" In a story, miracles can happen. Linda can smile and sit up. She can reach out, touch my wrist, and say, "Timmy, stop crying." (pg. 224)
" We kept the dead alive with stories." (pg. 226)
The ending to this book is phenomenal. I loved the last section entitled The Lives of the Dead. It completely wraps the book up. This chapter tells why Tim included all of these stories about his friends who died in battle. He told them to keep them alive with stories. He didn't want them to be forgotten. O'Brien's goal was to have their soul live on forever through this book.
I am sure Tim had a hard time compiling all of these stories and it was probably emotionally overwhelming to relive them again by expressing the stories on paper. Even though it was hard for him, I am sure it was worth it because all of his close friends will now live on forever in these stories. They will never be forgotten.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Linda
" Linda was nine then, as I was, but we were in love. And it was real. When I write about her now, three decades later, it's tempting to dismiss it as a crush, and infatuation of childhood, but I know for a fact that what we felt for each other was as deep and rich as love can ever get." (pg. 216)
When I started reading this section, I became very confused about why he would randomly start talking about his nine year old love at the end of a war book. The stories he told about her were elementary school adorable, but he talked about her so maturely. He said that at nine years old he knew he was in a true love with her. Not infatuation or a crush, true love. I found it touching that he was positive that he loved her.
I don't know how many times I have heard, "You don't even know what love is!" At my age, I am even confused about the word love in general. When does someone know they are truly in love and what age do u have to be to know what love is? I don't think there is a certain age and by the way it looks, I think Tim would agree with me. I just hope one day I can be as positive as Tim was about truly loving someone else.
When I started reading this section, I became very confused about why he would randomly start talking about his nine year old love at the end of a war book. The stories he told about her were elementary school adorable, but he talked about her so maturely. He said that at nine years old he knew he was in a true love with her. Not infatuation or a crush, true love. I found it touching that he was positive that he loved her.
I don't know how many times I have heard, "You don't even know what love is!" At my age, I am even confused about the word love in general. When does someone know they are truly in love and what age do u have to be to know what love is? I don't think there is a certain age and by the way it looks, I think Tim would agree with me. I just hope one day I can be as positive as Tim was about truly loving someone else.
Rat Kiley
"Sometimes he'd stare at guys who were still okay, the alive guys, and he'd start to picture how they'd look dead. Without arms or legs - that sort of thing. It was ghoulish, he knew that, but he couldn't shut off the pictures." (pg. 211)
Personally, I think someone who looks at people and pictures them dismembered should be in a mental hospital. That is just scary and cruel. It isn't like Rat wanted to do this though. He had seen so much damage to the human body that it seemed normal to him.
To me, this just proves how insane the war over there was. Rat was getting no sleep and still trying to do his job. This was pushing the poor man towards insanity. This was just something that happened over time and wasn't going away. If I pictured my friends in pieces, I would probably shoot myself in the foot to go home too. I think it was fair to say that Rat did his duty and it was time for him to return home. I know he probably didn't want to but he had no choice at this point.
Personally, I think someone who looks at people and pictures them dismembered should be in a mental hospital. That is just scary and cruel. It isn't like Rat wanted to do this though. He had seen so much damage to the human body that it seemed normal to him.
To me, this just proves how insane the war over there was. Rat was getting no sleep and still trying to do his job. This was pushing the poor man towards insanity. This was just something that happened over time and wasn't going away. If I pictured my friends in pieces, I would probably shoot myself in the foot to go home too. I think it was fair to say that Rat did his duty and it was time for him to return home. I know he probably didn't want to but he had no choice at this point.
Night Life
" No moon and no stars. It was the purest black you could imagine, Sanders said, the kind of clock-stopping black that God must've had in mind when he sat down to invent blackness. It made your eyeballs ache. You'd shake your head and blink, except you couldn't even tell you were blinking, the blackness didn't change." (pg. 209)
This description of the dark frightens me. I don't know many people who like the dark. I hate it. I find myself afraid of looking out windows in my safe comfortable house at night. This kind of darkness that Tim speaks of I can't even imagine.
My father has always said, "Nothing good ever happens past midnight." From my experiences over the years, I would have to agree with him. All of the stories I hear have ruined night time for me. Something in the human body changes as the sun goes down. The way these men had to move at night in an extremely dark environment scares me, let alone them. I know they had to be scared, but they were also too scared to become a coward.
This description of the dark frightens me. I don't know many people who like the dark. I hate it. I find myself afraid of looking out windows in my safe comfortable house at night. This kind of darkness that Tim speaks of I can't even imagine.
My father has always said, "Nothing good ever happens past midnight." From my experiences over the years, I would have to agree with him. All of the stories I hear have ruined night time for me. Something in the human body changes as the sun goes down. The way these men had to move at night in an extremely dark environment scares me, let alone them. I know they had to be scared, but they were also too scared to become a coward.
Separation
" They were still my buddies, at least on one level, but once you leave the boonies, the whole comrade business gets turned around. You become a civilian. You forfeit membership in the family, the blood fraternity, and no matter how hard you try, you can't pretend to be a part of it." (pg. 185)
At this part of the book, I felt horrible for Tim. He didn't chose to get shot in the butt and leave, it just happened. Getting shot was one of the risks they had to take out there. He had to heal and getting better meant resting and not being about to be with his clan in the fields. He was to recover at the headquarters. When the Alpha Company came in to his headquarters he was glad to see him, but he now felt a sense of separation.
I have been playing soccer with a specific group of girls my whole life. It has been a great experience for me and I love every minute of it. When we all got into high school, most of the girls breathed soccer while I enjoyed doing other activities too. I wanted to be involved in other things like choir and theatre, but this came at a price. This is when I experienced this separation that Tim is speaking of. You still feel like you belong in the group, but you aren't always with them so u feel a little out of the loop.
At this part of the book, I felt horrible for Tim. He didn't chose to get shot in the butt and leave, it just happened. Getting shot was one of the risks they had to take out there. He had to heal and getting better meant resting and not being about to be with his clan in the fields. He was to recover at the headquarters. When the Alpha Company came in to his headquarters he was glad to see him, but he now felt a sense of separation.
I have been playing soccer with a specific group of girls my whole life. It has been a great experience for me and I love every minute of it. When we all got into high school, most of the girls breathed soccer while I enjoyed doing other activities too. I wanted to be involved in other things like choir and theatre, but this came at a price. This is when I experienced this separation that Tim is speaking of. You still feel like you belong in the group, but you aren't always with them so u feel a little out of the loop.
Extremes
" It's a hard thing to explain to somebody who hasn't felt it, but the presence of death and danger has a way of bringing you fully awake. It makes things vivid. When you're afraid, really afraid, you see things you never saw before, you pay attention to the world." (pg. 183)
I have never been in an extreme life of death situation, but here I understand what Tim is saying. It takes one extreme present (death) to fully be able to recognize and cherish the other extreme (life). People in the world often ask, "Why do bad things have to happen?" I believe the same rule applies here. Bad things are present so that good things seem more real and aren't taken for granted.
This summer I have traveled all around the country it feels like. I went on Summer Field Studies which went to the Grand Canyon and Colorado and the week after SFS I went on a family vacation to Michigan. Over those three weeks I feel that I can relate to this passage twice.
When hiking in the canyon, it kind of scared me to know that people had died by falling into the canyon. This presence of the possibility of death with one wrong step made me watch where I was walking. I would say that this danger brought me fully awake. Also, when I was in Michigan, my family and I went to a butterfly house. I know that doesn't sound too deadly or dangerous, but I felt like the lives of the butterflies were in my hands. The danger or possibility of stepping on the free flying butterflies made me take my steps with caution. I felt like I had never observed more in my entire life because I was so awakened by the thought of killing a butterfly.
Random Fact I learned : Butterflies only live for 3 to 10 days... So if I did step on one, it's not like they really had a future anyways =/
I have never been in an extreme life of death situation, but here I understand what Tim is saying. It takes one extreme present (death) to fully be able to recognize and cherish the other extreme (life). People in the world often ask, "Why do bad things have to happen?" I believe the same rule applies here. Bad things are present so that good things seem more real and aren't taken for granted.
This summer I have traveled all around the country it feels like. I went on Summer Field Studies which went to the Grand Canyon and Colorado and the week after SFS I went on a family vacation to Michigan. Over those three weeks I feel that I can relate to this passage twice.
When hiking in the canyon, it kind of scared me to know that people had died by falling into the canyon. This presence of the possibility of death with one wrong step made me watch where I was walking. I would say that this danger brought me fully awake. Also, when I was in Michigan, my family and I went to a butterfly house. I know that doesn't sound too deadly or dangerous, but I felt like the lives of the butterflies were in my hands. The danger or possibility of stepping on the free flying butterflies made me take my steps with caution. I felt like I had never observed more in my entire life because I was so awakened by the thought of killing a butterfly.
Random Fact I learned : Butterflies only live for 3 to 10 days... So if I did step on one, it's not like they really had a future anyways =/
Through a Child's Eyes
" "Why was everybody so mad at everybody else?" I shook my head. "They weren't mad, exactly. Some people wanted one thing other people wanted another thing." - "What did you want?" - "Nothing," I said. "To stay alive." - "That's all?" - "Yes." " (pg. 175)
I think it was very important that Tim brought a child's perspective into this book. Taking his daughter to the land that caused him so much trouble must have definitely been an experience. He was bringing his daughter to a place where he was 20 years ago when he didn't know if he would get out alive, let alone have a family.
In the quotation above, Tim's daughter added an understatement to the book. Tim said all he wanted was to stay alive and she replied, "That's all?" Kathleen didn't know that staying alive was the goal for most of the soldiers there. Children are all so green and innocent. She didn't realize what she was saying, but it made sense to so many other people. Kathleen was too young to understand that her father didn't live on the grassy field and see butterflies when he woke up. She didn't see or know what was buried under that field. I think he father was okay with that.
I think it was very important that Tim brought a child's perspective into this book. Taking his daughter to the land that caused him so much trouble must have definitely been an experience. He was bringing his daughter to a place where he was 20 years ago when he didn't know if he would get out alive, let alone have a family.
In the quotation above, Tim's daughter added an understatement to the book. Tim said all he wanted was to stay alive and she replied, "That's all?" Kathleen didn't know that staying alive was the goal for most of the soldiers there. Children are all so green and innocent. She didn't realize what she was saying, but it made sense to so many other people. Kathleen was too young to understand that her father didn't live on the grassy field and see butterflies when he woke up. She didn't see or know what was buried under that field. I think he father was okay with that.
Revisiting the Past
"This little field, I thought, had swallowed so much. My best friend. My pride. My belief in myself as a man of some small dignity and courage." (pg. 176)
Here O'Brien uses personification and gives the field the characteristic of being able to swallow. He speaks as if the field was striving to consume the only things he had left in his life. All of these things were sucked away into the mud and disappeared. When he returned, I think it had to be weird knowing that so many items and feelings were lost under his own two feet. I would be a little scared if I was in his position. He had to know that he was literally stepping on belongings and maybe even people.
It is hard for me to think that the field he described when Kiowa died was the same field as the one that was now grassy, flat, dry, and full of butterflies. I think Tim wanted to make a point that even though things can seem horrific, there is always a possibility for change. I am sure Tim was glad that his daughter got to imagine him walking around on this field, rather than the field he could still remember 20 years ago.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Change
" First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross began composing a letter in his head to the kid's father, not mentioning the shit field, just saying what a fine soldier Kiowa had been, what a fine human being, and how he was the kind of son that any father could be proud of forever." (pg. 157)
From the beginning of the book to now Lieutenant Cross has dramatically changed. Jimmy is a dynamic character in this book because he went through a major change after the death of Ted Lavender. In the beginning of the book, Jimmy was the one to make sure there was room in his bag for the letters from Martha and the pictures of her. After Ted's death, he burned these and tossed his good luck pebble into the wilderness.
Here is where he made a change to leave his old world behind and accept the new one he was placed in. Jimmy realized that his men had to be number one priority if he wanted to be successful. Now, later down the road, he has built great relationships with his men. Instead of keeping unrequited love letters, he now kept a spot in his bag for paper to write letters. In this point of the story he is thinking of his men and the letter he is going to write to Kiowa's father. Here we see how Jimmy's perspective and life have taken a 180 since the beginning of the war.
From the beginning of the book to now Lieutenant Cross has dramatically changed. Jimmy is a dynamic character in this book because he went through a major change after the death of Ted Lavender. In the beginning of the book, Jimmy was the one to make sure there was room in his bag for the letters from Martha and the pictures of her. After Ted's death, he burned these and tossed his good luck pebble into the wilderness.
Here is where he made a change to leave his old world behind and accept the new one he was placed in. Jimmy realized that his men had to be number one priority if he wanted to be successful. Now, later down the road, he has built great relationships with his men. Instead of keeping unrequited love letters, he now kept a spot in his bag for paper to write letters. In this point of the story he is thinking of his men and the letter he is going to write to Kiowa's father. Here we see how Jimmy's perspective and life have taken a 180 since the beginning of the war.
Notes
"For years I'd felt a certain smugness about how easily I had made the shift from war to peace. A nice smooth glide - no flashbacks or midnight sweats. The war was over, after all. And the thing to do was go on. So I took pride in sliding gracefully from Vietnam to graduate school, from Quang Ngai to Harvard, from one world to another." (pg. 151)
This section entitled Notes is all from Tim O'Brien's personal experience. I kno that the information is coming from a reliable source because it happened to him. Therefore, every detail is much more believeable. Tim expresses his feelings about Norman's letter to him and how he was inspired to write a story about Bowker because it was a true after war story.
Most of this book was written in first person since O'Brien was there. Some of the stories came from other people, so these stories are a little less reliable when it comes to the facts. Sometimes first person point of view can limit one to only one persons point of view. I think this book was well written when it comes to showing how everyone felt.
This section entitled Notes is all from Tim O'Brien's personal experience. I kno that the information is coming from a reliable source because it happened to him. Therefore, every detail is much more believeable. Tim expresses his feelings about Norman's letter to him and how he was inspired to write a story about Bowker because it was a true after war story.
Most of this book was written in first person since O'Brien was there. Some of the stories came from other people, so these stories are a little less reliable when it comes to the facts. Sometimes first person point of view can limit one to only one persons point of view. I think this book was well written when it comes to showing how everyone felt.
Will Somebody Listen?
" Sounds pretty wet," his father would've said, pausing briefly. "So what happened?" "You really want to hear this?" " Hey, I'm your father." Norman Bowker smiled. He looked out across the lake and imagined the feel of his tongue against the truth. "Well, this on time, this one night out by the river ... I wasn't very brave." (pg. 136)In this story of the book, Tim O'Brien effectively uses an apostrophe. He uses it to emphasize that nobody would listen to Bowker once he came home from the war. Norman had so many stories to tell and when he came back, the war was over for everyone else too and nobody was interested in them. Norman had to make up his own conversations to his absent father because his father was at home watching television while his son circled a lake multiple times. This apostrophe shows extreme lonliness. Norman was desperate for a listener. How hard is it for someone to listen to a soldier who has put their life on the line for his country when he returns home? I guess a lot harder than I thought.
The Dancer
" Later we found her family in the house. They were dead and badly burned. It wasn't a big family: an infant and an old woman an a woman whose age was hard to tell. When we dragged them out, the girl kept dancing." (pg. 129)
At first, I found this little excerpt bizzare. Why would they write about some random girl dancing? I read it again and I realized that I could understand her need for dancing two different ways. First, I think that little girl could represent all of the people who chose to ignore the war and all that was going on. For example, Curt Lemon's sister in one of my earlier posts. The little girl was dancing with her palms over her ears. This was either to ignore the war or my second thought, take her somewhere else with her imagination. This innocent little girl probably witnessed her family die. This dancing could be a way for her to mentally escape where she was and keep her spirits alive; something the soldiers also had to master.
At first, I found this little excerpt bizzare. Why would they write about some random girl dancing? I read it again and I realized that I could understand her need for dancing two different ways. First, I think that little girl could represent all of the people who chose to ignore the war and all that was going on. For example, Curt Lemon's sister in one of my earlier posts. The little girl was dancing with her palms over her ears. This was either to ignore the war or my second thought, take her somewhere else with her imagination. This innocent little girl probably witnessed her family die. This dancing could be a way for her to mentally escape where she was and keep her spirits alive; something the soldiers also had to master.
The Man I Killed
"His jaw was in his throat, his upper lip and teeth were gone, his one eye was shut, his other eye was a star-shaped hole, his eyebrows were thin and arched like a woman's, his nose was undamaged, there was a slight tear at the lobe of one ear, ..." (pg. 118)
Even though this is a short section in the book, Tim makes it a very important section through his diction. It's not that he is using five star words that only scholars understand, but it's because he is using less complicated words and describing the body piece by piece. This simplicity helps everyone draw the same image in their mind of what this dead man looks like. O'Brien makes it easy on the reader though, because through this diction, he paints the picture for us.
Also, Tim does something that shows his personality, he starts thinking of this mans life and who he has killed. Kiowa keeps telling him that they need to go, but Tim develops this respect for the man. He starts thinking of things the man enjoyed, what his personality was like, if he was a father, and so on. Tim felt terrible about killing this man. After thinking of all the things this man loved and did, he thought of all the things he would love and would do. He thought of how he destroyed a future.
Even though this is a short section in the book, Tim makes it a very important section through his diction. It's not that he is using five star words that only scholars understand, but it's because he is using less complicated words and describing the body piece by piece. This simplicity helps everyone draw the same image in their mind of what this dead man looks like. O'Brien makes it easy on the reader though, because through this diction, he paints the picture for us.
Also, Tim does something that shows his personality, he starts thinking of this mans life and who he has killed. Kiowa keeps telling him that they need to go, but Tim develops this respect for the man. He starts thinking of things the man enjoyed, what his personality was like, if he was a father, and so on. Tim felt terrible about killing this man. After thinking of all the things this man loved and did, he thought of all the things he would love and would do. He thought of how he destroyed a future.
Power of Vietnam
Arrival:
"Mary Anne Bell was an attractive girl. Too wide in the shoulders maybe, but she had terrific legs, a bubbly personality, a happy smile." (pg. 90)
Couple weeks in:
"The was she quickly fell into the habits of the bush. No cosmetics, no fingernail filing,. She stopped wearing jewelry, cut her hair short and wrapped it in a dark green bandanna." (pg. 94)
With the Green Berets:
"In part it was her yes: utterly flat and indifferent. The was no emotion in her stare, no sense of the person behind it. But the grotesque part, he said, was her jewelry. At the girl's throat was a necklace of human tongues." (pg. 105)
These three quotations taken from the section Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bond show the progression that Mark Fossie's girlfriend went through when she came to visit him in Vietnam and got hooked. Tim included this story to no doubt show the power Vietnam and the war had on people. This land changed her from a cute little seventeen year old girl into one of the Greenies in a matter of weeks. Mark Fossie's plan backfired. He went from having an adorable girlfriend whom he was to marry in the future to completely losing her to the wilderness of Vietnam. Nobody would've ever expected this to happen. If anything, I thought she would die from a disease or ask Mark if she could leave earlier than her expected departure date. She actually wanted to stay longer. She was changed by the power of Vietnam.
"Mary Anne Bell was an attractive girl. Too wide in the shoulders maybe, but she had terrific legs, a bubbly personality, a happy smile." (pg. 90)
Couple weeks in:
"The was she quickly fell into the habits of the bush. No cosmetics, no fingernail filing,. She stopped wearing jewelry, cut her hair short and wrapped it in a dark green bandanna." (pg. 94)
With the Green Berets:
"In part it was her yes: utterly flat and indifferent. The was no emotion in her stare, no sense of the person behind it. But the grotesque part, he said, was her jewelry. At the girl's throat was a necklace of human tongues." (pg. 105)
These three quotations taken from the section Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bond show the progression that Mark Fossie's girlfriend went through when she came to visit him in Vietnam and got hooked. Tim included this story to no doubt show the power Vietnam and the war had on people. This land changed her from a cute little seventeen year old girl into one of the Greenies in a matter of weeks. Mark Fossie's plan backfired. He went from having an adorable girlfriend whom he was to marry in the future to completely losing her to the wilderness of Vietnam. Nobody would've ever expected this to happen. If anything, I thought she would die from a disease or ask Mark if she could leave earlier than her expected departure date. She actually wanted to stay longer. She was changed by the power of Vietnam.
Can't Deny the Truth
"You hate it, yes, but your eyes do not. Like a killer forest fire, like cancer under a microscope, any battle or bombing raid or artillery barrage has the aesthetic purity of absolute moral indifference - a powerful, implacable beauty- and a true war story will tell the truth about this, though the truth is ugly." (pg. 77)
I love the truth in this passage from the book. It is so true that we like watching horrible things. It must just be something about the way we are composed. We hate that bad things happen, but when they do, they somehow mesmerize us. I can relate to the comment about forest fires. When I went on a trip out West in the sixth grade, I was amused by the forest fires. They ruined people's lives, but for some reason I couldn't take my eyes off of them. Sometimes I think it is the power of fire that strikes me in utter awe.
The section in the book How to Tell a True War Story also kind of confused me. I didn't really understand some of the paradoxes he used. For example, "In a true war story nothing is ever absolutely true." I can't really grasp that one. The end of this section did make a lot of sense to me, so I am going to type it out because I do find a lot of truth in it. Also, O'Brien uses anaphora here to make his point more coherent. "It's about" begins every sentence except for the first one. He wants the reader to truly understand what a true war story is about.
A True War Story...
"And in the end, of course, a rue war story is never about war. It's about sunlight. It's about the special way that dawn spreads out on a river when you know you must cross the river and march into the mountains and do things you are afraid to do. It's about love and memory. It's about sorrow. It's about sisters who never write back and people who never listen."
I love the truth in this passage from the book. It is so true that we like watching horrible things. It must just be something about the way we are composed. We hate that bad things happen, but when they do, they somehow mesmerize us. I can relate to the comment about forest fires. When I went on a trip out West in the sixth grade, I was amused by the forest fires. They ruined people's lives, but for some reason I couldn't take my eyes off of them. Sometimes I think it is the power of fire that strikes me in utter awe.
The section in the book How to Tell a True War Story also kind of confused me. I didn't really understand some of the paradoxes he used. For example, "In a true war story nothing is ever absolutely true." I can't really grasp that one. The end of this section did make a lot of sense to me, so I am going to type it out because I do find a lot of truth in it. Also, O'Brien uses anaphora here to make his point more coherent. "It's about" begins every sentence except for the first one. He wants the reader to truly understand what a true war story is about.
A True War Story...
"And in the end, of course, a rue war story is never about war. It's about sunlight. It's about the special way that dawn spreads out on a river when you know you must cross the river and march into the mountains and do things you are afraid to do. It's about love and memory. It's about sorrow. It's about sisters who never write back and people who never listen."
She Never Wrote Back
" so he looks at you with those big sad gentle killer eyes and says cooze, because his friend is dead, and because it's so incredibly sad and true: she never wrote back." (pg.66)
When Curt Lemon, Rat Kiley's best friend, died, Rat wrote a letter to Curt's sister about how great of a guy Curt was and how he was a number one comrade. He told about how brave Curt was and how he would volunteer for the jobs that nobody else wanted to do. She never returned his letter. I am sure that letter took a lot of time to write and so much thought and heart were contained on that piece of paper. She never wrote back.
In this instance, Tim uses an effective paradox to describe Rat's eyes. "Big sad gentle killer eyes", Tim wrote. I believe these descriptions show how torn and confused Rat's emotions were after not receiving a letter in return. They were big because he was surprised at his death and sad because he lost his best friend, his one true companion. His eyes were also gentle because of all the memories he had of Curt and how he loved him as a friend, but to contradict the gentle, they were at the same time killer. This was because he wanted to get revenge on the enemy for slaying his buddy, but also he was angry because he didn't understand why Curt's sister refused to listen and reply.
When Curt Lemon, Rat Kiley's best friend, died, Rat wrote a letter to Curt's sister about how great of a guy Curt was and how he was a number one comrade. He told about how brave Curt was and how he would volunteer for the jobs that nobody else wanted to do. She never returned his letter. I am sure that letter took a lot of time to write and so much thought and heart were contained on that piece of paper. She never wrote back.
In this instance, Tim uses an effective paradox to describe Rat's eyes. "Big sad gentle killer eyes", Tim wrote. I believe these descriptions show how torn and confused Rat's emotions were after not receiving a letter in return. They were big because he was surprised at his death and sad because he lost his best friend, his one true companion. His eyes were also gentle because of all the memories he had of Curt and how he loved him as a friend, but to contradict the gentle, they were at the same time killer. This was because he wanted to get revenge on the enemy for slaying his buddy, but also he was angry because he didn't understand why Curt's sister refused to listen and reply.
Elroy Berdahl
"Inside were the four fifties and a two-word note that said EMERGENCY FUND. The man knew" (pg. 51)
Personally, this was one of my favorite sections of the book. First of all, I love doing things on a whim. So, I was all for it when Tim listened to the voice inside of him and just picked up his things and left. He knew it was then or never. My parents would've had a heart attack and would've called me and ordered me home. He never talked about his parents ever doing such a thing. I am sure they were concerned, but he was older than I and he left a note. I guess that was good enough to reassure his parents that he was okay.
When he reaches a place to stay, Tip Top Lodge, he is greeted by the owner, Elroy Berdahl. This 81 year old man is probably one of my favorite characters in the book. I would consider him a simple, flat character. He was in only one story of this book, but it was the most important story. In six days this man changed Tim's life. By giving him a place to stay, food to eat, and a companion, Elroy did much more than he realized. After these six days this man even offered to give Tim money. He was a very rare and special man.
Over the six days that Tim was there, Elroy never asked him why he was there or what he was running from. Elroy knew something was wrong and that this young boy needed a friend and some guidance, that was all he needed to know. The world today needs more people like Elroy Berdahl.
Personally, this was one of my favorite sections of the book. First of all, I love doing things on a whim. So, I was all for it when Tim listened to the voice inside of him and just picked up his things and left. He knew it was then or never. My parents would've had a heart attack and would've called me and ordered me home. He never talked about his parents ever doing such a thing. I am sure they were concerned, but he was older than I and he left a note. I guess that was good enough to reassure his parents that he was okay.
When he reaches a place to stay, Tip Top Lodge, he is greeted by the owner, Elroy Berdahl. This 81 year old man is probably one of my favorite characters in the book. I would consider him a simple, flat character. He was in only one story of this book, but it was the most important story. In six days this man changed Tim's life. By giving him a place to stay, food to eat, and a companion, Elroy did much more than he realized. After these six days this man even offered to give Tim money. He was a very rare and special man.
Over the six days that Tim was there, Elroy never asked him why he was there or what he was running from. Elroy knew something was wrong and that this young boy needed a friend and some guidance, that was all he needed to know. The world today needs more people like Elroy Berdahl.
War vs. Checkers
"There was something restful about it, something orderly and reassuring. There were red checkers and black checkers. The playing field was laid out in a strict grid, no tunnels or mountains or jungles." (pg. 31)
Checkers. A game that most people associate with nursing homes or geniuses brought comfort to these soldiers in the wilderness. This game took their mind off of all the things they carried and worried about. It was a way to sit back and not have to worry about the war they were in.
Tim also brought up checkers so he could compare this strategic game to the strategic war they were in. He did this through an extended metaphor between the two. He makes war kind of look like a game. Both checkers and the war in Vietnam have two opposing sides attacking each other. The playing field of checkers was like the map of Vietnam. Tim implies that he would rather be playing checkers because "the playing field was laid out in a strict grid, no tunnels or mountains or jungles." He also said in checkers, one always knew where they stood and where the enemy stood, which was not true in their war. He liked that there were strict rules. All of these things he wished could be a part of the actual war they were in, but they all just settled for playing or viewing this much more enjoyable war when their actual war was on pause at night.
Checkers. A game that most people associate with nursing homes or geniuses brought comfort to these soldiers in the wilderness. This game took their mind off of all the things they carried and worried about. It was a way to sit back and not have to worry about the war they were in.
Tim also brought up checkers so he could compare this strategic game to the strategic war they were in. He did this through an extended metaphor between the two. He makes war kind of look like a game. Both checkers and the war in Vietnam have two opposing sides attacking each other. The playing field of checkers was like the map of Vietnam. Tim implies that he would rather be playing checkers because "the playing field was laid out in a strict grid, no tunnels or mountains or jungles." He also said in checkers, one always knew where they stood and where the enemy stood, which was not true in their war. He liked that there were strict rules. All of these things he wished could be a part of the actual war they were in, but they all just settled for playing or viewing this much more enjoyable war when their actual war was on pause at night.
Regret - A Stone in His Stomach
" He felt shame. He hated himself. He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was now dead, and this was something he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war." (pg. 16)
Referring to my first post, in this part of the book, O'Brien compares the feeling of carrying regret to carrying a stone in his stomach. Through a simile, he compares an intangible to a tangible. Somehow these emotional burdens were so gruesome that they started to take on an unbearable weight.
Lieutenant Cross let his unrequited love for a women thousands of miles away get in the way of his love and responsibility for his men. After Lavenders death, Cross burned and trashed everything including the village of Than Khe, the pictures of Martha, and letters from her. As a reader, I do not have much background on war and soldiers, but I feel like Lieutenant Cross was beating himself up for nothing. I know there has to be a strong bond between these men, but from my perspective, there was not much that could be done about Lavender's death. He was shot in the head while going to use the restroom. Yes, I do think Cross's actions fed from the death of Lavender, but I believe they also came from Cross's realization that Martha and the world he used to know were also dead to him.
Referring to my first post, in this part of the book, O'Brien compares the feeling of carrying regret to carrying a stone in his stomach. Through a simile, he compares an intangible to a tangible. Somehow these emotional burdens were so gruesome that they started to take on an unbearable weight.
Lieutenant Cross let his unrequited love for a women thousands of miles away get in the way of his love and responsibility for his men. After Lavenders death, Cross burned and trashed everything including the village of Than Khe, the pictures of Martha, and letters from her. As a reader, I do not have much background on war and soldiers, but I feel like Lieutenant Cross was beating himself up for nothing. I know there has to be a strong bond between these men, but from my perspective, there was not much that could be done about Lavender's death. He was shot in the head while going to use the restroom. Yes, I do think Cross's actions fed from the death of Lavender, but I believe they also came from Cross's realization that Martha and the world he used to know were also dead to him.
The Things They Carried
" and for all the ambiguities of Vietnam, all the mysteries and unknowns, there was at least the single abiding certainty that they would never be at a loss for things to carry." (pg. 15)
can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wrist watches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C rations, 2 or 3 canteens of water, brass knuckles, distrust of white men, rabbit's foot, steel helmets, jackets, compress bandage, love, poncho, photographs, letters, ghosts, each other, infections, chess sets, Vietnamese - English dictionaries, Bronze Stars, Purple Hearts, diseases, lice, ringworm, malaria tablets, maps, code books, radio.... etc.
This isn't a packing list for a normal camping trip...
I love how O'Brien begins the book with all of the things these men carried with them. Personally, I think all of these items can be separated into groups - necessities / wants - tangibles / intangibles. There were specific things these soldiers needed to survive out in the wilderness, but then there were things like letters, photographs, and chess sets that just helped the men stay sane. I am sure some men might even argue those as necessities sometimes. Then these items can also be separated into things that physically weigh them down or mentally weigh them down. One cannot measure love, regret, or pain, but I am sure these men would speak of how hard these emotions were to carry.
The things they carried all depended upon the rank, stature, and personalities of the men. Tim O'Brien introduces characters in the story by speaking of the individual unique material items these men carry. O'Brien just doesn't come right out and explain Henry Dobbin's life and personality, he tells the reader that Dobbins carries a lot of food, a machine gun, and his gf's panty hose. Tim lets the reader use their imagination and come up with his past and his personality on their own.
can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wrist watches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C rations, 2 or 3 canteens of water, brass knuckles, distrust of white men, rabbit's foot, steel helmets, jackets, compress bandage, love, poncho, photographs, letters, ghosts, each other, infections, chess sets, Vietnamese - English dictionaries, Bronze Stars, Purple Hearts, diseases, lice, ringworm, malaria tablets, maps, code books, radio.... etc.
This isn't a packing list for a normal camping trip...
I love how O'Brien begins the book with all of the things these men carried with them. Personally, I think all of these items can be separated into groups - necessities / wants - tangibles / intangibles. There were specific things these soldiers needed to survive out in the wilderness, but then there were things like letters, photographs, and chess sets that just helped the men stay sane. I am sure some men might even argue those as necessities sometimes. Then these items can also be separated into things that physically weigh them down or mentally weigh them down. One cannot measure love, regret, or pain, but I am sure these men would speak of how hard these emotions were to carry.
The things they carried all depended upon the rank, stature, and personalities of the men. Tim O'Brien introduces characters in the story by speaking of the individual unique material items these men carry. O'Brien just doesn't come right out and explain Henry Dobbin's life and personality, he tells the reader that Dobbins carries a lot of food, a machine gun, and his gf's panty hose. Tim lets the reader use their imagination and come up with his past and his personality on their own.
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