 Fiction about fiction; or more especially a kind of fiction that openly comments on its own fictional status.  Baldick, Chris. Oxford Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Print.  Metafiction attempts to blur the line between fiction and reality. In metafiction authors often break out of the narrative to address the nature of what they are doing in the novel.

 Often employs intertextual references and allusions by: ◦ Creating biographies of imaginary writers ◦ Presenting and discussing fictional works of an imaginary character 

 Often violates narrative levels by ◦ Intruding to comment on writing ◦ Involving his or herself with fictional characters ◦ Directly addressing the reader ◦ Openly questioning how narrative assumptions and conventions transform and filter reality, trying to ultimately prove that no singular truths or meanings exist 

 Uses unconventional and experimental techniques by ◦ Rejecting a conventional plot structure ◦ Flaunting and exaggerating foundations of their instability  http ://

 Use the definitions provided to determine how metafiction plays a role in The Things They Carried.  With a partner, find evidence this book is an example of metafiction. Write your evidence on a separate sheet of paper (not on the same sheet you took the notes).

◦ “He explained that he had read my first book, If I Die in a Combat Zone, which he liked except for the ‘bleeding-heart political parts’.” ( )  Presents and discusses fictional works of an imaginary character: Tim O’Brien is a fictional character that wrote a book  Blurs the lines between fiction and reality: Tim O’Brien the author really DID write a book called If I Die in a Combat Zone