Things They Carried - Commack Schools



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The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

Chapter 1: “The Things They Carried”

1. In what sense does Jimmy love Martha? Why does he construct this elaborate, mostly fictional relationship with her: What does he get out of it?

2. Identify some possible symbolism to the name “Lavender.”

3. Identify some irony in the death of Ted Lavender?

4. What truths does Lavender’s death illustrate about the war?

5. Mitchel Sanders insists that there is a moral to the death of Ted Lavender. He says the same when they encounter the corpse of a young VC soldier. However, he cannot articulate just what that moral might be. Why do you think he wants to see a moral in this situations? Why is he unable to explain the so-called moral?

6. Why do the soldiers tell jokes about the war, about killing?

7. According to the narrator, what is a soldier’s greatest fear? Why do many soldiers kill others or die during a war?

8. How is the concept of weight employed and developed in the story? What effect does it have on you?

9. What does the narrator mean when he says, “grief, terror, love, longing – these were intangibles, but intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight”?

10. Why do you think Lt. Cross burns Martha’s letters and photos? How does he change after he burns them? Is this change good? Explain.

How does the author’s writing style add to your understanding of the experience of a soldier? Discuss O’Brien’s use of the following elements and techniques of writing:

Diction (always identify what kind of diction you believe the author employs. Ex: colloquial diction, graphic diction, emotional diction, informal diction.)

Quote:

Analysis:

Understatement

Quote:

Analysis:

Repetition

Quote:

Analysis:

Imagery

Quote:

Analysis:

Motifs and Themes: Mortality and Death, Morality, Storytelling, Memory, Duty and Obligation, Shame and Guilt, Redemption, Weights and Burdens, Courage, Fear, The Search for Order/ Control/ Purpose,  The Nature of War, The Effects of War, Humanity, etc.

 

Motif (Identify one)

Quote:

Analysis:

Motif (Identify another)

Quote:

Analysis:

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