"Linda was nine then, as I was, but we were in love. And it was real. When I write about her now, three decades later, it is tempting to dismiss it as a crush, an infatuation of childhood, but I know for a fact that what we felt for each other was as deep and rich as love can ever get," (page 216).
This is the cutest story I have ever heard! I am a hopeless, sappy, romantic I know that for sure, but EVERYONE has to find this story touching. Love is always thought to be a mature feeling, for those who have experienced more in life and are more wise than a child, but why does it have to be restricted to our elders? I bet there are more children in this world that love each other than married couples. Children treat each other with care, excitement, and laughter, when it is very rare to see that sort of affection displayed between two adults. I find Linda to be more of a hero in this story than any of the other men in this book. She battled with something inside herself, her own war, and she lost with dignity. That is a lot to say for a nine-year-old girl.
I do not think that Tim O'Brien could have ended the novel any better. I love the way he portrays stories as another dimension, or another world. It is true. One can escape reality by changing parts, and skipping the endings only to add more. People can live forever in your memories, stories, and dreams, the same way one can be whoever they want to be when telling a story from their own point of view. This book was so much better than The Sun Also Rises, and as much as I am dreading school, I am looking forward to discussing it in class! See ya soon!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Wild Imaginations...
Alright, honestly, I do not blame Tim for wanting revenge on Jorgenson. I know that Jorgenson did not mean to intentionally mess things up with Tim, and that he was nervous with no experience, but the guy has to rub ointment on his butt several times a day. I would be pretty ticked off, too. Maybe Tim takes the revenge thing a little too far, but hey, it was entertaining, right?
"You don't try to scare people in broad daylight. You wait. Because the darkness squeezes you inside yourself, you get cut off from the outside world, the imagination takes over. That's basic psychology," (page 195).
So true! This quote reminds me of the nights after campfire when I was on Summer Field Studies this summer. I swear, every night when Rachel Simpson and I would walk back to our tent, we heard a bear. She would cuddle up really close to me and we would try to think of happy thoughts to take our minds off of it. Of course, there was most likely never a bear, but the dark plays tricks on your mind! You see and hear things you would never see or hear during the daylight. It is almost as if an entirely different universe comes out. I could not imagine having to sleep out there every night, holding a weapon, knowing that your enemy could be close at any moment. My imagination would drive me insane!
"You don't try to scare people in broad daylight. You wait. Because the darkness squeezes you inside yourself, you get cut off from the outside world, the imagination takes over. That's basic psychology," (page 195).
So true! This quote reminds me of the nights after campfire when I was on Summer Field Studies this summer. I swear, every night when Rachel Simpson and I would walk back to our tent, we heard a bear. She would cuddle up really close to me and we would try to think of happy thoughts to take our minds off of it. Of course, there was most likely never a bear, but the dark plays tricks on your mind! You see and hear things you would never see or hear during the daylight. It is almost as if an entirely different universe comes out. I could not imagine having to sleep out there every night, holding a weapon, knowing that your enemy could be close at any moment. My imagination would drive me insane!
AHHH!!!!!
OH MY GOSH!!!!! "GOOD FORM," BAFFLES ME! I HAD TO READ THIS CHAPTER ATLEAST THREE TIMES. I'M TRYING TO FIT ALL OF THE PIECES TOGETHER...THIS IS WHAT I HAVE SO FAR:
"What stories can do, I guess, is make things present. I can look at things I never looked at. I can attach faces to grief and love and pity and God. I can be brave. I can make myself feel again," (page 172).
Okay, so let me sort this out a bit. He did not, in all actuality, kill a man. However, because he saw a man dead, he felt responsible. But actually, he did not SEE the man because he did not have the courage to look, so he made up a story in which he can put a name to a face in order to cope with what happened. So, in his stories, he can be the person that he wishes he was during the accident. He can be everything he is not. This is situational irony at its best! I knew there was something special about the chapter when I was reading it because of the repetition O'Brien uses. He says that, "story-truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth," (page 171). This confuses me. Does he say that because he has convinced himself that the story-truth is what actually happened? Or, is it because that is what he wants people to believe happened? Somebody help me sort this mess out!
P.S. I love this book!!!
"What stories can do, I guess, is make things present. I can look at things I never looked at. I can attach faces to grief and love and pity and God. I can be brave. I can make myself feel again," (page 172).
Okay, so let me sort this out a bit. He did not, in all actuality, kill a man. However, because he saw a man dead, he felt responsible. But actually, he did not SEE the man because he did not have the courage to look, so he made up a story in which he can put a name to a face in order to cope with what happened. So, in his stories, he can be the person that he wishes he was during the accident. He can be everything he is not. This is situational irony at its best! I knew there was something special about the chapter when I was reading it because of the repetition O'Brien uses. He says that, "story-truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth," (page 171). This confuses me. Does he say that because he has convinced himself that the story-truth is what actually happened? Or, is it because that is what he wants people to believe happened? Somebody help me sort this mess out!
P.S. I love this book!!!
I Blame You!!
"Like those old cowboy movies. One more redskin bites the dirt," (page 158).
Are you kidding me!? Could Azar be any more rude in this chapter? One of his good friends and teammates just died and he makes a joke about Indians dying. This quote makes me want to punch him in the face! The way some of the characters cope with death is strange.
"You could blame the enemy...the mortar rounds...whole nations...God...an old man in Omaha who forgot to vote...In the field, though, the causes were immediate. A moment of carelessness or bad judgment or plain stupidity carried consequences that lasted forever," (page170).
I adore this quote! Everyone is always trying to put the blame on somebody else when it comes down to something serious. Nobody wants to admit to their own faults and mistakes. Yeah, sure, they could have blamed the government for choosing war, and they could have blamed their Lieutenant for camping out in that particular spot in the first place, but none of them have control over the future. It is one's own responsibility for taking care of themself and making good decisions. It reminds me of school, when everyone tries to blame a teacher for the grade they receive in a class. Maybe the teacher grades differently than one thinks is reasonable, but one has to get used to that teacher's style. Every student is responsible for the grades they receive, whether they want to admit it or not.
Are you kidding me!? Could Azar be any more rude in this chapter? One of his good friends and teammates just died and he makes a joke about Indians dying. This quote makes me want to punch him in the face! The way some of the characters cope with death is strange.
"You could blame the enemy...the mortar rounds...whole nations...God...an old man in Omaha who forgot to vote...In the field, though, the causes were immediate. A moment of carelessness or bad judgment or plain stupidity carried consequences that lasted forever," (page170).
I adore this quote! Everyone is always trying to put the blame on somebody else when it comes down to something serious. Nobody wants to admit to their own faults and mistakes. Yeah, sure, they could have blamed the government for choosing war, and they could have blamed their Lieutenant for camping out in that particular spot in the first place, but none of them have control over the future. It is one's own responsibility for taking care of themself and making good decisions. It reminds me of school, when everyone tries to blame a teacher for the grade they receive in a class. Maybe the teacher grades differently than one thinks is reasonable, but one has to get used to that teacher's style. Every student is responsible for the grades they receive, whether they want to admit it or not.
Annoying, Patriotic Idiots...
"I mean, who in his right mind wants a parade? Or getting his back clapped by a bunch of patriotic idiots who don't know jack about what it feels like to kill people or get shot at or sleep in the rain and watch your buddy go down underneath the mud? Who needs it?" (page 150)
He is right. It is amazing how "in the dark" everyone is when watching the war from a distance. To be honest, those who don't fight in a war really don't know anything about it. It is easy for us by-standers to give our opinions on the war and our gratitudes toward the soldiers for all of their hard work when we do not know the reality of it. I mean, what hard work are we thanking them for, exactly? I can understand where Bowker's annoyance is coming from when he writes the letter to O'Brien. It is not as if the admiration he receives is hurting him any, it is just simply annoying. During the hardships I have experienced throughout my life, I thought the same thing towards people who pretended to empathize what I was going through. I know that they did not mean any disrespect, but I just would rather have not heard "it's going to be okay," when they have no idea. Sometimes it is just better to listen and accept than to give your two-sense, which is why I have great respect for Norman Bowker in this novel.
He is right. It is amazing how "in the dark" everyone is when watching the war from a distance. To be honest, those who don't fight in a war really don't know anything about it. It is easy for us by-standers to give our opinions on the war and our gratitudes toward the soldiers for all of their hard work when we do not know the reality of it. I mean, what hard work are we thanking them for, exactly? I can understand where Bowker's annoyance is coming from when he writes the letter to O'Brien. It is not as if the admiration he receives is hurting him any, it is just simply annoying. During the hardships I have experienced throughout my life, I thought the same thing towards people who pretended to empathize what I was going through. I know that they did not mean any disrespect, but I just would rather have not heard "it's going to be okay," when they have no idea. Sometimes it is just better to listen and accept than to give your two-sense, which is why I have great respect for Norman Bowker in this novel.
Simplicity!
"'Well, hey,' the intercom said, 'I'm sure as f*ck not going anywhere. Screwed to a post, for God sake. Go ahead, try me,'" (page 146).
This scene is wonderful. Actually, the entire chapter, "Speaking of Courage," is kind of wonderful. The boy working at the drive-in restaurant reminds me of a bartender. They don't have much to do other than take orders, so listening to boring stories and life problems can become a part of the employee's responsibilities. It made me laugh how interested the boy seemed in Norman Bowker's life when he had no idea who he was or where he came from. I wish Bowker would have taken the time to tell the boy his story. Maybe afterwards, Bowker would have felt better having told someone like he had been longing to do all day long.
Norman Bowker's day is mundane, and O'Brien repeats himself over and over again to show the day's simplicity. The local color O'Brien uses when describing the town, it's landscape, the people and how they celebrate the fourth of July, allowed me to create a mental image of how the town was set up and what every day life was like for its citizens. "The lake divided into two halves...picknickers now waiting for the evening fireworks...four workmen labored in the shadowy red heat..." (page 138-141). The town is almost the opposite of the fields, paddies, forrests, and mortar rounds Bowker had experienced in Vietnam. O'Brien portrayed the differences perfectly when providing the details.
This scene is wonderful. Actually, the entire chapter, "Speaking of Courage," is kind of wonderful. The boy working at the drive-in restaurant reminds me of a bartender. They don't have much to do other than take orders, so listening to boring stories and life problems can become a part of the employee's responsibilities. It made me laugh how interested the boy seemed in Norman Bowker's life when he had no idea who he was or where he came from. I wish Bowker would have taken the time to tell the boy his story. Maybe afterwards, Bowker would have felt better having told someone like he had been longing to do all day long.
Norman Bowker's day is mundane, and O'Brien repeats himself over and over again to show the day's simplicity. The local color O'Brien uses when describing the town, it's landscape, the people and how they celebrate the fourth of July, allowed me to create a mental image of how the town was set up and what every day life was like for its citizens. "The lake divided into two halves...picknickers now waiting for the evening fireworks...four workmen labored in the shadowy red heat..." (page 138-141). The town is almost the opposite of the fields, paddies, forrests, and mortar rounds Bowker had experienced in Vietnam. O'Brien portrayed the differences perfectly when providing the details.
Dance, Dance!
"She took tiny steps in the dirt in front of her house, sometimes making a slow twirl, sometimes smiling to herself," (page 129).
This dancing girl confuses me beyond belief! Who the heck dances after their entirely family has been burned and you're the only one alive? I am almost positive it is not a ritual because Henry Dobbins seemed pretty sure about himself when he stated that the girl just liked to dance. So I am going to assume that it was a coping mechanism for the girl. I guess it is a good thing that she can celebrate their life instead of mourning their death, right? It always pays off when you can look at the glass half-full instead of half-empty. But I'm still confused as to why O'Brien would put this scene in the novel. It doesn't add much to the book, but it does make the audience read the chapter over a couple of times (atleast I did). He's trying to send some sort of secret message (they always are), but I can't figure it out! Anyone have any idea?
This dancing girl confuses me beyond belief! Who the heck dances after their entirely family has been burned and you're the only one alive? I am almost positive it is not a ritual because Henry Dobbins seemed pretty sure about himself when he stated that the girl just liked to dance. So I am going to assume that it was a coping mechanism for the girl. I guess it is a good thing that she can celebrate their life instead of mourning their death, right? It always pays off when you can look at the glass half-full instead of half-empty. But I'm still confused as to why O'Brien would put this scene in the novel. It doesn't add much to the book, but it does make the audience read the chapter over a couple of times (atleast I did). He's trying to send some sort of secret message (they always are), but I can't figure it out! Anyone have any idea?
Reality vs. Fantasy?
"...this is why I keep writing war stories...Even now I haven't finished sorting it out...In the ordinary hours of life I try not to dwell on it, but now and then, when I'm reading a newspaper or just sitting alone in a room, I'll look up and see the young man step out of the morning fog. I'll watch him walk toward me..." (page 128).
In the chapter, "Ambush," O'Brien has a strong desire to be able to tell his daughter about the man he killed. When he states that he hasn't finished sorting it out, I think that is how he feels about all of the stories he writes. He is constantly narrating the flashbacks he has years after the war to work through the details and make sense of it all, so that one day he can tell his daughter about all of the horrible things he experienced while in Vietnam. In war movies, such as Brothers, the actors and actresses that return from battle always seem to be haunted by the ongoings that took place while they were away. However, O'Brien doesn't seem to be haunted exactly, but he seems to be confused. He can never give a definite description of what was real and what was a fantasy, which leaves the reader to differentiate between the two. It is difficult for me to determine whether or not these stories actually happened or if they are just written to provide examples to the kind of situations that took place during war. For example, in the story of the baby buffalo, did Rat Kiley ACTUALLY continuously shoot the animal, or was it just a a story to demonstrate the hardships the men had to undergo? It's amazing how these men have yet to turn crazy.
In the chapter, "Ambush," O'Brien has a strong desire to be able to tell his daughter about the man he killed. When he states that he hasn't finished sorting it out, I think that is how he feels about all of the stories he writes. He is constantly narrating the flashbacks he has years after the war to work through the details and make sense of it all, so that one day he can tell his daughter about all of the horrible things he experienced while in Vietnam. In war movies, such as Brothers, the actors and actresses that return from battle always seem to be haunted by the ongoings that took place while they were away. However, O'Brien doesn't seem to be haunted exactly, but he seems to be confused. He can never give a definite description of what was real and what was a fantasy, which leaves the reader to differentiate between the two. It is difficult for me to determine whether or not these stories actually happened or if they are just written to provide examples to the kind of situations that took place during war. For example, in the story of the baby buffalo, did Rat Kiley ACTUALLY continuously shoot the animal, or was it just a a story to demonstrate the hardships the men had to undergo? It's amazing how these men have yet to turn crazy.
Justification of Killing
"The Man I Killed," reveals a lot about the author of the story. Tim rarely participates in the violent action until this chapter in the story where he contemplates on the man that he killed. Throughout the chapter, he continues to repeat himself while describing the young man, as if he knew him. This displays O'Brien as a gentle man. Yes, he was a man at war, but at the same time he didn't put his whole self into the violence. He was there because he had to be, not by choice, and you can see his sensitivity towards death when he stares at the dead man.
"Tim, it's a war. The guy wasn't Heidi- he had a weapon, right? It's a tough thing, for sure, but you got to cut out that staring," (page 120).
It is funny how Kiowa tries to rationalize killing in this scene with his allusion to Heidi, a young girl who is in care of her grandfather in the novel Heidi's Years of Wandering and Learning. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidi) Obviously there is a reason to feel guilty if they have to try and convince themselves they had a good reason for doing so. I do not know where I stand on the killing in war. I know that it comes with the job and that is what they are trained to do, but is that how one is supposed to justify it? One HAD to do it because it is their responsibility? Would one call it murder or self defense? It just seems too complicated to give definite answers to these questions.
"Tim, it's a war. The guy wasn't Heidi- he had a weapon, right? It's a tough thing, for sure, but you got to cut out that staring," (page 120).
It is funny how Kiowa tries to rationalize killing in this scene with his allusion to Heidi, a young girl who is in care of her grandfather in the novel Heidi's Years of Wandering and Learning. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidi) Obviously there is a reason to feel guilty if they have to try and convince themselves they had a good reason for doing so. I do not know where I stand on the killing in war. I know that it comes with the job and that is what they are trained to do, but is that how one is supposed to justify it? One HAD to do it because it is their responsibility? Would one call it murder or self defense? It just seems too complicated to give definite answers to these questions.
Comfort in the Quiet
During the chapter, "Church," all I could think about was how odd it was that the monks were cleaning up the machine guns and reassembling them. I thought that monks were known for peace and solitude and then O'Brien has them putting together life-killing weapons. The irony is kind of funny, actually. I almost think that O'Brien did it on purpose, making fun of the Church or something. The Church is always professing their negativity towards war and violence; yet, there are still wars about religion. I think O'Brien is trying to bring that to the attention of the audience, much like Hemingway did in his book, The Sun Also Rises.
"...but I do like churches. The way it feels inside. It feels good when you just sit there, like you're in a forest and everything's really quiet, except there is's still this sound you can't hear," (page 116).
Kiowa is on target with this one. When I attend Mass on the weekends, the actual liturgy does not ever do much for me. Every once in awhile, when I can pay attention to the homily long enough, the priest can reach me and I understand and enjoy the message he is trying to get through to the congregation. But more than anything, the silence can always reach me. I love to think and meditate and there is no place better than when you are sitting in church surrounded by a hundred people doing the same thing you are. There is a senes of comfort in the quiet. For the men in the story, they know violence; they see violence every day. Because of that, they also know peace, and I cannot imagine what it would feel like to be a hostile soldier with a peaceful soul.
"...but I do like churches. The way it feels inside. It feels good when you just sit there, like you're in a forest and everything's really quiet, except there is's still this sound you can't hear," (page 116).
Kiowa is on target with this one. When I attend Mass on the weekends, the actual liturgy does not ever do much for me. Every once in awhile, when I can pay attention to the homily long enough, the priest can reach me and I understand and enjoy the message he is trying to get through to the congregation. But more than anything, the silence can always reach me. I love to think and meditate and there is no place better than when you are sitting in church surrounded by a hundred people doing the same thing you are. There is a senes of comfort in the quiet. For the men in the story, they know violence; they see violence every day. Because of that, they also know peace, and I cannot imagine what it would feel like to be a hostile soldier with a peaceful soul.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
A litte good luck
"No cover at all, but he just slipped the pantyhose over his noe and breathed deep and let the magic do its work. It turned us into a platoon of believers. You don't dispute facts," (page 112).
This quote reminds me of the first chapter when O'Brien is listing the things the soldiers carried and he mentions how they all have their own good luck charms. Someone carried a rabbit's foot, one carried a good-luck pebble, and someone else carried a thumb that had been presented to him as a gift. In this chapter, Dobbins was invulnerable because he carried his girlfriend's panty house around his neck. It seems stupid at first, but I can see where he is coming from. Sometimes things like that are unexplainable. I do believe in luck, which not many can say. There are several situations that one has no control over and it has nothing to do with decision-making. You are just at the wrong place at the wrong time and it's not your fault you didn't see it coming. It is luck. My junior year, my luck was terrible; therefore, I bought a bracelet with a bunch of saints and icons on it. In my mind, it keeps me safe and has brought me good luck all summer! Atleast, that's how I see it. Sometimes it's comforting to believe that you can rely on an object for good fortune; it relieves the pressure to make your own luck.
This quote reminds me of the first chapter when O'Brien is listing the things the soldiers carried and he mentions how they all have their own good luck charms. Someone carried a rabbit's foot, one carried a good-luck pebble, and someone else carried a thumb that had been presented to him as a gift. In this chapter, Dobbins was invulnerable because he carried his girlfriend's panty house around his neck. It seems stupid at first, but I can see where he is coming from. Sometimes things like that are unexplainable. I do believe in luck, which not many can say. There are several situations that one has no control over and it has nothing to do with decision-making. You are just at the wrong place at the wrong time and it's not your fault you didn't see it coming. It is luck. My junior year, my luck was terrible; therefore, I bought a bracelet with a bunch of saints and icons on it. In my mind, it keeps me safe and has brought me good luck all summer! Atleast, that's how I see it. Sometimes it's comforting to believe that you can rely on an object for good fortune; it relieves the pressure to make your own luck.
Questions!
"You come over clean and you get dirty and then afterward it's never the same. A question of degree...For Mary Anne Bell, it seemed Vietnam had the effect of a powerful drug: the mix of unnamed terror and unnamed pleasure that comes as the needle slips in and you know you're risking something...She wanted more. She wanted to penetrate deeper into the mystery of herself, and after a time the wanting became needing, which then turned to craving," (page 109).
Mary Anne Bell is one confusing girl. I don't really understand what happened to her in this chapter. They keep saying that she wanders off with the "Greenies" and I am assuming that they are the enemy special forces. So basically in "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong," Mary Anne becomes a traitor and sides with the opposing forces. It is DEFINITELY situational irony. I never thought the sweet, teenage girl would become a rough, war woman. First of all, how does that even happen? How does Mitchell Sanders even get her over there without being caught? It is hard for me to believe that she could just live over there with him, and everyone was okay with it. Even if that did happen, how did the Greenies allow her to just switch sides and stay with them? If she was supposed to be an enemy, wouldn't they take defense to her presence? She literally just made herself right at home with soldiers and made a life out of it. That is like me going over to Iraq and just hanging out with the army! I really liked this chapter, but I thought it was really confusing. Can somebody help me out, please!?
Mary Anne Bell is one confusing girl. I don't really understand what happened to her in this chapter. They keep saying that she wanders off with the "Greenies" and I am assuming that they are the enemy special forces. So basically in "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong," Mary Anne becomes a traitor and sides with the opposing forces. It is DEFINITELY situational irony. I never thought the sweet, teenage girl would become a rough, war woman. First of all, how does that even happen? How does Mitchell Sanders even get her over there without being caught? It is hard for me to believe that she could just live over there with him, and everyone was okay with it. Even if that did happen, how did the Greenies allow her to just switch sides and stay with them? If she was supposed to be an enemy, wouldn't they take defense to her presence? She literally just made herself right at home with soldiers and made a life out of it. That is like me going over to Iraq and just hanging out with the army! I really liked this chapter, but I thought it was really confusing. Can somebody help me out, please!?
Ruthless Therapy
"He shot it twice in the flanks. It wasn't to to kill; it was to hurt...Rat Kiley was crying. He tried to say something, but then cradled his rifle and went off by himself," (page 75-76).
I find the story where Rat Kiley kills the baby buffalo particularly disturbing. The poor guy lost his best friend and now he wants something else to feel the pain that he does. It was almost like therapy for Kiley. As much as I love war stories, I hate actual war. The thought of millions of people walking around with life-taking weapons makes me cringe. I wish all of the tales that came from war were fictional. I have someone very close to me who is enlisting into the armed forces this year, and it scares me. War can turn people into someone they aren't; it can bring out the worst in people, which is what I think O'Brien was trying to explain in this anecdote. Rat Kiley himself was an animal. It is disgusting that a man can feel a sense of revenge and comfort by killing an innocent animal. One thing is for sure, I would never be able to see my best friend killed and then live a sane life afterward. I guess I can't really blame Rat Kiley for what he did.
I find the story where Rat Kiley kills the baby buffalo particularly disturbing. The poor guy lost his best friend and now he wants something else to feel the pain that he does. It was almost like therapy for Kiley. As much as I love war stories, I hate actual war. The thought of millions of people walking around with life-taking weapons makes me cringe. I wish all of the tales that came from war were fictional. I have someone very close to me who is enlisting into the armed forces this year, and it scares me. War can turn people into someone they aren't; it can bring out the worst in people, which is what I think O'Brien was trying to explain in this anecdote. Rat Kiley himself was an animal. It is disgusting that a man can feel a sense of revenge and comfort by killing an innocent animal. One thing is for sure, I would never be able to see my best friend killed and then live a sane life afterward. I guess I can't really blame Rat Kiley for what he did.
Never-ending contradiction!
"How to Tell a True War Story," contains several events squeezed into one chapter! It is interesting to say the least, but there are a few points that I want to cover.
"When a guy dies, like Curt Lemon, you look away and then look back for a moment and then look away again. The pictures get jumbled; you tend to miss a lot. And then afterward, when you go to tell about it, 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," (page 68).
What I have to say does not really have much to do with the book, but I enjoy this quote because I can apply it to my own life. I have been in a total of three car wrecks in the last year and a half. Yes, I know, I am a terrible driver. Actually, I am not a terrible driver! I just get distracted and pay more attention to things other than the road. But anyway! Everytime I get into an accident, I have to file a report and tell the police and my insurance company (which is most likely going to drop me now...) what happened the day of the wreck. I try my best to fit all of the pieces together, but when something scary and tragic happens to you, it is hard to pay attention to all of the details. That is why I understand what O'Brien is trying to say in this confusing quote. I tell the officer what I think happened, because that is how it seemed to me; however, what ACTUALLY happened might be a bit different than the way I saw it.
"War is hell, but that's not half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead," (page 79).
This entire quote is a juxtaposition. He associates war with entertainment and thrill, while saying it is hell and nasty. It is brilliant! Everything he says right here describes the entire novel so far. He demonstrates stories where there is excitement and where there is depression and so on and so on. War itself is a juxtaposition or a contradiction, which is why I enjoy war stories and movies. There is never a predictable ending!
To be continued...
"When a guy dies, like Curt Lemon, you look away and then look back for a moment and then look away again. The pictures get jumbled; you tend to miss a lot. And then afterward, when you go to tell about it, 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," (page 68).
What I have to say does not really have much to do with the book, but I enjoy this quote because I can apply it to my own life. I have been in a total of three car wrecks in the last year and a half. Yes, I know, I am a terrible driver. Actually, I am not a terrible driver! I just get distracted and pay more attention to things other than the road. But anyway! Everytime I get into an accident, I have to file a report and tell the police and my insurance company (which is most likely going to drop me now...) what happened the day of the wreck. I try my best to fit all of the pieces together, but when something scary and tragic happens to you, it is hard to pay attention to all of the details. That is why I understand what O'Brien is trying to say in this confusing quote. I tell the officer what I think happened, because that is how it seemed to me; however, what ACTUALLY happened might be a bit different than the way I saw it.
"War is hell, but that's not half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead," (page 79).
This entire quote is a juxtaposition. He associates war with entertainment and thrill, while saying it is hell and nasty. It is brilliant! Everything he says right here describes the entire novel so far. He demonstrates stories where there is excitement and where there is depression and so on and so on. War itself is a juxtaposition or a contradiction, which is why I enjoy war stories and movies. There is never a predictable ending!
To be continued...
Fake Friends
So now Dave Jensen and Lee Strunk are supposed to be BFF. I still don't understand why they couldn't just be friends in the first place, but whatever. Anyway...in the last line of the chapter the book reads, "Later we heard that Strunk died somewhere over Chu Lai, which seemed to relieve Dave Jensen of an enormous weight," (page 63). I do not understand why they refer to each other as being some sort of a burden. If they are friends now and have each others' backs, then why would their friendship feel like some sort of weight they had to carry around? If the whole time they were acting as friends just for selfish matters, or in other words to save themselves, then why not just be strangers? I am so sick of people being friends for fake reasons. I thought that kind of stuff only happened to kids in elementary school and high school. I am so glad that I have had the same set of close friends my entire life. I like knowing that I can trust them with anything; I have no idea what I would do if I had to worry about a "friend" the way Strunk and Jensen worry about each other in the book. These past two chapters are rather annoying!
Trust Issues
In the chapter "Enemies," Lee Strunk and Dave Jensen act as foils to one another. It surprises me how two people fighting on the same team would WANT to steal from each other and then hospitalize them for doing so. I know that I have no idea what it is like to be in a war, but how will they ever solve problems with the ACTUAL enemies if they cannot resolve issues amongst themselves, first? I find it annoying how immature two men can be when they are dealing with matters much worse than a stolen knife. They are supposed to have each others' backs when they are in battle, but that isn't going to work if they can't trust each other. "But in the morning Lee Strunk couldn't stop laughing. 'The man's crazy,' he said. 'I stole his f*cking jackknife,'" (page 61). This quote urges me to want to punch Strunk in the face! Jensen is obviously worked up about what happened, and feels guilty for hurting Strunk the way he did, and Strunk turns it all into this big joke. After the last line of the chapter, I labeled Lee Strunk as the antihero. I'm not quite sure on how important his role is in the story because I haven't gotten that far yet, but in this chapter he definitely portrays a selfish teammate who lacks any sort of moral scruples. He deserved everything he got!
There's Always a Silent Audience
Elroy Berdahl is an amazing character in the chapter, "On The Rainy River." He is such a simple man who knew how to give Tim his space and let him make the decision between war and Canada, or right and wrong, on his own. Although, what exactly is right? Growing up, Americans are always taught freedom of choice and following your heart and blah blah blah, but then a draft comes along and forces one into something they may never have chosen for themself. I mean, technically if Tim did not want to spend four years of his life participating in something he knew nothing about, why should he? The laws and ways of the United States Government always seems so contradicting to me.
This chapter also displays Tim O'Brien and his internal conflict when deciding whether or not to illegally immigrate to Canada or to draft into the armed forces. He had to choose between two completely different lifestyles, leaving him in a rough place. There is the noble choice, and the choice that he wants and desires for himself. How is he supposed to easily choose between the two?
"I couldn't endure the mockery, or the disgrace, or the patriotic ridicule. Even in my imagination, the shore just twenty yards away, I couldn't make myself be brave. It had nothing to do with morality. Embarassment, that's all it was," (page 57).
Embarassment can be such a hinder to our lives, and sometimes we don't even realize it. Every day people choose to opt out on something due to fear of embarrassing themselves, especially in high school. There are several people I know, including myself, that chose not to participate in school plays, show choir, team sports, and other activities purely based on the fear of being inadequate and making a fool of themself in front of a crowd. Is it because the audience in our lives is not so silent as Elroy in The Things They Carried, or does it have to do with our self confidence? However, embarassment does not always have to be an inconvenience, but it can also be a motivation, too. How many times do you choose to make a moral decision because you are afraid of humiliation and an embarassing reputation? I know that growing up in a large family means that no matter where I am, someone there is most likely associated with my relatives. No matter what I do, someone from my family could and most likely WOULD find out. And if someone from my family finds out I did something immoral or illegal, I would never see the light of day again. I always feared what they thought of me and I wanted them to be proud of me; therefore, embarassment kept me out of trouble.
In this chapter, I was also confused on how crossing the Canadian border could be that easy? Wouldn't there be border patrol around the lake, too?
This chapter also displays Tim O'Brien and his internal conflict when deciding whether or not to illegally immigrate to Canada or to draft into the armed forces. He had to choose between two completely different lifestyles, leaving him in a rough place. There is the noble choice, and the choice that he wants and desires for himself. How is he supposed to easily choose between the two?
"I couldn't endure the mockery, or the disgrace, or the patriotic ridicule. Even in my imagination, the shore just twenty yards away, I couldn't make myself be brave. It had nothing to do with morality. Embarassment, that's all it was," (page 57).
Embarassment can be such a hinder to our lives, and sometimes we don't even realize it. Every day people choose to opt out on something due to fear of embarrassing themselves, especially in high school. There are several people I know, including myself, that chose not to participate in school plays, show choir, team sports, and other activities purely based on the fear of being inadequate and making a fool of themself in front of a crowd. Is it because the audience in our lives is not so silent as Elroy in The Things They Carried, or does it have to do with our self confidence? However, embarassment does not always have to be an inconvenience, but it can also be a motivation, too. How many times do you choose to make a moral decision because you are afraid of humiliation and an embarassing reputation? I know that growing up in a large family means that no matter where I am, someone there is most likely associated with my relatives. No matter what I do, someone from my family could and most likely WOULD find out. And if someone from my family finds out I did something immoral or illegal, I would never see the light of day again. I always feared what they thought of me and I wanted them to be proud of me; therefore, embarassment kept me out of trouble.
In this chapter, I was also confused on how crossing the Canadian border could be that easy? Wouldn't there be border patrol around the lake, too?
Storytime!
"That's what stories are for. Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for those late hours in the night when you can't remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story," (page 36).
I love the way that O'Brien writes. He can give an explanation for anything and whether it be wrong or right, or something you might even disagree with, he can make it sound completely reasonable. It actually made me realize that ignorance makes nonsense become truth. For example, if someone says to you that President O'Bama is actually a terrorist who is plotting to destroy the U.S., someone who has no clue about anything related to politics would never know how ridiculous the statement is. If one is not educated on a topic, they are more likely to believe someone who pretends to know what they are talking about. But anyway, let's get back on task. I agree with what O'Brien is trying to explain in the quote above. There have been plenty of times in my life where I use a story to try and describe how happy I was during a specific time in my life. I tell funny stories about freshman year which lead me to believe it was my favorite year of high school. But then if I really think about it, there were even more times during freshman year where I was not happy and I wished to be in eighth grade again. It is almost like I use stories to convince myself that those were some of my favorite years, when really I am happier now then I was then. I don't know, it makes more sense in my head I guess. But I do know that stories HELP me to remember. When Dad died seven years ago, I started telling stories about him to anyone who would listen. I still tell the same stories today, and it helps me to keep his memory alive. It is like he lives in the story, and he was never REALLY gone.
I love the way that O'Brien writes. He can give an explanation for anything and whether it be wrong or right, or something you might even disagree with, he can make it sound completely reasonable. It actually made me realize that ignorance makes nonsense become truth. For example, if someone says to you that President O'Bama is actually a terrorist who is plotting to destroy the U.S., someone who has no clue about anything related to politics would never know how ridiculous the statement is. If one is not educated on a topic, they are more likely to believe someone who pretends to know what they are talking about. But anyway, let's get back on task. I agree with what O'Brien is trying to explain in the quote above. There have been plenty of times in my life where I use a story to try and describe how happy I was during a specific time in my life. I tell funny stories about freshman year which lead me to believe it was my favorite year of high school. But then if I really think about it, there were even more times during freshman year where I was not happy and I wished to be in eighth grade again. It is almost like I use stories to convince myself that those were some of my favorite years, when really I am happier now then I was then. I don't know, it makes more sense in my head I guess. But I do know that stories HELP me to remember. When Dad died seven years ago, I started telling stories about him to anyone who would listen. I still tell the same stories today, and it helps me to keep his memory alive. It is like he lives in the story, and he was never REALLY gone.
A little more from chapter one!
There were a lot of interesting quotes and plenty of information in chapter one, so I am going to break it up into two blogs!
"He felt paralyzed, he wanted to sleep inside her lungs and breathe her blood and be smothered...Why so alone? Not lonely, just alone--riding her bike across campus or sitting off by herself in the cafeteria--even dancing, she danced alone--and it was her aloneness that filled him with love," (page 11).
I particularly love this quote because of the imagery O'Brien uses when describing how Lieutenant Cross feels about Martha. Not only are the words very poetic, but the quote literally made me picture a man sleeping inside a woman's lungs (a fluffy room of pink, actually) and his intimate feelings toward her. I am confused, though, on the relationship between the lieutenant and Martha. Is she his girflriend, his wife, or a mere obsession of his?
Another aspect of the quote that caught my eye, using explication, was how he described her as "alone" but not "lonely." I can completely relate to this description. She ENJOYS being alone, and so do I! However, it can be really hard for people to understand that, which brings me to the conclusion that not a whole lot of other readers pay mind to the quote. I thoroughly enjoy eating out or going to see a movie with the company of myself. It does not mean that I am lonely and do not have anyone to go with, I just choose to spend time alone, similar to Martha. It is a time for me to think instead of make conversation. Maybe I don't even have to think, I can just be at peace. How am I ever going to feel comfortable being myself with someone if I am not comfortable with myself?
One thing I noticed right away in the novel is the crude language! It is not that it bothers me, I just found it shocking at first. I do not remember a time in school where I read a book that has the "F" word on almost every page!
P.S. A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_field)
"He felt paralyzed, he wanted to sleep inside her lungs and breathe her blood and be smothered...Why so alone? Not lonely, just alone--riding her bike across campus or sitting off by herself in the cafeteria--even dancing, she danced alone--and it was her aloneness that filled him with love," (page 11).
I particularly love this quote because of the imagery O'Brien uses when describing how Lieutenant Cross feels about Martha. Not only are the words very poetic, but the quote literally made me picture a man sleeping inside a woman's lungs (a fluffy room of pink, actually) and his intimate feelings toward her. I am confused, though, on the relationship between the lieutenant and Martha. Is she his girflriend, his wife, or a mere obsession of his?
Another aspect of the quote that caught my eye, using explication, was how he described her as "alone" but not "lonely." I can completely relate to this description. She ENJOYS being alone, and so do I! However, it can be really hard for people to understand that, which brings me to the conclusion that not a whole lot of other readers pay mind to the quote. I thoroughly enjoy eating out or going to see a movie with the company of myself. It does not mean that I am lonely and do not have anyone to go with, I just choose to spend time alone, similar to Martha. It is a time for me to think instead of make conversation. Maybe I don't even have to think, I can just be at peace. How am I ever going to feel comfortable being myself with someone if I am not comfortable with myself?
One thing I noticed right away in the novel is the crude language! It is not that it bothers me, I just found it shocking at first. I do not remember a time in school where I read a book that has the "F" word on almost every page!
P.S. A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_field)
ROUND 2...HERE WE GO
After reading only the first chapter, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien is a thousand times more intriguing than TSAR. War stories ALWAYS make for great entertainment.
"They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing--these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight," (page 20).
I adore this quote and the meaning it has behind it. Even though many people cannot fathom the feeling one has knowing there is a great chance of death in the soon future, everyone can relate to the feeling of carrying weight around. Whether the weight be through regret, stress, loss, or the anticipation of losing someone close to them, there is a point in one's life where they seem to be slowed down and heavy. Although menial and insignificant compared to war and death, I know that during the school year, I often feel like I am carrying a boulder on my shoulders. In a tornado of homework, tests, practices, work, and very little sleep, I never feel like I get the chance to breathe and relax a little. I think this is the main reason that students dread starting school after a summer of free time and less responsibility. Going to school every day is not the rough part, but it is all of the baggage that comes along with it that triggers the negativity.
"They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing--these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight," (page 20).
I adore this quote and the meaning it has behind it. Even though many people cannot fathom the feeling one has knowing there is a great chance of death in the soon future, everyone can relate to the feeling of carrying weight around. Whether the weight be through regret, stress, loss, or the anticipation of losing someone close to them, there is a point in one's life where they seem to be slowed down and heavy. Although menial and insignificant compared to war and death, I know that during the school year, I often feel like I am carrying a boulder on my shoulders. In a tornado of homework, tests, practices, work, and very little sleep, I never feel like I get the chance to breathe and relax a little. I think this is the main reason that students dread starting school after a summer of free time and less responsibility. Going to school every day is not the rough part, but it is all of the baggage that comes along with it that triggers the negativity.
"Imagination was a killer," (page 10).
I could not imagine being in a war where you spend your free time concocting all of these wild ideas and situations that end in your own death and despair. I have always thought that if I were in a room alone for too long, I would drive myself crazy from pure thought. War is like a huge game of hide and go seek with weapons, right? Think about it. Every time you hide, you feel like you are going to wet yourself from anticipation. You try and think of a hundred different ways you can make it to base without getting caught, and you psyche yourself out to believe that something bad is going to happen if they actually DO find you. Because if they find you, you lose. However, in war, instead of switching roles, you die.
"They carried...Psy Ops leaflets...Black Flag insecticide...PRC-77 scrambler radio...insignia of rank," (page 13-14).
The dialect that O'Brien uses here, specific to the military, made me take the time to read slower than normal and pick out the words and phrases I was not quite sure about. I tried to infer what each of them meant, and many times they were associated with things similar to them when they were listed, which made it easier on me. I think O'Brien decided to list the things they carried because the common people are unaware of how much education is required to become a part of the armed forces. One must learn an entire new vocabulary to understand situations and what situations require what weapons and means for protection. It is impressive, actually, how much they have to remember and learn.
P.S. What is a paddie exactly? I'm pretty sure it is just a large area of land. I'll look it up and let you know on my next blog!
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