Things They Carried Chapter 12-14

"The Man I Killed"
“Style” and
“Ambush” Due

Wesley

May 22, 2017

The Things They Carried

With a partner, please discuss each question (you might have discussed chapter 12 already). Each person should take notes (bullet points and page #’s).  After about 15 mins of small group discussion, we will talk for awhile as a class.  HW: “Speaking of Courage”

Chapter 12: “The Man I Killed”

1. How did the narrator react to the fact that he killed another human being? What evidence in the story leads you to this conclusion?

2. This story describes fairly intimate aspects of the dead man’s life. Where do these details come from? How can Tim O’Brien know them? What is going on here?

Chapter 13: “Ambush”

1. Tim O’Brien’s daughter, Kathleen, asks if he ever killed a man: “ ‘You keep writing these war stories,’ she said, ‘so I guess you must’ve killed somebody.’ “ Following this, O’Brien relates two possible scenarios of the death described in “The Man I Killed” to explain “This is why I keep writing war stories.” In your opinion, why does O’Brien keep writing war stories?

2. Where does truth reside in this book? What is the connection between O’Brien’s actual experiences and the events in this book? Why is O’Brien using lies to get at “the truth”?

Chapter 14: “Style”

1. What symbolism lies in the woman’s dance?

2. What does Dobbins means when he says “Dance right!”?

HW: “Speaking of Courage” Due