Directions: You are to thoughtfully and insightfully answer ONE of the questions below using textual evidence and comment thoughtfully and insightfully on at least one of your classmates' responses. This is worth 30 points. If you do not use textual evidence you will lose 5 points. If you do not put thought and insight into your answers and comment you will lose 5 points.
NOTE: While these questions require opinion they ALL also require textual evidence.
NOTE: While these questions require opinion they ALL also require textual evidence.
- In “On a Rainy River” O’Brien describes in vivid detail his job as a declotter in a meatpacking plant. How are the images he uses in describing this job similar to the images he uses to characterize fighting in Vietnam? What effect or idea does the book convey with this related imagery?
- In “Good Form” O’Brien casts doubt on the veracity of the entire novel. Why does he do so? Does it make you more or less interested in the novel? Does it increase or decrease your understanding?
- The Things They Carried has several different accounts of a single event, Kiowa’s death. How does this relate to memory, storytelling and truth?
- Does your opinion of O’Brien change throughout the course of the novel? How so? How do you feel about his actions in “The Ghost Soldiers”?
- On the copyright page of the novel appears the following: “This is a work of fiction. Except for a few details regarding the authors own life, all the incidents, names, and characters are imaginary.” How does this statement affect your reading of the novel?