Student Name: Taylor Pagel
Title of Work : ​The Things They Carried
Extract Link:
Character
Choose a character or pair of
characters and what purpose
they serve in the work. Then,
describe how the author
achieves this purpose.
5-7 sentence Norman Bowker was a soldier
explanation of ideas within the Vietnam war but his
in the work. importance in the book came in
the vignette “Speaking of
Courage” which took place
after the war. He represents
how the trauma that soldiers
lived through during the war
can affect them throughout
their life even following the
war.
Theme
Choose a theme in work and
explain its significance to the
work as a whole. Then, describe
how the author conveys this
theme.
An important theme was the fear
of shame or humiliation that was
used for motivation to compel
soldiers to go to war. This is
present in many vignettes such as
“On the Rainy River” where the
main character Tim is debating
on whether or not he should join
the war or escape to Canada.
This affects the book as a whole
because most of the soldiers
would not have gone to war if
they had no fear of humiliation
and being isolated from their
community.
Plot
Choose an aspect of the plot
(point of view, conflict,
resolution, etc) and explain how
the author crafts the work as a
whole.
The resolution of the book
involves O’Brien juxtaposing his
encounter with death in the war
compared to his first encounter
with it as a child. In the
resolution, O’Brien reveals that
death is conquerable and one can
cope with death by sharing the
stories of the dead and
remembering the memories made
with them.
This relates to the book as a
whole because most of the
vignettes involved the loss of a
person either through death of a
change of identity and this claim
that death doesn’t have to be
“final” juxtaposes with most of
the soldiers’ mindsets throughout
the book.
Global Issue
Identify and describe a global
issue that the author addresses in
the work. Then, list how the
author develops the global issue.
O’Brien believes that despite
values and beliefs soldiers held
prior to the war enduring, soldiers
may be inclined to act against
these beliefs in times of war.
In this vignette, Tim is struggling
to understand how he was able to
go through with an immoral prank
despite recognizing it as
something that is morally wrong.
Throughout the book, although
the soldiers still recognize that
which is morally wrong and right
in the different actions they take,
they continue to commit actions
they deem immoral. For example,
the soldiers set up camp in a
church/holy area in one of the
vignettes and label this action as
one that is wrongful but do not set
up camp elsewhere.
Author technique or ● Circular motion of him ● Imagery ● Symbolism ● Vivid, detailed diction
strategies (bullet driving around the lake ○ Tim is placed on ○ The symbolism ○ Depicted
points) ○ Represents a raft in the river of Linda as devotion of Tim
how he deciding on innocence and getting even with
You may wish to constantly has which side he purity Bobby
consider: motifs, to relive the should swim to ○ Similar to how ○ “Vow” “Cruel”
symbols, character most painful ○ His entire family the soldiers were “Capable of Evil”
foils, narrative days of his life is there along innocent before ● Imagery
technique, plot ● Fireworks with many other joining the war ○ Conveys the
structure. ○ Compared to random ● Metaphor trauma that
the bombs of important figures ○ Although not enabled Tim to
war in history literally skating ignore his
● Isolation from cheering him in through the conscience and
community different memories of his go through
○ Watches directions life, able to ● Personification
fireworks by ● Storytelling relive memories ○ Reveals how Tim
himself ○ Not actually on ● Syntax believed he had
○ The rest of the the river, he was ○ “I’m young” no control over
community golfing
○ “I’ll never die” his actions which
moved on ○ Brings more led to his
○ This innocent
○ No one wants emotional increased
and youthful
to hear about backing and inclination to act
mindset reveals
his awards or perspective against his values
how simple and
war stories ● Loneliness and isolation
blissful ○ “But the need for
● 3rd person narration ○ Instead of
ignorance is revenge kept
○ Detachment norman going
○ Mindset of the eating at me”
from the world and asking
soldiers prior to ● Syntax
around him someone for
and even the help, he suffers
being drafted ○ How strong Tim
“that could never felt the need to
person living in silence to fit
happen to me” attack Bobby for
through the society norm and
hurting him
nightmare ends up killing ○ Instead of vow
himself being associated
with something
good like
marriage, it is
associated with
an evil prank
○ “For weeks it had
been a vow --I’ll
get him, I’ll get
him -- it was
down inside me
like a rock”