THE THINGS THEY CARRIED FINAL ASSESSMENT

Personal Pronouns Never use personal pronouns (of any kind) in formal writing I, you, we, us, etc. Instead use “one” for I or YOU OR just eliminate I altogether (it’s actually redundant information) Use “society”, “reader”, or “audience” for you, we, us For example, The author uses imagery because he wants us to be able to imagine what it looked and felt like to be over in Vietnam. The author uses imagery because he wants the reader to be able to… or …because he wants the audience to be able to …. You should be able to read that passage and understand what the message the author’s trying to convey. One should be able to read that passage… A reader should be able to read that passage…

Referencing the Author Always reference the author by the last name… You are not BFFs with the author, therefore, you do not have the write to reference them by their first name at ANY point in time. However, in the case of The Things They Carried, you may want to use “Tim” when referencing him as a character and then “O’Brien” when referencing him as an author This is acceptable because of the duality of his role in the novel (author and character)…especially in chapters 4 and 22 when he was still Tim (pre-war)

FWs…. Forbidden words… Don’t use words like “things”, “stuff”, “good” or “bad”… Use objects, ideas, thoughts, times, for generic referencing instead of THINGS or STUFF OR how about you just be specific?? Good and bad… that’s too vague. Use your synonyms!

R… means redundant or repetitive Avoid using the same phrasing over and over again… try to think about how to say something similar but in a different way Don’t keep using the phrases… This relates to the theme because… This connects to the overall theme This supports the theme of This backs the theme of Also, don’t literally rewrite your thesis exactly as it was in your intro… in your conclusion. Restate it? Yes, but restate it differently. Break it into multiple sentences or change the way you word your theme.

….theme! Themes are not one words or phrases. Themes are sentences that explain what the “lesson” or “moral” of what the writer wants us to understand. These are usually universal…meaning these are themes that could be present in other works and understood by many. Themes are not summaries of what the work is about. Themes are not subjects or topics of the work as a whole Themes are the “take away”…. After reading this passage, chapter, short story, novel, poem, etc…. What does the author want me to understand??

More on theme… Non-examples: love, religion, war, hate, shame, courage, fear of shame, courage vs cowardice, role of women, etc. Examples: Love can still be found in times of tragedy. War changes people mentally, physically and emotionally. The fear of shame can motivate a person to do something that never thought they would. Courage can be found in small places. Women motivate the men to keep fighting in the war. Religion is a personal and private matter that the men often kept to themselves.

MLA formatting… titles and in-text citations Title: The title of the novel should be italics (The Things They Carried) The title of the chapters should be in quotations (“Speaking of Courage”; “The Lives of the Dead” In-text citations: No need for the author’s last name since it’s all from the same book! “I want you to know why story-truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth” (171). PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PERIOD IS AFTER THE PARENTHESIS AND THAT THERE IS NO P. OR PG. IN FRONT OF THE PAGE # Paraphrasing? To cite or not to cite??

Thesis… When writing a thesis… 1. it should be the last sentence of your introduction 2. it should include both the author and title of the text your analyzing And 3…it should be ONE sentence that tells the reader EXACTLY what you’re arguing and why. It should NEVER include “I will be writing…” or “You will read…”

Transitions… Good transitions can connect paragraphs and turn disconnected writing into a unified whole. Instead of treating paragraphs as separate ideas, transitions can help readers understand how paragraphs work together, reference one another, and build to a larger point…YOUR THESIS The key to producing good transitions is highlighting connections between corresponding paragraphs. By referencing in one paragraph the relevant material from previous paragraphs, writers can develop important points for their readers.

Transitions cont’d… It is a good idea to continue one paragraph where another leaves off… Picking up key phrases from the previous paragraph and highlighting them in the next can create an obvious progression for readers. Usually… it only takes a few words to draw these connections Instead of writing transitions that could connect any paragraph to any other paragraph, write a transition that could only connect one specific paragraph to another specific paragraph.

Examples…. Paragraph ending [ … ]Once his system was applied to all acts of manual labor, Taylor assured his followers, it would bring about a restructuring not only of industry but of society, creating a utopia of perfect efficiency. Paragraph Opening with transitional cues Taylor’s system is still very much with us; it remains the ethic of industrial manufacturing. [ … ] Paragraph opening withouttransitional cues Taylor’s system is the ethic of present- day industrial manufacturing. [ … ]

Chronology before, next, earlier, later, during, after, meanwhile, while, until, then, first, second Comparison also, similarly, likewise, in the same way, in the same manner Contrast however, but, in contrast, still, yet, nevertheless, even though, although Clarity for example, for instance, in other words Continuation and, also, moreover, additionally, furthermore, another, too Consequence as a result, therefore, for this reason, thus, consequently Conclusionin conclusion, in summary, to sum up Sample Transition Words:

Referencing the chapters… Must reference and QUOTE from 3 different chapters… Give a QUICK, BRIEF, OVERVIEW (1-2 sentence MAX) of the chapter before diving into the analysis.

Vocabulary…Must use 2 new vocabulary words within your essay UNDERLINE THEM!! Elusive Poise Sullen Volition Deferment Rectitude Definitive Rigged Flourish Tedious Indefensible Sexist Inexpressive Fickle Quaint Distinction Idealized Blunder Tactical

Writing a thesis… In Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried What’s the topic? What does O’Brien say about the topic? How does he say it? (examples, characters, chapters, lit devices)