The Things They Carried

BY: TIM OBRIEN

JOURNAL #1
Write a list of items that you carry with you: In your car In your purse In your backpack When you go out

Glossary of Military Terms from story

AO: Area of Operation PFC.: Private First Psy Ops: Psychological

Class RTO: Radio and Telephone Operator PRC-25: Pronounced "prick 25" M & Ms: I am told that M & Ms were just that: candy given as a placebo for serious wounds where there was no hope.

Warfare (Ops = operations) R&R: Rest and Relaxation SOP: Standard Operating Procedure US KIA: United States Killed in Action USO: United Service Organization (Volunteer Entertainment and Morale) VC: Vietcong

Major Characters
Tim O'Brien

Is the narrator who never wanted to fight in the Vietnam War and remains haunted by memories even 20 years after he returns to America. First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross Is a solitary, pensive platoon leader who cares about his men. He carries photos and letters from the girl he loves back home in New Jersey, who doesn't love him back. Bob "Rat" Kiley Is a likeable and skilled medic who braves danger to keep his fellow soldiers alive. He carries comic books, brandy, and M&Ms. Kiowa Is a kind and moral soldier from Oklahoma, a Native American, a devout Baptist. He carries an illustrated New Testament, worn-out moccasins, and his grandfather's feathered hunting hatchet. Norman Bowker Is a quiet boy from Central Iowa who strives to live up to his father's expectations and finds he can't relate to anyone back home after the war. He carries a diary and a thumb cut from a Viet Cong corpse. Henry Dobbins Is a large, strong, dependable, unsophisticated machine gunner. He carries extra rations and wears his girlfriend's pantyhose tied around his neck.

Themes
Physical and Emotional Burdens

The [t]hings of the title that OBriens characters carry are both literal and figurative. While they all carry heavy physical loads, they also all carry heavy emotional loads, composed of grief, terror, love, and longing.

Social Pressure: Fear of Shame as Motivation. Many of the soldiers

actions are the result of social pressure:

OBriens personal experience shows that the fear of being shamed before ones peers is a powerful motivating factor in war. Fear of shame not only motivates reluctant men to go to Vietnam but also affects soldiers relationships with each other once there. Concern about social acceptance, which might seem in the abstract an unimportant preoccupation given the immediacy of death and necessity of group unity during war, leads OBriens characters to engage in absurd or dangerous actions.

The Subjection of Truth to Storytelling

By giving the narrator his own name and naming the rest of his characters after the men he actually fought alongside in the Vietnam War, OBrien blurs the distinction between fact and fiction. The result is that it is impossible to know whether or not any given event in the stories truly happened to OBrien.

Personal Moral Code

Thesis
Each night you will be assigned sections to read In addition to the assignment, you will create a thesis

statement for a possible paper about the prompt assigned

What is a thesis statement?

tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject

matter under discussion. is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel. makes a claim that others might dispute. is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

How do I get a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process.

Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a "working thesis," a basic or main idea, an argument that you think you can support with evidence but that may need adjustment along the way.

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it's possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument. Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like "good" or "successful," see if you could be more specific: why is something "good"; what specifically makes something "successful"? Does my thesis pass the "So what?" test? If a reader's first response is, "So what?" then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue. Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It's o.k. to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary. Does my thesis pass the "how and why?" test? If a reader's first response is "how?" or "why?" your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Thesis writing
Should people seek advice from

others or trust themselves? Is creativity needed more than never in the world today? Is a person responsible, through the example he or she sets, for the behavior of other people? Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Do newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies, the Internet, and other media determine what is important to most people?

Should our perceptions of beauty

be influenced by the perceptions of beauty of other people? Is it necessary to praise or flatter people? Is conflict helpful? Do people now (i.e., did they not in the past?) use money (and the things that money can buy) to measure success instead of using more meaningful ways to measure success? Do the benefits of scientific and technological developments come at the cost of undesirable changes to peoples lives?

Day 1: Biography
THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

Day 1: Biography
How might real-life events evolve into a fictional

story? Consider if it is okay for fiction to have elements of real events. Is it acceptable for a nonfiction writer to create moments that never occurred to help expand or explain the story? Are the standards for truthfulness in fiction different from those for nonfiction? Why or why not?

This is a novel. This is fiction.

Narrator's name is Tim O'Brien.

But the author, Tim O'Brien, created a character called Tim O'Brien.

Book is dedicated to the people who are named as characters in

the novel.

But the author does this to give a sense of reality to the story.

Remember The Blair Witch Project?

Everything was there to set you up to create the atmosphere of reality. But it wasn't real, was it? Tim O'Brien does the same thing in this novel and he does it effectively verisimilitude: includes many realistic details.

Remember that the novel is an art form. The purpose of art is to give you a view of reality. Real life is real life. Everything else, a picture,-- a poem, a song, or even a newspaper article, or even a news video,-- is just an interpretation of reality.

Day 1: Writing
Choose an object that you carry now, or one from

your childhood. Describe the object in detail, the mood it evokes, and reasons for its importance Create a shape poem in the outline of your item and your details within it

Day 1: Homework
Read The Things They Carried (pp. 1-26). Make a list of the soldiers and the special items they

carried THESIS: In "The Things They Carried," O'Brien introduces the characters and the items they carried. Illustrate how one characters item helps to describe their personality, beliefs, mental state, actions and characters traits.

Day 2: Cultural & Historical Contexts

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

REVIEW: Thesis from day 1

THESIS: In "The Things They Carried," O'Brien

introduces the characters and the items they carried. Illustrate how one characters item helps to describe their personality, beliefs, mental state, actions and characters traits. Discuss in groups your thesis, ideas and help each other to write one

What is the Draft?

The Things They Carried was published in 1990, twenty

years after Tim OBrien returned from his tour of duty in Vietnam. By most estimates nearly 9 million men served in the military between 1964 and 1975. Of that number, approximately 3.5 million men served in the Vietnam theatre of operations. The draft called more than 2 million men for military service during the Vietnam era. It has also been credited with encouraging many volunteers to join the armed services rather than risk being drafted into combat.

Day 2: Cultural & Historical Contexts

Using your homework assignment, make a list of

items that the soldiers in the story carried. Which, if any, of the items is specific to the time period of the Vietnam War? Which items are timeless? Why might Tim OBrien choose to give each man specific items in addition to the typical soldiers gear? What do the items tell us about each solders duties and personality? What do we learn about their hopes and desires?

Day 2: Assignment
Choose two characters that you were introduced to in

The Things They Carried and answer the following questions:

Who Rank/Specialty Items Carried Events from this characters life Explanation of symbol Opinion of this characters personality

Dear Homefront
Using one of your favorite characters from chapter 1,

write a letter home introducing your first sights, sounds and experiences in Vietnam Use a friendly letter format and an appropriate date The person who reads your letter will be responding to you, so include enough information for them to connect to your character

Day 2: Writing
Imagine that you are going to war and can only take

three personal items. Write a short essay describing each item and the reason why they want to carry it.

Day 2: Homework
Read Love, Spin, and On the Rainy River (pp.

27-61). Choose your favorite of the three stories and write a one-paragraph synopsis Think about the ways memory unites these stories THESIS: In "The Things They Carried," O'Brien writes that "Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to" (21). Find one character from this section and explain how their actions, attitudes, and beliefs reflect O'Brien's point of view in regards to such issues as masculinity, cowardice and courage.

Day 3: Narrative and Point of View

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

Day 3: Narrative and Point of View

The first story, The Things They Carried, is written

in the third-person point of view.

How does this serve to introduce the rest of the boo? Were you surprised when OBrien switched to first-person point of view and they realized the narrator was one of the soldiers?

In groups: share your one-paragraph synopses of the

stories you read for homework. Discuss the ways each of the stories deals with OBriens memories of times before, during, or after the war.

Day 3: Writing
Create a Compare/Contrast Diagram discussing the

differences between memoir and fiction. You might explore one or more of the following questions:

Is it acceptable to invent scenes or dialogue when writing a memoir? Why or why not? Is it all right to add elements of real-life events in fiction writing? If so, must the author let the reader know what is factual, and what is not?

Day 3: Homework
Read Enemies, Friends, How to Tell a True War

Story, and The Dentist (pp. 62-88). Identify the protagonist and antagonist of each story. THESIS: Throughout the stories, OBrien juxtaposes images of great beauty with images of great horror, the scene of Curt Lemons death in "How to Tell A True War Story" being one notable example. Write an essay in which you trace the use of such contrasting images across at least two of the stories. What do these contrasting images say about OBriens experiences in Vietnam?

Day 4: Characters
THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

Day 4: Narrative and Point of View

List the titles of the eight stories the class has read so

far and the names of the prominent characters from each story. Are some characters emerging as the books major characters while others have a lesser role? If so, which characters seem to be the most important and why?

Day 4: Writing
Start letters to history class

Day 4: Writing
In How to Tell a True War Story, OBrien writes: In any war story, but especially a true one, its difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen. What seems to happen becomes its own happening and has to be told that way. The angles of vision are skewed. The pictures get jumbled; you tend to miss a lot. And then afterward, when you go to tell about it, there is always that surreal seemingness, which makes the story seem untrue, but which in fact represents the hard and exact truth as it seemed. (p. 71)

Find an instance where OBriens writing reflects the

surreal nature of war and write a short essay on how he achieves this effect. What kinds of truths can surrealism reveal?

Day 4: Homework
Read Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong (pp. 89-116). Identify ways OBrien uses figurative language such as

imagery, simile, and metaphor to enhance the story. Create a Classifying Chart as you find 4 examples of:

Imagery Simile Metaphors

THESIS: People are usually profoundly changed by their

experiences in war. Choose one character from the stories and examine how this characters was changed by his/her experiences. What conclusions can you draw from these examples about the effects of war on the human spirit?

Day 5: Figurative Language

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

Day 5: Figurative Language

The story Rat Kiley tells in Sweetheart of the Song Tra

Bong is highly implausible. Do you feel its lack of believability makes it any less compelling.

How much of the story seems real? Is there a moral to Rat Kileys story? How does OBriens use of figurative language enhance the readers experience?

Each group has a different topic:

The topography of Vietnam The Green Berets Mary Annes transformation

Find 6 instances of how OBrien uses imagery to appeal

to the readers senses.

Day 5: Writing
Write a short essay on Mary Annes transformation

from an innocent high school girl into a predatory killer. How does her gender change the readers expectations about her reactions to the war? How does she defy those expectations? What does the story tell us about the nature of the Vietnam War?

Day 5: Homework
Read Stockings, Church, The Man I Killed,

Ambush, and Style (pp. 117-136). Review the stories youve read and identify at least one object that functions as a symbol, and come to class prepared to discuss its symbolic importance. THESIS: The men deal with the uncertainty, fear, and death around them in sometimes surprisingly tender, irreverently funny, or horrifyingly brutal ways. Choose one character from the stories to examine how these characters respond to his/her circumstances and the men around them. What conclusions can you draw about men and war through these examples?

Day 6: Symbols
THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

Day 6: Symbols
There is a great deal of symbolism in The Things They

Carried.

Readers are told in the title story that Henry Dobbins carries his girlfriends nylons wrapped around his neck. In Stockings, OBrien tells the story of how the stockings became a symbol of comfort and protection. (i.e., Kiowas moccasins and feathered hatchet, Mary Annes tongue necklace, Lieutenant Crosss pebble, the young Vietnamese soldier, Kathleen, Linda, the thumb Norman Bowker carried in Vietnam, and his desire for the Silver Star Medal.)

Identify some of the many other symbols in the book

How does the symbolic value of items help the reader

better understand the personality of the character? If the character is a symbol, what does that person represent?

Day 6: Writing
Write a short story with a symbol that is central to

the plot. Encourage them to use a symbol that does not already have strong meaning attached to it.

Day 6: Homework
Read Speaking of Courage and Notes (pp. 137-161). Review the stories they have read so far and write a short

character analysis of Norman Bowker.

Pay attention to the characters ethics. Decide whether the characters actions are wise or unwise. What is the characters motivation? Consider the effects of the characters behavior on other characters. Look for repeatedly used words that describe the character. Be aware of items associated with the character. Read between the lines. Is the character flat or round? Consider the historical time period of the character. Finally, what does the author think?

Day 7: Character Development

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

Day 7: Character Development

What is the evolution of Norman Bowkers character throughout the book? How does Speaking of Courage show us the complex relationship

between one man, his fellow soldiers, and his family and friends in his hometown? Does learning about Norman Bowkers post-war life change the way we feel about his actions during the attack that took Kiowas life? Speaking of Courage is the only story other than the title story, The Things They Carried, that is written in the third-person point of view. Why might OBrien have chosen this narrative stance? In On the Rainy River OBrien writes,

Courage, I seemed to think, comes to us in finite quantities, like an inheritance, and by being frugal and stashing it away and letting it earn interest, we steadily increase our moral capital in preparation for that day when the account must be drawn down (p. 40).

Do you believe there are any heroes in the book? If so, how do they display courage? Does the narrators opinion of courage

change during the course of the book?

Day 7: Writing
Write a two-page essay considering how Notes

expands the way we read Speaking of Courage. How does the last paragraph of Notes demonstrate OBriens struggle to find the truth about the Vietnam War?

Day 7: Homework
Read In the Field, Good Form, and Field Trip

(pp. 162-188). Read Handout Three: The Quang Ngai Province and the My Lai Massacre. THESIS: The "Speaking of Courage" sequence, as well as the stories related to "the Man I Killed," deal a lot with the issue of responsibility and guilt. Discuss how one character deal with his/her feelings of guilt over the deaths of those around them.

Day 8: The Plot Unfolds

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

Day 8: The Plot Unfolds

Discuss The Quang Ngai Province and the My Lai Massacre OBrien writes, Its time to be blunt. Im forty-three years old, true, and Im a writer now, and a long time ago I walked through the Quang Ngai Province as a foot soldier. Almost everything else is invented. But its not a game. Its a form (p. 179). What is the relationship between truth and fact in The Things

They Carried? Why are facts important? How much factual information do we need to understand the truth? How might knowing all the factual information about OBriens service in Vietnam hinder us from understanding the book? How does the search for truth enhance the books plot?

Day 8: Writing
Choose one of the soldiers in the field the night

Kiowa dies and write a condolence letter from that character to Kiowas family. Consider why you choose to include some information and leave out other facts and attach reasoning on post-it to front of letter.

Day 8: Homework
Read The Ghost Soldiers (pp. 189-218). Identify at least three themes explored in The Things

They Carried THESIS: What is the role of women and girls in the book? Examine the various female characters in the novel and explain what each may represent.

Day 9: Themes of the book

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

Day 9: Themes
Discuss the themes identified during last nights homework Social Pressure: Fear of Shame as Motivation. Many of the soldiers

actions are the result of social pressure:

OBriens unwillingness to dodge the draft by fleeing to Canada even though he opposed the war, the dark humor the unit displays in the villages, and the fact that they would kill and die because they were embarrassed not to (p. 21).

Personal Moral Code Physical and Emotional Burdens: The [t]hings of the title that

OBriens characters carry are both literal and figurative. While they all carry heavy physical loads, they also all carry heavy emotional loads, composed of grief, terror, love, and longing. Truth: OBrien plays with the line between fact and fiction throughout the book.

By telling stories, you objectify your own experience. You separate it from yourself. You pin down certain truths. You make up others. You start sometimes with an incident that truly happened . . . and you carry it forward by inventing incidents that did not in fact occur but that nonetheless help to clarify and explain (p. 158). Ask your class to discuss ways OBrien blurs the lines between reality and imagination. How does this contribute to our understanding of the war?

Day 9: Writing
Social Pressure: Many of the soldiers actions are the

result of social pressure:

Identify instances where social pressure affects a character or the unit as a whole. Is this pressure positive or is it a negative influence? Support your answers with passages from the text.

Personal Moral Code: Using your assigned character,

write a short analysis of the characters individual moral code by quoting passages from the book. How do the characters morals differ from one another? How are they the same? Truth: OBrien plays with the line between fact and fiction throughout the book.

Discuss ways OBrien blurs the lines between reality and imagination. How does this contribute to our understanding of the war?

Day 9: Homework
Read Night Life and The Lives of the Dead (pp.

219-246). THESIS: Why is it so hard to "tell a true war story"? Write an essay in which you examine OBriens use of imagination and invention, and the difficulties posed by wartime conditions on truth-telling.

Day 10: What Makes a Good Book, GREAT?

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

Day 10: What makes a good book, great?

Respond to another History class essay

Day 10: What makes a good book, great?

Make a list of the characteristics of a great book. Do you agree with Robert Harriss review of The

Things They Carried? A great writer can be the voice of a generation. What kind of voice does Tim OBrien create in The Things They Carried? What elevates a work of fiction to greatness? Ask them to discuss, within groups, other books they know that include some of these characteristics. Do any of these books remind them of The Things They Carried? Is this a great book? Why or why not?

Day 10: Writing

Write a short essay exploring their personal

reactions to The Things They Carried. You should go beyond expressing like or dislike. Make a list of emotions you felt while reading the book, and examine why. Which characters and scenes did you relate to, and which remained strange or difficult to comprehend? Was the resolution of the book satisfying? Comforting? Disturbing? Why?

Day 10: Homework

Choose your thesis and begin your rough draft of

your intro paragraph and two body paragraphs

FARCEBOOK
CREATE A FARCEBOOK PAGE ON ONE CHARACTER: THE SITE OFFERS: LOGIN AT WWW.FARCEBOOK.US LOGIN CODE:FB74279