The Things They Carried: Blog Prompt #3

Blog Prompt #3 (50 points)

Due: Monday, May 16th in class

As you near the end of The Things They Carried, reflection upon the following questions:

1.)   Our guest speaker, Wes Hamilton, spoke about being upset to this day because he does not know/can’t remember the ‘real’ names of service members whom he served with during his time in Vietnam. What does this say about the alter personality that must be created by those at war? Do you think that the soldiers in The Things They Carried know each other the a level that would actually occur at war? Less so? More so? Support your answer with evidence from the text. (1 paragraph)

2.)   We are introduced to an amazing and somewhat unexpected character, Mark Fossie’s girlfriend Mary Anne Bell. While it was, and still is in many ways, considered taboo for women to serve in the military, and in fact it is still technically not permitted for women to serve in combat, although women do. What message, if any, do you think that O’Brien was trying to portray by including such a strong, fearless female soldier in his novel? (1 paragraph)

3.)   O’Brien presents a reality of the Vietnam War and his personal experiences in a way that is neither totally true or totally false. How ‘true’ do you think he is being? How false? What are the advantages and/or disadvantages to presenting a memoir that falls in the middle of fiction and non-fiction? Does it even matter or distract from the story? (2 paragraphs)

Note: A paragraph is 5-7 complete sentences. If you feel so inclined, write a short paragraph and a poem to respond. Also, all of your responses MUST included some type of digital enhancement to support your response. For example, a song like, a YouTube video, a news article….be as creative as you like.

In addition, write at least five potential questions that you want to discuss concerning The Things They Carried.

The Things They Carried Prompt #2

The first chapter of The Things They Carried focuses on the ‘things’ that soldiers carry. While O’Brien spends much of the chapter talking about the literal things that soldiers carry, what other ‘things’ are the soldiers also carrying? (1 paragraph)

You have spent the last several days in class tracking the many characters in this novel and their character traits. Choose one character and recall what you have learned about them. Who are they? What has happened to them? What do you predict may happen to the character later in the novel? (1 paragraph)

You have watched the documentary The Most Dangerous Man in America about the Pentagon Papers, read about the history of the Vietnam War, read a short biography about the author, Tim O’Brien, and participated in group and whole class discussions about the events of the Vietnam War & the event in “The Things They Carried.” How are all of these pieces (movie, history, novel) are related and connected? Explain and defend your answer. (1 paragraph)

Note: While I do expect you to answer the above prompts with writing, I also encourage you to use other resources to defend and explain your answers. For example, you may insert an image, audio clip, or quote that you have located on the Internet.

"The Things They Carried" Response #1

On Monday we will begin our unit on The Things They Carried, a memoir about a first-hand account of the Vietnam War. Before we begin reading, it is important that we learn about the Vietnam War to better understand the novel and engage the larger question of: Why did the Vietnam War occur?

Respond to the following:

Most of you were young children when 9/11 occurred, so for the majority of your lives the United States has been at war or involved in international conflicts and/or occupations of countries around the world. Given this reality, respond to the following:

* What are your thoughts and beliefs about war?
* Do you feel that the United States should ever be involved in war?Why? Why not?
* What do you know about the Vietnam War?

Your response to this blog post is due by Saturday, April 16.

Video Update #1 (Practice Run & Introductions)

Survey!!!!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7JVNS9W

Today's Prompt

If you could snap your fingers and change school to be the most amazing place in the world, what would it be like? Give details and explain. :)

Welcome!

Welcome, students!

This blog is for Ms. Smith's 11th grade American Literature class. :) I will be updating informaiton for our class on this blog during my time at Olympia High. I hope this will be a space of learning and fun!