many real, loving relationships with family and friends. O'Brien brings Jimmy to us as this emotional wreck who doesn't seem cut out for war, and he makes you wonder what has happened in years before, and how his life will be after this war is over, and he is back home. Jimmy shows early signs that he can be a brave leader to his men even though he has this phantom relationship looming over his head. O'Brien says,"The bad stuff never stops happening: it lives in its own dimension, replaying itself over and over. But the war wasn't all that way" (31). Jimmy is that perfect symbol of balance. He shows his weaknesses, but he also shows how he overcomes those weaknesses when it is time to survive this terrible war.
I am a fan of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. He shows the real struggles people go through in war. His experiences show us the good and the bad. He is really a typical war hero. He has all these thought constantly running through his head, the guilt of friendly deaths or enemy kills, the love of his life, Martha, waiting for him back at home, and the weight of his entire team on his back.
-Brice Lucas
I am a fan of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. He shows the real struggles people go through in war. His experiences show us the good and the bad. He is really a typical war hero. He has all these thought constantly running through his head, the guilt of friendly deaths or enemy kills, the love of his life, Martha, waiting for him back at home, and the weight of his entire team on his back.
-Brice Lucas
Caroline Humphrey Post 2
Analyze a character in the story. How are they characterized by the author? What is their role in the story? What do you think of them? Why?
For some odd reason, Ted Lavender was a character that really stood out to me. When he was first introduced, it was in the midst of one of the paragraphs where he lists the things the soldiers carried. O'Brien said, "Ted Lavender, who was scared, carried tranquilizers.." (2). The fact that he was introduced as being scared as his trait that he possessed was very interesting to me and made me have a lot of questions about who Lavender was and what he did. Why was Lavender in the war in the first place if he was scared? Maybe he was drafted which would make sense, for the Vietnam War did use a draft for one of the only times in American history. This man was so scared that he had to use tranquilizers to keep him calm and able to continue in the war.
Then, something very troubling happened to Lavender after he was coming back from going to the bathroom, he was shot in the brain and killed. This to me was truly heartbreaking because this young man was so scared his whole time in the war, and it actually ended horribly for him. His character symbolizes how anyone in the war could die even the most innocent and scared. Lavender did not deserve to die, and this makes readers really think about how unfair the war was and how death can reach you at any time. This man was not trying to get into a fight, for he was just using the restroom. His life still ended. Ted Lavender, while he was not a main character, was very essential to maintaining the theme and tones of the war and the novel.
Caroline Humphrey
Period 2
For some odd reason, Ted Lavender was a character that really stood out to me. When he was first introduced, it was in the midst of one of the paragraphs where he lists the things the soldiers carried. O'Brien said, "Ted Lavender, who was scared, carried tranquilizers.." (2). The fact that he was introduced as being scared as his trait that he possessed was very interesting to me and made me have a lot of questions about who Lavender was and what he did. Why was Lavender in the war in the first place if he was scared? Maybe he was drafted which would make sense, for the Vietnam War did use a draft for one of the only times in American history. This man was so scared that he had to use tranquilizers to keep him calm and able to continue in the war.
Then, something very troubling happened to Lavender after he was coming back from going to the bathroom, he was shot in the brain and killed. This to me was truly heartbreaking because this young man was so scared his whole time in the war, and it actually ended horribly for him. His character symbolizes how anyone in the war could die even the most innocent and scared. Lavender did not deserve to die, and this makes readers really think about how unfair the war was and how death can reach you at any time. This man was not trying to get into a fight, for he was just using the restroom. His life still ended. Ted Lavender, while he was not a main character, was very essential to maintaining the theme and tones of the war and the novel.
Caroline Humphrey
Period 2
Caroline Humphrey Blog post 1
Find a recurring literary term or technique in the book. What do you think the author is trying to achieve by using it? Is it effective? Why or why not?
The author, Tim O'Brien, constantly repeats the phrase, "the things they carried." After he uses this repetitive phrase, he goes on to list certain things that soldiers carried while in the Vietnam war. For example, O'Brien states, "The things they carried were largely determined by necessity"(2). He continues to state various small things that the soldiers had like dog tags and candy. Lieutenant Cross carried around love letters from the woman he loved back home named Martha. It gave him comfort knowing that her words were always close to him. The author discusses the tiny things that the soldiers use to make them feel a little bit safer. It is almost as if these things are what is keeping them alive. Aside from the inanimate objects he lists, he also talks about the metaphorical things that they carry such as the weight of the war. These show just how much war can effect your thoughts and emotions. These phrases add so much depth to the novel, and they add great imagery and thought provoking lines.
Starting multiple paragraphs with the same phrase is a great literary device that is extremely effective. The repetition becomes used so often that the reader almost gets used to seeing it on almost every page. Tim O'Brien is using this device to show a metaphor for the soldiers in the war and their daily lives. The things that they see during war that are horrendous and painful, but it becomes almost common to them. That message is extremely powerful and completely supports his story and opinions in the novel.
Caroline Humphrey
Period 2
The author, Tim O'Brien, constantly repeats the phrase, "the things they carried." After he uses this repetitive phrase, he goes on to list certain things that soldiers carried while in the Vietnam war. For example, O'Brien states, "The things they carried were largely determined by necessity"(2). He continues to state various small things that the soldiers had like dog tags and candy. Lieutenant Cross carried around love letters from the woman he loved back home named Martha. It gave him comfort knowing that her words were always close to him. The author discusses the tiny things that the soldiers use to make them feel a little bit safer. It is almost as if these things are what is keeping them alive. Aside from the inanimate objects he lists, he also talks about the metaphorical things that they carry such as the weight of the war. These show just how much war can effect your thoughts and emotions. These phrases add so much depth to the novel, and they add great imagery and thought provoking lines.
Starting multiple paragraphs with the same phrase is a great literary device that is extremely effective. The repetition becomes used so often that the reader almost gets used to seeing it on almost every page. Tim O'Brien is using this device to show a metaphor for the soldiers in the war and their daily lives. The things that they see during war that are horrendous and painful, but it becomes almost common to them. That message is extremely powerful and completely supports his story and opinions in the novel.
Caroline Humphrey
Period 2
Danny the things they carried na
How does the perspective of the narrator change the story? What do you think the author is trying to convey with this?
In the start of this novel we are introduced to Tim O'Brien. I think we know how much emotion and time he spends with his writing, he uses great description and fine detail that show us that he really has felt this pain. He describes all of the characters with something distinct that "symbols" there character like extra rations, or the character Lavender carries tranquilizers with him. The narrator shows us that the "things they carry" are symbols to each and every individual character, so they can have their own personal story and I think we will see that later in the story. From the beginning I could tell I was going to like the narrator and his descriptions of the men. I think that it will get progressively better and the narrator will try and portray the things he wishes in the story!
" it was very sad, he thought. The things men carried inside. The things men did or felt they had to do. " (O'Brein 24). I really like this quote because it is very broad and simple and doesn't say a lot, but in reality it has a deep meaning and the narrator O' Brien really shows us the true feelings in the characters p. The one thing that stands out so much about this author is ephe puts emotion, and time to every single one of his characters!
Danny Schuktz Period 2nd
In the start of this novel we are introduced to Tim O'Brien. I think we know how much emotion and time he spends with his writing, he uses great description and fine detail that show us that he really has felt this pain. He describes all of the characters with something distinct that "symbols" there character like extra rations, or the character Lavender carries tranquilizers with him. The narrator shows us that the "things they carry" are symbols to each and every individual character, so they can have their own personal story and I think we will see that later in the story. From the beginning I could tell I was going to like the narrator and his descriptions of the men. I think that it will get progressively better and the narrator will try and portray the things he wishes in the story!
" it was very sad, he thought. The things men carried inside. The things men did or felt they had to do. " (O'Brein 24). I really like this quote because it is very broad and simple and doesn't say a lot, but in reality it has a deep meaning and the narrator O' Brien really shows us the true feelings in the characters p. The one thing that stands out so much about this author is ephe puts emotion, and time to every single one of his characters!
Danny Schuktz Period 2nd
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The narrator, Chief Bromden, has an interesting perspective of the story that he is telling. He is a patient who is considered a "chronic" to the workers and other patients. As described by Bromden "Chronics are in for good, the staff concedes. What the chronics are-or for most of us- are machines with flaws inside that can't be repaired, flaws born in, or flaws beat in over so many years..." (Kesey 24). So, he is a permanent patient in this mental institution. He also happens to be the patient who has been in the mental institution the longest, so he has the most experience with how the head nurse runs it and the routine they follow. Him being in the mental institution the longest allows him to convey to us how everything works and how the patients act.
The most interesting aspect of our narrator is that he is deaf and dumb, or at least that is what everyone thinks. McMurphy catches onto the Chief's little trick almost instantly. The narrator pretending to be this way gives us a unique perspective on the mental institutions and how it works. The people don't pay that much attention to him, but he is clearly paying attention to them. His perception of how he and the other patients are treated gives us a more personal understanding of how the patients are treated. However, it leaves the reader wondering why the Chief is pretending to be deaf and dumb
"The Things They Carried" -Sydney Derrow 1
On page 14 & 15, Tim O'Brien talked about how they had no sense of mission. They had no idea what they were doing more than half the time. O'Brien said, " By daylight they took sniper fire, at night they were mortared, but it was not battle, it was just the endless march, village to village, without purpose, nothing won or lost. They marched for the sake of the march. They plotted along slowly, dumbly, leaning forward against the heat, unthinking, all blood and bone, simple grunts, soldiering with their legs, toiling up the hills and down to the paddies in across the rivers and up again and down, just humping, one stop and then the next and then another, but no violation, no will, because it was automatic, it was anatomy, and the war was entirely a matter of posture and carriage, the hump was everything, it kind of inertia, a kind of emptiness, dullness of desire and intellect and conscience and hope and human sensibility. Their principles were in their feet. Their calculations were biological. They had no sense of strategy or mission. They search the villages without knowing what to look for, not caring, kicking over jars of rice, frisking children and old men, blowing tunnels, sometimes setting fires and sometimes not, forming up and moving onto the next village, then other villages, where he would always be the same." Why did they have no idea what they were doing? Were they trained for war? In my opinion, I believe they weren't trained. I believe half of them didn't even want to be there. O'Brien and his men he wandered aimlessly, lived day by day, and going village to village, for what? Did they even know what they were looking for? - Sydney Derrow
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
"The Things They Carried" 1 -Brice Lucas
The title of the book really has a double meaning. When you think of what soldiers carry during war, you think of food, water, guns, ammunition, and maybe even tobacco and cigarettes. That is the side of things carried you can touch. There is a whole other side, the emotional side. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is very emotionally attached to a girl he went to college with, Martha. You may infer that Jimmy may not have many real attachments in his life considering he is overwhelmed with this thought of he and Martha having a relationship. He is engulfed in his thoughts that it inadvertently causes the death of one of the men in his company. Ted Lavender, whom was a very tense individual carrying marijuana and tranquilizers, is the one who is killed on his way back from using the restroom. Cross blames himself for Ted's death because he could only think about Martha before during and after Ted is shot. O'Brien describes Cross' thoughts after Lavender's death: "Lieutenant Cross kept to himself. He pictured Martha's smooth face, thinking he loved her more than anything, more than his men, and now Ted Lavender was dead because he loved her so much and could not stop thinking about her"(6). You can tell this is when it actually sank in that Ted was dead.One more point on Ted, if he was nervous enough to be on marijuana and tranquilizers, he should be on real medication. This shows how much men in the military carry on their minds during and after war.
Moving back to focus on Cross, we do not receive enough background information to come to the conclusion of what the real reason Cross has this obsession with Martha. It's not like they were husband and wife. They went on one date. This may be a mental tactic Cross created for himself to give himself a real reason to keep fighting and survive in the war. As I was saying earlier, Cross must not have a very strong relationship with anyone back home or that would be who he thinks about, and his reason to keep fighting and make it back home. Cross not having someone to look forward to seeing when he gets home that also wants to see him is weighing more on his mind than if he had someone to think about that was also thinking about him.
-Brice Lucas
Friday, February 5, 2016
Thursday, February 4, 2016
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