Review for Test on The Things They Carried
This account of today's review in class should help you study for your quiz on Monday, but you should not rely on this list. You will be asked to go into more detail about the characters and themes. You should also go back through your notes and quizzes. Study groups help too.
CHAPTERS:
"The Things They Carried:
Lt. Jimmy Cross thinks about Martha too much, which leads to Ted Lavender's death.
We learn about what things soldiers carry.
Themes: Love, Guilt, Shame, and Burden
"How to Tell a True War Story"
Curt Lemon dies when playing with Rat Kiley; Rat Kiley writes a letter to Curt's sister, but she never writes back. Mitchell Sanders tells the story about the music in the jungle.
"The Dentist"
Curt Lemon is scared of the dentist, but more scared of embarrassment
Themes: Embarrassment, Cowardice, Courage
"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong"
Mark Fossie brings his girlfriend, Mary Anne to Vietnam. Mary Anne turns into a Green Beret and wears a necklace of tongues of the people she killed.
Theme: how war changes you, love
"The Man I Killed"
Tim O'Brien creates a life for the Vietnamese man that he killed.
"Ambush"
O'Brien tells us that he killed the Vietnamese man out of fear - wanted him to disappear, so he threw the grenade. He didn’t really want to kill him.
"Good Form"
Tim O'Brien says here that he didn’t actually throw the grenade but that he was guilty of killing the man because he was "present" (there).
Theme: happening truth vs. story truth
"Speaking of Courage"
Norman Bowker feels guilty about Kiowa's death.
Themes: Impact of war, ability to cope and communicate about war, coping with death, Guilt
"In the Field"
Kiowa dies in the field. Who is responsible? Jimmy Cross? The young soldier? Norman Bowker? (in "Speaking of Courage")
"Field Trip"
Tim takes his daughter, Kathleen, to the field in Vietnam
Themes: coping with death, Perspective, Guilt
"Ghost Soldiers"
Tim takes revenge on Bobby Jorgenson because he was a bad doctor to Tim.
Themes: Revenge, friendship
CHARACTERS:
Tim O'Brien (separate from Tim O'Brien the author)
Lt. Jimmy Cross - in love with Martha, blames himself for the deaths of the men he's leading (Ted Lavender, Kiowa)
Ted Lavender - died "zapped while zipping"
Kiowa - died in the field
Curt Lemon - killed while playing with Rat Kiley. His death is described as something beautiful. He's scared of the dentist, but more scared of being embarrassed.
Kathleen - Tim's daughter, shows the importance of perspective
Rat Kiley - medic, tells the story of The Song Tra Bong, loves to exaggerate - "to heat up the truth."
Norman Bowker - had difficulty coping with the war, circles the lake in his hometown, blamed himself for Kiowa's death, obsessed with almost but not getting the silver star of valor, can't talk to anyone about the war, so he asks Tim to write the story for him.
The young soldier - you could argue that he is responsible for Kiowa's death because he turned on his flashlight to show Kiowa a photo of his girlfriend.
Azar - jokes around in order to cope with war and death, wants to take the prank on Bobby Jorgenson too far.
Mark Fossie - brings Mary Anne to Vietnam and loses her to the jungle and the love of Vietnam
Martha - Jimmy Cross is in love with her, but she doesn’t love him back.
Mary Anne - wears a necklace of tongues at the end of the story, goes from loving Mark Fossie to needing nothing but Vietnam, becomes a Green Beret and eventually disappears into the jungle
Henry Dobbins - wears his girlfriend's pantyhose around his neck as a good luck charm
Bobby Jorgenson - medic that takes over when Rat Kiley leaves. He does not do a good job when Tim is shot in the butt, so Tim wants to take revenge on him.
Vietnamese man - who Tim O'Brien "kills"
THEMES:
The effects of war
Guilt
Truth (the feeling or emotion of the experience)
Happening Truth vs. Story Truth
What stories can do
Love and friendship
Shame/Embarrassment
Fear
Courage vs. Cowardice
Innocence and loss of innocence - How war changes you
Revenge
Burden
Beauty of war
Coping with war and with death
Self-preservation
CHAPTERS:
"The Things They Carried:
Lt. Jimmy Cross thinks about Martha too much, which leads to Ted Lavender's death.
We learn about what things soldiers carry.
Themes: Love, Guilt, Shame, and Burden
"How to Tell a True War Story"
Curt Lemon dies when playing with Rat Kiley; Rat Kiley writes a letter to Curt's sister, but she never writes back. Mitchell Sanders tells the story about the music in the jungle.
"The Dentist"
Curt Lemon is scared of the dentist, but more scared of embarrassment
Themes: Embarrassment, Cowardice, Courage
"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong"
Mark Fossie brings his girlfriend, Mary Anne to Vietnam. Mary Anne turns into a Green Beret and wears a necklace of tongues of the people she killed.
Theme: how war changes you, love
"The Man I Killed"
Tim O'Brien creates a life for the Vietnamese man that he killed.
"Ambush"
O'Brien tells us that he killed the Vietnamese man out of fear - wanted him to disappear, so he threw the grenade. He didn’t really want to kill him.
"Good Form"
Tim O'Brien says here that he didn’t actually throw the grenade but that he was guilty of killing the man because he was "present" (there).
Theme: happening truth vs. story truth
"Speaking of Courage"
Norman Bowker feels guilty about Kiowa's death.
Themes: Impact of war, ability to cope and communicate about war, coping with death, Guilt
"In the Field"
Kiowa dies in the field. Who is responsible? Jimmy Cross? The young soldier? Norman Bowker? (in "Speaking of Courage")
"Field Trip"
Tim takes his daughter, Kathleen, to the field in Vietnam
Themes: coping with death, Perspective, Guilt
"Ghost Soldiers"
Tim takes revenge on Bobby Jorgenson because he was a bad doctor to Tim.
Themes: Revenge, friendship
CHARACTERS:
Tim O'Brien (separate from Tim O'Brien the author)
Lt. Jimmy Cross - in love with Martha, blames himself for the deaths of the men he's leading (Ted Lavender, Kiowa)
Ted Lavender - died "zapped while zipping"
Kiowa - died in the field
Curt Lemon - killed while playing with Rat Kiley. His death is described as something beautiful. He's scared of the dentist, but more scared of being embarrassed.
Kathleen - Tim's daughter, shows the importance of perspective
Rat Kiley - medic, tells the story of The Song Tra Bong, loves to exaggerate - "to heat up the truth."
Norman Bowker - had difficulty coping with the war, circles the lake in his hometown, blamed himself for Kiowa's death, obsessed with almost but not getting the silver star of valor, can't talk to anyone about the war, so he asks Tim to write the story for him.
The young soldier - you could argue that he is responsible for Kiowa's death because he turned on his flashlight to show Kiowa a photo of his girlfriend.
Azar - jokes around in order to cope with war and death, wants to take the prank on Bobby Jorgenson too far.
Mark Fossie - brings Mary Anne to Vietnam and loses her to the jungle and the love of Vietnam
Martha - Jimmy Cross is in love with her, but she doesn’t love him back.
Mary Anne - wears a necklace of tongues at the end of the story, goes from loving Mark Fossie to needing nothing but Vietnam, becomes a Green Beret and eventually disappears into the jungle
Henry Dobbins - wears his girlfriend's pantyhose around his neck as a good luck charm
Bobby Jorgenson - medic that takes over when Rat Kiley leaves. He does not do a good job when Tim is shot in the butt, so Tim wants to take revenge on him.
Vietnamese man - who Tim O'Brien "kills"
THEMES:
The effects of war
Guilt
Truth (the feeling or emotion of the experience)
Happening Truth vs. Story Truth
What stories can do
Love and friendship
Shame/Embarrassment
Fear
Courage vs. Cowardice
Innocence and loss of innocence - How war changes you
Revenge
Burden
Beauty of war
Coping with war and with death
Self-preservation
posted by Mary at 1:40 PM
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