"Ghost Soldiers"

How do you feel about O'Brien's actions in "The Ghost Soldiers"? Explain.

"The Ghost Soldiers" is one of the only stories of The Things They Carried in which we don't know the ending in advance. Why might O'Brien want this story to be suspenseful?

Field Trip

Why does O'Brien revisit the field?

Is his daughter's reaction appropriate? Explain.

"In the Field"

In "In The Field," O'Brien writes, "When a man died, there had to be blame." What does this idea do to the men of O'Brien's company? Are they justified in thinking themselves at fault? How do they cope with their own feelings of guilt?

"Notes"

In "Notes," Tim O'Brien says, "You start sometimes with an incident that truly happened, like the night in the **** field, and you carry it forward by inventing incidents that did not in fact occur but that nonetheless help to clarify and explain it." What does this tell you about O'Brien's understanding of the way fiction relates to real life?

Speaking of Courage

Answer the following - remember do not leech off of each other's answers and use proper writing style.

1. Why does Norman Bowker still feel inadequate with seven metals? Why is Norman's father such a presence in his mental life? Would it really change Norman's life if he had eight metals, the silver star, etc.? Explain.

2. What is the more difficult problem for Norman, the lack of the silver star or the death of Kiowa? Explain.

The Man I Killed and Ambush

After reading these two chapters read the poem titled "The Man He Killed" found here: http://www.illyria.com/hardyman.html - compare O'Brien's story with Hardy's poem. Are they both "true war stories"?

Also read "Ambush". After reading both stories explain the feelings of guilt that O'Brien is experiencing.

Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong

We have discussed the idea of motifs throughout this novel - one was the Savior motif which we have seen over and over. Identify and discuss the motif, different from the Savior motif, in this chapter.

A True War Story

What does O'Brien mean when he says that true war stories are never about war? What does he mean when he writes, "That's a true story that never happened"?

Friends and Enemies - Chapters 5/6

What is the role of shame in the lives of these soldiers? Does it drive them to acts of heroism, or stupidity? Or both? What is the relationship between shame and courage?

Use specific examples

If someone takes your answer - elaborate. You can pull examples from other chapters as well.

"On the Rainy River"

Identify the irony in this chapter. You only need to give one example. If someone takes your answer, expand on it, or discuss a different example. Remember, spelling and grammar count.

Love and Humanity

Wow - so far your responses have been fabulous! After reading chapters two and three in class, respond to the following:

• Why does O'Brien title Chapter 2 "Love"? Love between whom?

• Name one example of inhumanity in Chapter 3 "Spin." Why is this act inhuman? How do we categorize experiences as humane or inhuman? Who decides?

• Reminder: If someone takes your answer - expand on the answer. Use text based evidence in your responses. Check your grammar and spelling before you post; remember this is an assignment.

Saviors

We have discussed the things the soldiers carried and how those things connect to our own lives. This time I want you to really analyze chapter one. We have talked about saviors, what it means to be a savior, and listed some on the board. Name a savior that you see in chapter one. What makes this person a savior? If someone takes your answer, you need to expand on someone's answer.

The Things We Carry

We have talked about tangible things that we carry. Now, let's dig a little deeper. Think about the things you carry that are not tangible. List two of these things and assign a weight to them.