The Things They Carried Unit Review
"I mean, Christ, I'm just a boy."
Azar
Lee Strunk
Dave Jensen breaks my nose because I stole his jackknife.
Why does Tim call Elroy his hero?
Elroy let him process his decision without pressuring him or bringing up the war.
Why does Tim consider himself a coward for going to war?
He didn't stand up for what he truly believed in.
Why does the author go into such detail about what the men carried?
He wants the reader to truly understand the physical and emotional weight they carried.
Panty Hose and superstition
Henry Dobbins
Writing about the war
How does Tim cope with the war?
Kiowa
I carried around a "New Testament" bible with me and lost my life in the sewage field.
Jimmy Cross
I carry the death of my inferiors.
Dave Jensen
I carry the promise I made with Lee Strunk and broke.
Norman Bowker
I carry the weight of my father's expectations so heavily that I committed suicide in the YMCA.
Mary Anne Bell
I eventually left the Alpha Company and become one with the land as a green beret.
Linda
I loved to wear a red hat because I was losing my hair from the chemotherapy treatment.
Elroy Berdahl
I offered Tim 200.00 dollars and the opportunity to escape to Canada when we went fishing in my boat.
Martha
I played Volleyball at Mount Sebastian and wrote letters to Jimmy.
Mark Fossie
I snuck my girlfriend into Vietnam. She ended up leaving me for Green Berets.
Curt Lemon
I was killed while playing a game of catch with a grenade. Tim had to pick pieces of me out of a tree.
Mary Anne Bell
I was the young girl who came over to see her boyfriend and eventually fell in love with Vietnam and become one with the land.
"When a man died, there had to be blame. [X] understood this. You could blame the war... A moment of carelessness or bad judgment or plain stupidity carried consequences that lasted forever." Who thought it?
Jimmy Cross
Guilt and Martha's picture
Jimmy Cross
"You did a good thing today," [X] said. "That shaking hands crap, it isn't decent. The guys'll hassle you for a while—especially Jensen—but just keep saying no. Should've done it myself. Takes guts, I know that." Who said it?
Kiowa
The New Testament and wisdom
Kiowa
Ted Lavendar
My name symbolizes my search for peace.
"I'm no basket case—not even any bad dreams. And I don't feel like anybody mistreats me or anything, except sometimes people act too nice, too polite, like they're afraid they might ask the wrong question.." Who wrote it?
Norman Bowker
His enemies' thumbs and his father's disappointment
Norman Bowker
The Rainy River
Separates war and peace/ safety and danger. (O'Brien)
Panty hose
Symbolize superstition and a connection to home. (Dobbins)
Moccasins
Symbolize wisdom and respect. (Kiowa and O'Brien)
Baby Water Buffalo
Symbolizes the loss of innocence the men experience (Kiley)
Marijuana, Tranquilizers, and Fear
Ted Lavender
"A million things all at once—I was too good for this war. Too smart, too compassionate, too everything. It couldn't happen. I was above it." Who thought it?
Tim O'Brien
Declotter
Tim's summer job before the war.
Rat Kiley
Which soldier shoots the water buffalo?
Azar
Who blows up Ted's puppy?
PTSD, Can't keep a job, Feels like he has no one to talk to about his experiences.
Why does Norman struggle after the war.
