Thursday, May 26, 2016

the things they carried project

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
1954-75 (U.S. involved, 1961-75)
  • U.S. troops engaged: 8,744,000
  • American battle deaths: 47,410
  • The U.S. helped non-Communist South Vietnam fight the invasion by Communist North Vietnam (Viet Cong).
Background

1.


2.


3.


Imagery
1.           Trait; (Quote) pg.#


2.           Trait; (Quote) pg.#



3.


4.


Character Traits
1.


2.


3.


4.


5.


Themes
1.           Spin: “You take your material where you find it, which is in your life, at the intersection of past and present.”
2.            Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong:
This is not truly a story of Mary Anne’s transformation: It’s more about storytelling and the loss of innocence.
Many of the soldiers are represented by Mary Anne: They, too, left America as young and naïve, and like her, they lost their innocence in Vietnam. Eventually, they all crossed over into the dark side of the war experience, and their innocent selves were lost for good.







3.Speaking of Courage:
Compelling metaphor: The sewage field represents an unpleasant, meaningless battle that none of the soldiers can escape; literally Kiowa, and symbolically Bowker, whose wading into the lake he drives around (and even tasting it) signals his desire to return to Vietnam to change the events that ended Kiowa’s life.
4.Notes
This is O'Brien's search for authenticity in storytelling: Most of his writing comes from the “simple need to talk,” illustrating that his writing is his chosen form of relief from mental anguish.
 5.In the Field
No one emerges emotionally intact from the three perspectives of “In The Field.”
When the men discover Kiowa’s body, they are overwhelmed by the sense of “bad luck” that caused his death – bad luck that could have claimed (and still could claim) any one of them

6. The Lives of the Dead
This is the story that encapsulates the novel’s purpose: writing in order to make sense of life, especially in relation to others’ deaths.
Linda is O’Brien’s first love – and his first realization that fiction can overcome death. When this beautiful, little child dies, her innocence, and O’Brien’s, dies with her.
Linda’s visits to O’Brien’s dreams begin a life-long process of addressing difficulty through imagination and illusion: an ability he carried with him to Vietnam.
By keeping Linda alive – as well as his Vietnam comrades – O’Brien is keeping himself alive.




Key Chapters

Tuesday, May 17, 2016



The Odyssey


Odyssey = Epic  Epic=Long Narrative Poem

Story begins “in media res”. The Trojan War has just ended and Odysseus must journey home.



Background


    1.  Odysseus is loyal. It says, “while he fought only to save his life, to bring his shipmates home”. This is because he was committed to his men.

2.  Odysseus is tough. It says, “all the gods had pitied lord odysseus except Poseidon, raging cold and rough against the brave king”.  He is tough because he is able to survive Poseidon’s waters.


3.  Odysseus is ___________. It says, “__________”.
This is because __________________.


Hero Trait


Courage
Fate of a Nation
Homecoming
Beauty
Loyalty
Life and Death



Theme

Olympians











Interactive Map

Hero Journey


Friday, April 22, 2016

Writefolio

Writefolio

A WHITE BUS

FANBOYS
For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

Ratiocination


A-answer
B- bring evidence
C-connect


Literary Analysis 3-7-5
Narrative- Freeform
Research 3-5-5-3
Poetry Analysis
T- tone
W-word choice
I-imagery
S-symbolism
T-theme


Expository Skeleton

Strong opening statement. Strong opening statement two.  Thesis statement that controls the entire essay.
      Define the problem. Categorize the situation. Detail one. Detail that supports thesis one.  Transition word and detail two.  Support detail three. Transition word and support detail four. Compare and contrast.  Problem and solution. Final detail with transition word.
      In conclusion, Restate thesis one.  Big picture sentence two. Text-to-world sentence.  Text-to-world sentence.  Text-to-world sentence. Talk about the future.  Strong closing sentence.

      

Research Frayer

Research Essay
Prompt: What theme about war is the author of both the novel and the poem “All The Things They Carried” trying to convey?
General Statement


Thesis
Quote 1

Quote 2

Life Lesson or text-to-world




Research Essay skeleton

Research Essay Skeleton
General Statement. Specific statement. Thesis statement.
      Topic sentence. Quote #1. Explain. Explain. Anchor sentence.
      Topic sentence. Quote #2. Explain. Explain. Anchor sentence.
      Restate thesis. Specific Quote. General Statement.