The Things They Carried & Tim O’Brien Meyer / AP English 11

Tim O’Brien: A Profile O’Brien primarily a writer of fiction Vowed to stop writing fiction in 1994; a few months later, published a famous essay in the NYT describing his return to My Lai, site of a four hour massacre From 1969-1970, O’Brien was an infantryman in the Quang Ngai province; his platoon was stationed in My Lai a year after the massacre

Author Background Then and now, he could feel evil in My Lai In the NYT cover story, O’Brien draws parallels between the “guilt, depression, terror, shame” that infects his Vietnam experience and present life Contemplates suicide O’Brien writes in the article, “Last night suicide was on my mind. Not whether, but how.”

Born in 1946 Raised in small-town Minnesota Father was an insurance salesman Mother an elementary school teacher As a child, O’Brien was lonely, overweight, and a “dreamer” Practiced magic tricks

Had political aspirations going into college Became a political science major at Macalester Attended peace vigils and war protests Planned to join the State Department to reform its policies Drafted as an infantryman upon graduation Seriously considered deserting to Canada Now thinks it was cowardly not to desert to Canada, but in 1968, he feared the disapproval of family and friends

After the War Received a Purple Heart after being wounded by shrapnel from a hand grenade Pursued a doctorate at the Harvard School of Government Began writing his first book, If I Die in Combat, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home, while at Harvard TTTC is written in 1990; it becomes a finalist for Pulitzer Prize

Love and War His books are universal War stories as much as love stories O’Brien says, “I’ve had the twins of love and evil. They intertwine and intermix. They’ll separate, sometimes, yet they’re hooked … together. The emotions in war and in our ordinary lives are, if not identical, damn similar.”

Style Authors use figurative language to evoke a reader’s senses and to make their writing descriptive and colorful. Types of figurative language: Simile Metaphor Alliteration Imagery (sensory) Personification Tim O’Brien uses this tool in his fiction to create a sense of realism in his stories.

Style Continued In The Things They Carried, O’Brien states that within his stories “there is always that surreal seemingness, which makes the story seem untrue, but which in fact represents the hard and exact truth as it seemed.” (p. 71) How something seems to have happened vs. how it really happened. The use of figurative language within a story, especially within O’Brien’s stories, can give the reader the impression that the story is plausible, if not completely true. The figurative language compels the reader to believe the story, even though it may only be what “seemed to have happened.”

Things to Consider What is the purpose of storytelling and the personal narrative? How does fictionalizing fact affect the reader and his response? How does war literature affect the definitions and perceptions of heroism and courage? How do storytelling/personal narratives affect the formation of identity within the reader and writer? How does the past (both personal and historical) affect an author's writing?

For Reading - Pay attention to the symbolism in this novel. Look at the style  it’s beautiful! When does fact matter more than fiction? Or vice versa? What is the impact of war? You will need a basic understanding of Vietnam  refer to the fact sheet provided.

Vietnam in Film Forrest Gump  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGsWE9Ei4BQ (soldier’s POV) Across the Universe  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSnw1JaL2uA (the draft) Apocalypse Now  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njfbVrYn4CU (impact of war)