“Spin” Passage: The Things They Carried The function of the passage from the episode “Spin” is to introduce a different interpretation of the concept of “boredom‚” one that pertains to the war and the soldiers specifically and not often experienced by civilians. The type of boredom described by the narrator in the passage is tenser‚ and encompasses many more emotions that the Alpha Company comes across. Throughout the passage‚ the reader gets the idea that the soldiers are not bored in the irritated
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therefore‚ construction of a new morality is inescapable. Within the stories in The Things They Carried‚ soldiers are required to do so during and after the Vietnam War. War breeds monstrosities and wanton cruelty. When faced with two evils‚ picking the lesser immoral option is not necessarily something to be frowned upon. This is what separates a soldier’s morality and a civilian’s morality. Civilians see things through a black-and-white perspective; fundamental standards that must be obeyed to
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In novel The Things They Carried‚ a central theme is reality vs fiction‚ believe bs disbelief‚ O’brien creates an unsteady relationship with the reader that makes one question even the most minute details and descriptions. At it’s core The Things They carried is a work of fiction‚ however this passage is more‚ it’s a piece that teaches a class what makes fiction‚ rather than simply telling them a moralistic war story. While O’brien’s use of fictional techniques such as‚ jargon‚ second person voice
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World Why do we blame Helen’s beauty for the Trojan War or Eve’s curious nature for Adam’s choice to eat the apple‚ thus beginning the mortal human civilization? Throughout history men have found it convenient to hold women responsible for their own weaknesses and intolerance. The apathy of anti-feminist and conservative movements showcases the reality of the Stockholm syndrome and medieval serfdom. Men have been the captors and the masters of the women for time in antiquity‚ but we still see empathy
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are “Boys” by Rich Moody and “The Things they Carried” by Tim O’Brien. “Boys” doesn’t use any paragraphs‚ and is told through the repeated words “Boys enter the house…” (Moody). The piece true there story of two twin boys who grow up as normal‚ mischievous boys. As they grow up‚ they go through hardships and drift apart. It isn’t until they exit the house after the paramedics take their father’s body or are they “no longer boys” (Moody). “The Things they Carried” features the story of an American
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O’Brien characterizes the soldiers as reluctant to kill‚ dying dreadfully when he says‚ “Men killed‚ and died‚ because they were embarrassed not to.” (#) In plain text‚ this quote explains that men killed and died because they would feel a sense of shame if they did not. However‚ by providing embarrassment as an explanation for killing and dying‚ the reader is challenged to consider each soldier as an individual who chose to kill people and chose to die. Generally‚ a war itself is considered responsible
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imagination‚ readers are able to conjure up characters and scenes that are unique. This is the case with Tim O’Brien’s‚ "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong." This is a story where love and war collide after a soldier brings his sweetheart to his Vietnamese post. On the whole‚ this chapter in The Things They Carried is far superior to the film‚ The Soldier’s Sweetheart‚ because it has thorough descriptions of characters’ feelings‚ including symbolism concerning objects and important events. When the audience is
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to disassemble an M-16‚ how the various parts worked‚ and from there it was a natural progression to learning how to use the weapon" (98). As the story goes on it shows that she is becoming more of a soldier. She in the end acted very differently than most women‚ this for women was a positive thing because it is giving her power‚ and a new look on life. This can be negative as well because Mark Fossie lost the girl he once loved. Her image continues to become more negative‚ once Mary Anne goes crazy
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fought: the battle inside each individual soldier‚ and then what is actual done on the battlefield. These internal and external conflicts are equally detrimental‚ the only difference between the two is that when the physical engagement is over‚ the gruesome battle with in the soldiers remains. War leaves numerous mental scars on any person who takes part in it: regret‚ depression‚ anxiety‚ fear‚ or post-traumatic stress disorder. In the novel The Things They Carried‚ written by Tim O’Brien‚ the author
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The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien Plot: 1. RISING ACTION • In the summer of 1968‚ Tim O’Brien receives a draft notice. Despite a desire to follow his convictions and flee to Canada‚ he feels he would be embarrassed to refuse to fulfill his patriotic duty and so concedes to fight in Vietnam. CLIMAX • During their tour of duty‚ the men of the Alpha Company must cope with the loss of their own men and the guilt that comes from killing and watching others die. FALLING ACTION • After he returns
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