When O'Brien said "too" I believe he was referring to the true and not so true stories he told us at the beginning of the book and he is trying to tell us that this is one of the true facts.
Stories being able to save us is true. They allow parts of our character, emotions and our souls to live or in some cases live again. For instance when Timmy was imagining Linda not only was he giving her a sense of life he was helping his feelings for her to keep on living and not die when she died. In stories you can bring back things about your self that you thought you had lost. For instance when O'Brien went to war he felt dirty, like he had lost every bit of his innocence and purity, but at the end of the book he sees himself as a young boy again and that innocence and purity gain life again. I think personally that such things never truly die, they just get buried, they are forced to go to sleep and in stories they are unburied and reawakened. We are brought back to a sense of our old self and we then learn how to blend, create a balance, with the old and the new to make you.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Death and How We Carry It.
Tim O'Brien has an interesting philosophy. He says "Stories, retold, carry the force of a legend....the story is still going out there somewhere. Huck is still going down the river, Ahab is still chasing that whale.....I'm fascinated by the fact that every time this story is read, the whole thing happens again and again and again". Here he states with finality that "The Things They Carried " is a book about telling stories. Its a book about many things, filled with emotion and the pain of living but in its essentials, the book is a story of story telling. It defines the truth that even fiction brings to us and explains how telling a story can help you survive.
It is for this reason that I believe O'Brien ends with the story of Linda. When the character O'Brien sees his first dead body in Vietnam he is unwilling to participate in the other soldier's "funeral without sadness'. We then find out that this is not the first body he has seen. Linda was a girl that he loved and she died. I want to focus for a minute on O'Brien's attention paid to words. Nick Veenhof delivers the news of Linda's death with "Your girlfriend kicked the bucket." I like O'Brien's comparison with this moment and the idea of toasting a dead man. Kicking the bucket isn't the same as being dead. Shaking hands with a dead man turns him less a dead body, more a prop. One you take the dead part out of death it's not that heavy anymore. It's a way of carrying something and making it lighter that I recognize very much.
The last chapter of "The Things They Carried" I believe, is teaching us how to carry people, carry experience, carry emotion, through story telling. Timmy deals with the death of Linda by telling himself a story where she is alive. Because stories are something that never die. People can leave your life many ways. Death being prominent among them. But I believe that you carry people around in your heart and mind. You carry their stories and they live through you. That's why story telling is such a powerful thing.
It is for this reason that I believe O'Brien ends with the story of Linda. When the character O'Brien sees his first dead body in Vietnam he is unwilling to participate in the other soldier's "funeral without sadness'. We then find out that this is not the first body he has seen. Linda was a girl that he loved and she died. I want to focus for a minute on O'Brien's attention paid to words. Nick Veenhof delivers the news of Linda's death with "Your girlfriend kicked the bucket." I like O'Brien's comparison with this moment and the idea of toasting a dead man. Kicking the bucket isn't the same as being dead. Shaking hands with a dead man turns him less a dead body, more a prop. One you take the dead part out of death it's not that heavy anymore. It's a way of carrying something and making it lighter that I recognize very much.
The last chapter of "The Things They Carried" I believe, is teaching us how to carry people, carry experience, carry emotion, through story telling. Timmy deals with the death of Linda by telling himself a story where she is alive. Because stories are something that never die. People can leave your life many ways. Death being prominent among them. But I believe that you carry people around in your heart and mind. You carry their stories and they live through you. That's why story telling is such a powerful thing.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Things They Carried, Final Set of Prompts
I am going to make this blog post a little trickier for you (and a little more fun, hopefully). As before, you should choose one of these prompts and respond to it. However, your response will be a little different this time in that regardless of which prompt you choose, you should include, as part of your response, something from the O’Brien interview I gave you in class. You might quote a line, or lines, from the interview, or you might paraphrase some part of it, or you might use it in some other way. Please remember, though, that your response should primarily be an expression of original thought.
1. In “In the Field,” there is a young boy that is not named. Why not give this character a name? Any ideas? Does the chapter give you any clues?
2. On page 187, O’Brien writes, “Twenty years. A lot like yesterday, a lot like never. In a way, maybe, I’d gone under with Kiowa, and now after two decades I’d finally worked my way out. [. . .] I felt something go shut in my heart while something else swung open.” Interpret these lines.
3. Talk about the idea of blame in these chapters. Find examples anywhere you wish, but look especially on pages 168, 176, 185.
4. What happens to O’Brien as he is enacting his revenge on Bobby Jorgenson? What do we learn about him in those chapters? How would you describe his emotional state?
5. In “Good Form,” O’Brien writes about the difference between “happening-truth” and “story-truth.” Why does he make this distinction? Hasn’t he just told us that everything is made up? Do you believe that he could tell his daughter that he did, or did not, kill anyone, and that either one would be true? Isn’t this just a way to rationalize? Or is it something else?
6. Which affected you more, Kiowa going under, or Rat Kiley beginning to lose his mind? Why? What does this teach you about yourself as a reader?
7. The story of Timmy and Linda is probably symbolic of many things. What does it symbolize to you? What is its significance? And why does O’Brien include it, even conclude with it, when it seems to be outside the framework of the book?
8. The last chapter, “The Lives of the Dead,” begins with the sentence, “But this, too, is true: stories can save us.” Why the word “too”? What other “truth” is he referring back to? And, perhaps more importantly, what do you think O’Brien means? After all you have read, respond to the idea that a story can save us.
1. In “In the Field,” there is a young boy that is not named. Why not give this character a name? Any ideas? Does the chapter give you any clues?
2. On page 187, O’Brien writes, “Twenty years. A lot like yesterday, a lot like never. In a way, maybe, I’d gone under with Kiowa, and now after two decades I’d finally worked my way out. [. . .] I felt something go shut in my heart while something else swung open.” Interpret these lines.
3. Talk about the idea of blame in these chapters. Find examples anywhere you wish, but look especially on pages 168, 176, 185.
4. What happens to O’Brien as he is enacting his revenge on Bobby Jorgenson? What do we learn about him in those chapters? How would you describe his emotional state?
5. In “Good Form,” O’Brien writes about the difference between “happening-truth” and “story-truth.” Why does he make this distinction? Hasn’t he just told us that everything is made up? Do you believe that he could tell his daughter that he did, or did not, kill anyone, and that either one would be true? Isn’t this just a way to rationalize? Or is it something else?
6. Which affected you more, Kiowa going under, or Rat Kiley beginning to lose his mind? Why? What does this teach you about yourself as a reader?
7. The story of Timmy and Linda is probably symbolic of many things. What does it symbolize to you? What is its significance? And why does O’Brien include it, even conclude with it, when it seems to be outside the framework of the book?
8. The last chapter, “The Lives of the Dead,” begins with the sentence, “But this, too, is true: stories can save us.” Why the word “too”? What other “truth” is he referring back to? And, perhaps more importantly, what do you think O’Brien means? After all you have read, respond to the idea that a story can save us.
Hope Never Faileth
O'Brien sets the stage in Stockings by comparing Henry Dobbins to America, how he is full of good intentions, dependable, a "believer in the virtues of simplicity and directness and hard labor. . . and drawn toward sentimentality." This creates an image of a man full of hope and faith in man's basic inherent goodness; someone you can trust, and have faith that he will always be there when you need him doing good.
I feel that Henry starts out using the stockings as a means to hang onto memories. These memories give him hope and faith that he is loved and missed by his girlfriend, and that after the war he can return to create new memories with her. It also provides a means of escape to that world of hope by having them as a close reminder. As the war progresses and he escapes the ravages of war, he begins to believe they have mystical powers. We all have something that we hang onto - a belief in something that brings us happiness and a better future.
His faith in the stockings, though transform into something bigger than his girlfriend, though and become representative of his deep sense of faith that everything will be all right. Even after she dumps him, he beleves in their magical powers of protection. So strong is his faith that his fellor soldiers believe in their power as well. This makes sense to the reader because Henry is an optimist and came to the war with a strong foundation of goodness. They symbolize his faith in a safe return to his past and the ability to have a bright future.
In the church O'Brien relays a second story of belief in man's basic inherent goodness. Here are soldiers and monks thrown in each other's paths under the shelter of an abandoned church. There is a respect for the sacredness of what the church stands for and of the monks and their mission in life. Even though they are in the midst of a terrible war in enemy territory, because they find the monks in a church, they automatically trust them and have faith that they are really monks. They could have been the enemy in disguise - I actually kept waiting while reading about the monks cleaning the guns for the moment they shoot everyone. I was quite surprised that they were actually monks and the scene ended without death. I think the purpose of these chapters was to share their inner faith and hope.
Being in the church triggers conversations about faith, belief and life goals, and Dobbins discusses his initial thoughts of being a minister because he wanted to be nice to people. Even though he doesn't really talk about believing in religious philosophies, he has faith in human beings and life.
I think that this story demonstrates a great deal of faith on the part of the monks because they never seem to be threatened by their presence. They, in fact, endear themselves to the soldiers. If they did not have faith in a higher power, or believe they were destined for a better place, they would have hidden.
I also feel that in the chapter about The Man I Killed there is some hidden symbolism of faith. Intertwined in the detailed description about the actual body, we are given very detailed images of a butterfly and flowers. Faith and hope have to do with understanding that mortality is not in our control, and that even when one thing dies there are other living things that continue. I wondered if the butterfly being present up until the point of the blood stopping and the body functions all ceasing was symbolic of a belief in a Christ who died on the cross, or of the holy ghost being represented in the form of a dove. It seems that the butterfly represented life and disappeared when the blood and body functions stopped. In a non-religious aspect, it could be faith that life goes on even in the midst of darkness.
All of these men have faith in something, and that faith is what gave the survivors the strength to carry on. It allowed them to escape the reality of their situation and go back to their past and use that to hope for the future. I believe that Tim is demonstrating that all of us have something we need to cling to, whether it is a belief in a God, a super power, each other, something that makes us feel that we are important, that what we are doing in this life is worth something, and we are making a difference in bringing about good of some sort.
I feel that Henry starts out using the stockings as a means to hang onto memories. These memories give him hope and faith that he is loved and missed by his girlfriend, and that after the war he can return to create new memories with her. It also provides a means of escape to that world of hope by having them as a close reminder. As the war progresses and he escapes the ravages of war, he begins to believe they have mystical powers. We all have something that we hang onto - a belief in something that brings us happiness and a better future.
His faith in the stockings, though transform into something bigger than his girlfriend, though and become representative of his deep sense of faith that everything will be all right. Even after she dumps him, he beleves in their magical powers of protection. So strong is his faith that his fellor soldiers believe in their power as well. This makes sense to the reader because Henry is an optimist and came to the war with a strong foundation of goodness. They symbolize his faith in a safe return to his past and the ability to have a bright future.
In the church O'Brien relays a second story of belief in man's basic inherent goodness. Here are soldiers and monks thrown in each other's paths under the shelter of an abandoned church. There is a respect for the sacredness of what the church stands for and of the monks and their mission in life. Even though they are in the midst of a terrible war in enemy territory, because they find the monks in a church, they automatically trust them and have faith that they are really monks. They could have been the enemy in disguise - I actually kept waiting while reading about the monks cleaning the guns for the moment they shoot everyone. I was quite surprised that they were actually monks and the scene ended without death. I think the purpose of these chapters was to share their inner faith and hope.
Being in the church triggers conversations about faith, belief and life goals, and Dobbins discusses his initial thoughts of being a minister because he wanted to be nice to people. Even though he doesn't really talk about believing in religious philosophies, he has faith in human beings and life.
I think that this story demonstrates a great deal of faith on the part of the monks because they never seem to be threatened by their presence. They, in fact, endear themselves to the soldiers. If they did not have faith in a higher power, or believe they were destined for a better place, they would have hidden.
I also feel that in the chapter about The Man I Killed there is some hidden symbolism of faith. Intertwined in the detailed description about the actual body, we are given very detailed images of a butterfly and flowers. Faith and hope have to do with understanding that mortality is not in our control, and that even when one thing dies there are other living things that continue. I wondered if the butterfly being present up until the point of the blood stopping and the body functions all ceasing was symbolic of a belief in a Christ who died on the cross, or of the holy ghost being represented in the form of a dove. It seems that the butterfly represented life and disappeared when the blood and body functions stopped. In a non-religious aspect, it could be faith that life goes on even in the midst of darkness.
All of these men have faith in something, and that faith is what gave the survivors the strength to carry on. It allowed them to escape the reality of their situation and go back to their past and use that to hope for the future. I believe that Tim is demonstrating that all of us have something we need to cling to, whether it is a belief in a God, a super power, each other, something that makes us feel that we are important, that what we are doing in this life is worth something, and we are making a difference in bringing about good of some sort.
The emotions from the man I killed
The chapter titled The Man I Killed was a chapter that struck me most out of all of the reading thus far. The style of writing seems to be a very emotional and almost surreal type of writing. Throughout the rest of the book, Tim O’Brien speaks as the narrator or detaches himself somewhat from the situation but in The Man I Killed he seems sucked into the situation. By using the situation, repeating it many times and not speaking you really feel as if you were experiencing exactly what Tim was. I believe the combination between the shock of the situation and the horror of seeing that young man’s body and then the “what if” scenario’s causes you to relate to the feelings described. Another thing I feel Tim did differently in this chapter that’s different from the rest of the book is really embellish this young man’s back-story. Tim in his mind came up with an elaborate story of where this man came from, what the ring on his finger meant, what interests he had, his inner most feelings about the war and so on. He personalized the man in such great detail that it is hard not to feel the sorrow for the fallen soldier.
The Man I Killed
The chapter "The Man I Killed" and also "Ambush" showed to me the comparison of O'Brien before the war and during the war. It also shows the struggle that O'Brien is still dealing with: the regrets, the sorrow, the crude humor, the killing.
O’Brien describes the man he killed; the way he looked after the explosion and also his life. The way that O’Brien describes the man’s life--a life that O'Brien cannot prove-- is sort of a flash back for him. The way his life was or could have ended up. He talks about the man’s feelings towards war. The man didn’t want to go to war; he wanted to be a teacher of mathematics, a scholar, not a fighter. He keeps ‘hoping and hoping, always’ that he won’t have to fight. This relates to the chapter “On the Rainy River” where O’Brien fights with his internal feelings. He didn’t want to fight; he didn’t want to go to war. He even writes that he was interested in other things, a scholar in his own way. O’Brien felt that the war was not for him. I think this is coming out through his pain and emotions when he kills this man. This isn’t what he wanted to do. This man was just walking through the jungle, minding his own business, and yet O’Brien killed him.
Kiowa asks O’Brien, “You want to trade places with him?” This strikes fear into O’Brien. What if that was him? What if he was scattered in pieces in the jungle? In “Ambush” you can feel the tension that O’Brien has bottled away. He admits that his actions where just automatic; that he pulled the pin on the grenade and threw it because that’s what you do in war. Those actions don’t describe the character that O’Brien is, but his thoughts do. He admits he didn’t hate the man; he didn’t consider him an enemy. Even when he through the grenade it was because he just wanted the situation to end. He wanted to warn the man!
O’Brien describes the man he killed; the way he looked after the explosion and also his life. The way that O’Brien describes the man’s life--a life that O'Brien cannot prove-- is sort of a flash back for him. The way his life was or could have ended up. He talks about the man’s feelings towards war. The man didn’t want to go to war; he wanted to be a teacher of mathematics, a scholar, not a fighter. He keeps ‘hoping and hoping, always’ that he won’t have to fight. This relates to the chapter “On the Rainy River” where O’Brien fights with his internal feelings. He didn’t want to fight; he didn’t want to go to war. He even writes that he was interested in other things, a scholar in his own way. O’Brien felt that the war was not for him. I think this is coming out through his pain and emotions when he kills this man. This isn’t what he wanted to do. This man was just walking through the jungle, minding his own business, and yet O’Brien killed him.
Kiowa asks O’Brien, “You want to trade places with him?” This strikes fear into O’Brien. What if that was him? What if he was scattered in pieces in the jungle? In “Ambush” you can feel the tension that O’Brien has bottled away. He admits that his actions where just automatic; that he pulled the pin on the grenade and threw it because that’s what you do in war. Those actions don’t describe the character that O’Brien is, but his thoughts do. He admits he didn’t hate the man; he didn’t consider him an enemy. Even when he through the grenade it was because he just wanted the situation to end. He wanted to warn the man!
In the Eyes of the Beholder
A broad definition of faith is "confidence or trust in a person or thing." What really defines our faith is what we specifically have faith in. Dobbins had faith that while wearing his girlfriend's stockings he was untouchable, invincible. Kiowa's symbol of faith was in the New Testament and how he always had it tucked away. I think what makes both symbols of faith so real is the power that both men seemed to trust in. The stockings were just stockings, man-made, but reading this chapter seemed to hint that Dobbins believed in some higher power that protected him through the stockings. Kiowa and his relationship with the New testament also hints that he had faith in some higher power, especially just knowing the contents of the New Testaments.
Both Kiowa and Dobbins recognize a higher power when they set up camp in the church. It wasn't necessarily a religion that they agreed with but both felt the imminent power of a higher being. "It feels good when you just sit there, like you're in a forest and everything's really quiet, except there's still this sound you can't hear."
"Yeah."
"You ever feel that?"
"Sort of."
"Stockings" and "Church" both seem to show that faith isn't in one certain object or person, but rather in a higher power that virtually anyone can believe in, regardless of specific religion or denomination.
Both Kiowa and Dobbins recognize a higher power when they set up camp in the church. It wasn't necessarily a religion that they agreed with but both felt the imminent power of a higher being. "It feels good when you just sit there, like you're in a forest and everything's really quiet, except there's still this sound you can't hear."
"Yeah."
"You ever feel that?"
"Sort of."
"Stockings" and "Church" both seem to show that faith isn't in one certain object or person, but rather in a higher power that virtually anyone can believe in, regardless of specific religion or denomination.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)