Throughout this story O'Brien discusses the things the men most often carried whether they were necessary or not. In your own opinion, what items do you feel would be necessary to survive something like this both physically and mentally?
O'Brien, as stated in the introduction, is "ambiguous about how his work incorporates his own Vietnam experiences. Do you feel that the detail he uses to describe the people and events helps make this work of fiction more believable, as if O'Brien actually experienced them first hand?
This excerpt comes from Tim O'Brien's book The Things They Carried. The book is wonderful; I highly recommend it. If anyone is interested in reading it I have a copy of the book in my room if you would like to borrow it.
O'Brien, as stated in the introduction, is "ambiguous about how his work incorporates his own Vietnam experiences. Do you feel that the detail he uses to describe the people and events helps make this work of fiction more believable, as if O'Brien actually experienced them first hand?
This excerpt comes from Tim O'Brien's book The Things They Carried. The book is wonderful; I highly recommend it. If anyone is interested in reading it I have a copy of the book in my room if you would like to borrow it.
6 comments:
I echo Amanda's recommendation. O'Brien's book is terrific.
I like to believe that I am not attached enough to any material possession to bring it along with me during such an ordeal unless it were absolutely necessary.
I would also try to leave as much mental baggage behind, but I wouldn't be able to.
i accidentally deleted my comment.. sorry!!! this is what it said: i feel i would bring a rosary and a picture of my family. Just something to keep my close to the things i love most. i enjoyed o'brien's method of describing the different people through a description of what they carried and thought most important in such a life threatening circumstance. I also felt that after the death of Lavender it brought Cross back to reality and out of his fantasy world with Martha.
Because O'Brien was a part of the Vietnam war, I think that it was probably easier for him to write about these men and their emotional and physical experiences.
I think mental items can be carried mentally, however, if I were in this situation, it would be nice to carry along a rosary. It would remind me of the hope I should sustain.
Due to O'Brien's background and experiences, if he did not state that this was a work of fiction, I would have thought that these events actually occurred. Although his work is termed as fiction, one cannot help but believe that events such as those described took place.
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