1. Describe how “the war was like a ping-pong ball.”
2. What does the last paragraph tell us that stories are for?
3. What types of memories are included in this chapter and why are they important?
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Group Review Questions
Chapter 4: “On the Rainy River”
1. How did Tim feel about the Vietnam War while he was at college? Do his actions and language support the idea that he “hated” the Vietnam war?
2. What were Tim’s options once he received his draft notice? Who did he hold responsible for his situation? Who did he think should go to war instead of him?
3. What does Tim say is Elroy Berdhal’s role in his life? What sort of person was Elroy? How did Tim know?
4. How do the opening sentences prepare you for the story?: “This is the one story I’ve never told before. Not to anyone.” What effect do they have on the reader?
5. Why does O’Brien relate his experience as a pig declotter? How does this information contribute to the story? Why go into such specific detail?
6. At the story’s close, O’Brien almost jumps ship to Canada, but doesn’t: “I did try. It just wasn’t possible.” What has O’Brien learned about himself, and how does he return home as a changed person?
7. In this chapter, we learn the 21-year-old O'Brien's theory of courage: “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. It was a comforting theory.” What might the 43-year-old O'Brien's theory of courage be?
1. How did Tim feel about the Vietnam War while he was at college? Do his actions and language support the idea that he “hated” the Vietnam war?
2. What were Tim’s options once he received his draft notice? Who did he hold responsible for his situation? Who did he think should go to war instead of him?
3. What does Tim say is Elroy Berdhal’s role in his life? What sort of person was Elroy? How did Tim know?
4. How do the opening sentences prepare you for the story?: “This is the one story I’ve never told before. Not to anyone.” What effect do they have on the reader?
5. Why does O’Brien relate his experience as a pig declotter? How does this information contribute to the story? Why go into such specific detail?
6. At the story’s close, O’Brien almost jumps ship to Canada, but doesn’t: “I did try. It just wasn’t possible.” What has O’Brien learned about himself, and how does he return home as a changed person?
7. In this chapter, we learn the 21-year-old O'Brien's theory of courage: “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. It was a comforting theory.” What might the 43-year-old O'Brien's theory of courage be?
Friday, March 4, 2011
Love - Journal Choices
"You writer types," he said, "you've got long memories." Should we trust Tim O' Brien, the protaganist, to tell the stories truthfully? Why?
When Jimmy meets up with Martha again, after the war, her eyes were "gray and neutral" yet he still loved her. Why does Jimmy need to hold on to Martha and his love for her. What does his love represent?
When Jimmy meets up with Martha again, after the war, her eyes were "gray and neutral" yet he still loved her. Why does Jimmy need to hold on to Martha and his love for her. What does his love represent?
Thursday, March 3, 2011
The Things They Carried - Journal Topics
- What do the things they carried reveal about the soldiers? How are these things symbolic (what do they represent)?
- "The died so as not to die of embarrassment." How do the social expectations for men, in general, play into the soldier's lives in the war?
- (p.22-23) Re-read the poetic passage about the "freedom birds." What does the tone, symbolism and imagery of the paragraph reveal about Tim (the protagonist)?
Use examples - quotations to support your thinking...
Have a main idea - no rambling...
- "The died so as not to die of embarrassment." How do the social expectations for men, in general, play into the soldier's lives in the war?
- (p.22-23) Re-read the poetic passage about the "freedom birds." What does the tone, symbolism and imagery of the paragraph reveal about Tim (the protagonist)?
Use examples - quotations to support your thinking...
Have a main idea - no rambling...
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Things They Carried - Day Two
1)Return some things - test back tomorrow...2) Movie Questions
3)Back to Vietnam - History and Overview
4) Start reading - page 21?
4) Silent Reading?
5)Reading Journal and Chapter Notes... tomorrow.
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