War: What are we fighting for, and how does it change us?
Unit: Two / Semester 1
Duration: 5 weeks (19 days)
Textual Materials:
1. Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried (novel)
2. Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home” (short story)
Rationale:
Conflict is common among all nations, but reasons for the conflict and how the conflict is dealt with can really help define a culture. A closer look at war literature is essential to an American literature course because so many American generations have been influenced and in part defined by wars, so not taking a look at a soldier’s perspective would not provide a complete view of American culture and history. Studying war literature has great cultural significance. It is important for students to understand the history of their nation because knowing where you come from can help you decide on where you need to be going, which feeds into civic awareness as well. Studying this literature provides students with a better understanding of their country’s history. “His [O’Brien’s] stories resonate with students on both intellectual and emotional levels and prompt classes to make important connections between the historical and the personal, between style and idea, between memory and storytelling” ( Gilmore ix). Students should be able to recognize the multiple purposes of a text. Stories are not always just an entertaining story; good literature is a gateway to understanding important historical events and time periods. Students can also gain knowledge of mentalities, opinions, and perspectives that extend across time periods and various wars that are important to understand. Even though WWI and the Vietnam War took place over 50 years apart from one another, there are common themes across similar experiences such as these that students should be aware of. It is important to understand that while wars and individuals’ experiences will differ, there are some common threads that help define the American mentality on war.
The two major texts to be used in this unit will be Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried and a small selection of Ernest Hemingway’s short stories including “Soldier’s Home.” Not only will this selection of texts provide a variety in genre, but it will also provide a variety in perspectives; The Things They Carried deals with the Vietnam War while Ernest Hemingway writes about World War I. While none of these texts are non-fiction, these selections were written with strong autobiographical influence from the authors’ personal experiences with war. Supplementary texts for this unit may include non-fiction letters or accounts made by soldiers and also music and other pop culture texts from each time period in order to help students become more immersed in the settings in which these stories take place. A huge part of understanding literature is understanding its context. I understand that there have been many other wars that America has been involved in, and there are important lessons to be learned from each of them, but with a limited amount of time to cover such a vast topic, picking these two wars seemed appropriate because they are far enough apart to give two different perspectives. There is a lot of good war literature out there to choose from, but I believe that The Things They Carried is an upstanding option, and the novel also provides the opportunity to explore other literary elements apart from the topic of war including the idea of metafiction and the use of various literary elements like metaphor and symbolism. O’Brien’s writing is the perfect writing model for students to use when composing their own personal narratives, a standard for the 11th grade English classroom. “If the reassuring statement that ‘stories save us’ from the last chapter of The Things They Carried is true, it’s been our experience that O’Brien’s own stories—and the stories students write on their own as a result of reading his work—are well-suited for the job” (ix Gilmore). Choosing Hemingway’s “Solider’s Home” is also appropriate. Because of Hemingway’s great influence on American literature, he had to be included in the curriculum. Reading Hemingway will also expose students to another writing style, and to the experiences of someone who experienced a different war. Studying a short story by Hemingway in 11th grade will also help prepare students to study his longer works in 12th grade.
Works Cited
Gilmore, Barry , and Alexander Kaplan. Tim O'Brien in the Classroom: "This too is true: Stories can save us". Urbana, Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English, 2007. Print.
Goals:
By the end of the unit, my students will...
-Write a personal narrative.
-Understand the writing process and be able to implement all elements of the process.
-Give other students constructive feedback on their writing as well as be able to revise their work based on constructive feedback they receive from their peers.
-Recognize the differences and similarities in the writing styles of O’Brien and Hemingway.
-Understand the role that war plays in American culture and literature.
By the end of the unit, I as an educator will...
-Write my own personal narrative to model for the students as well as undergo this self-examination for myself.
-Know my students on an even deeper level based on what they write about in their narratives.
Standards:
1. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
2. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3a Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
3. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
4. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3c Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).
5. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3d Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
6. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3e Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
Activities:
1. Introductory activity: We would do this activity on the very first day of the unit because what the men carry in The Things They Carried is the central idea to the novel. This activity would be hopefully make the students curious about the novel we’re about to start and would get them thinking about what their narrative topics will be without them even realizing it. I will ask students to take out a piece of paper and write down everything they have in their pockets and backpacks. After they’ve been given some time to do this, I would ask them to come up to the front and get a bucket/bag and as many rocks as they have items listed on their list and put them in the bucket. I would ask them to try to pick up the bucket/bag. What do they notice about the weight of one rock versus their whole bag of rocks? Next, I will ask them to continue their list and write down all of the emotional baggage they feel they carry (Example: pressure from my parents to do well in school, pressure from my coach to perform well in football, grief from missing my grandfather who passed away last year, sadness from the bullying I endure, frustration with my siblings, etc.) After students have done this, I would ask them to come to the front and get as many larger rocks as they have abstract items on their list. (I would probably use pebbles or river rocks for the physical things and about hand-sized stones for the abstract items.) After students had put these rocks in their bag, I’d ask them to try to lift their bag now. Why do they think that our abstract baggage would be represented by bigger/heavier rocks than our physical baggage? After this activity, students will spend the remainder of the class period starting the novel and keeping a journal of their thoughts regarding the things the characters carry and the things they carry and the connections that can be made.
2. Pre-writing poem: For this activity, students will be continuing their thinking about the things they carry in their own life. This poetry writing activity will be a way for them to narrow down some ideas on what they might like to write about for their personal narrative. I will ask the students to think about some of things you carry in your own life or would carry if you were going to war. These things could be physical items (a special necklace, an important book, a letter or photograph) or these things could be more figurative (the loss of a loved one, pride for your country, love for someone special). Think about what we discussed during the rock activity and the lists we made about the things we carry in our own lives. Also, refer back to the first chapter in The Things They Carried that we’ve read. Consider O’Brien’s characterization tools: earned abstractions, selection of detail, juxtaposition of ideas, and any other tools you observed (word choice, tone, structure, and general style.) You can refer to the handout from class to give you ideas on stylistic choices to make. (In misc.) How could you allow his writing style to influence your own style? Try to include some of the aspects in his writing in your own. Be prepared to explain your stylistic choices when we share as a class. Students will then share their poems with each other in small groups and get feedback not only on their ideas, but also on their writing style itself. This activity can help students get their feet wet with modeling O’Brien’s writing style as well as thinking even more about the things they carry. One of these items will potentially be the topic of their narrative essay that is soon to come. (Examples of poems are in the misc. section.)
3. Snapshot activity and Thoughtshot Activity: This activity will help students learn ways of bringing their writing alive. Students will be asked to choose a moment from their narrative and freeze it. They will then zoom in and bring the reader into their story by giving more detail and description. The next part of the activity will require students to think of places in their writing where they could include a flashback, flashforward, and a brain argument. I will provide examples of all of these and provide the students with handouts to guide their thinking. (See handouts as attachments at the bottom of this page.)
4. Narrative Structure Group Assignment: This is an activity the class would do after having finished the novel. The class will be divided into 5 groups and focus on these aspects of the novel: Groups 1 and 2: Chronology, Group 3: Point of view, Group 4: Length, Group 5: Metaficition. Each group will look for these elements in each of the chapters in the novel and work together to fill in their sections in a chart on the whiteboard. After the chart is filled out, a class discussion will follow, guided by question about the kind of “map” this chart creates for the novel. This activity will be used to help students consider how they are including these elements in their own personal narratives. (An example of the chart, the discussion questions, and a detailed layout of the activity can be found in Tim O’Brien in the Classroom by Gilmore & Kaplan. This activity is adapted from pages 47-52).
5. Peer Review: I think it is important for students to engage in peer review sessions. Feedback on one’s writing can be very helpful. Students will divide into partners. Students will read their partner’s narrative, fill out the peer review sheet and mark up the essay itself, and then briefly conference with each other about the comments they made. They will repeat this process with a new partner so each student receives feedback from multiple people. Writing is subjective, so it is nice to get a second opinion. The remainder of class will be work time for the students to begin the revisions and editing of their narratives. While they are working, students will be given the opportunity to conference with me individually about any questions they may have.
Culminating texts:
The culminating text for this unit will be the students’ personal narratives and the packet that accompanies it. The topic for this narrative will be centered around what do we carry, either physical or emotional? This question is a major theme throughout The Things They Carried and is written in a narrative form with each chapter being a smaller story within the main storyline. These individual stories and the novel as a whole will provide a good model for the students to follow when writing their essays.
Assessments:
-Cover page on top (name, title of your narrative, and graphic representation)
-Reflection piece
-Pre-writing poem
-Final draft
-Working drafts working backwards from most recent to first attempt
-Peer Review sheet
2. Students will also be given a test on “Soldier’s Home” consisting of short essay responses regarding content and writing style based on our class discussions of the story.
Miscellaneous:
Handout:
Tim O’Brien’s WRITING STYLE in The Things They Carried
As you review the stylistic choices that O’Brien makes in his writing, consider the intended effects.
o Brief sentences, fragments, one-word statements
o Flashbacks
· Parallels are made between the past and present, United States and Vietnam
o employs different perspectives and ‘spins’ on the same topic
bgamericanlit.wikispaces.com
Handout:
5 Methods of Characterization
Direct
Thoughts
Appearance
Actions
Indirect
Narrator’s/other characters’ judgments of character
Dialogue
Appearance (clothing, objects) Actions (carrying objects), and Narrator’s judgments
What tools does O’Brien use to make these lists more revealing about the characters and the war itself?
(Explain then have class find evidence of these)
Earned abstractions
-Earned = the author has “earned” the right to use it
-Abstraction = a word that holds an unclear definition – ex) love, joy, peace, forever
-Read page 11 – “Kiowa, a devout Baptist …” through “…old hunting hatchet”
-Can you identify an “abstraction” in this passage?
-How is it earned? Answer
Selection of detail
-Look at page 11 again, at the sentence beginning with “Henry Dobbins, who was a big man, carried extra rations”
-O’Brien could have stopped his characterization right there, but he continues with “canned peaches in heavy syrup over pound cake”
-What does that selection of detail tell us about Henry Dobbins that we couldn’t have interpreted from just “extra rations”?
-Can anyone find other instances of Tim O’Brien’s use of selection of detail for characterization?
-Are any of these details dispensable? Or do they all serve a specific purpose in characterization?
Juxtaposition of ideas
-Who can tell me what juxtaposition is?
-Look at page 11 again, we see that Kiowa carries both a New Testament and weaponry, and Ted Lavender (12) carries a poncho as a raincoat, but later it used to haul off his dead body
-Can you find any other instances of juxtaposition anywhere in this chapter?
-One that I found, which non-veteran readers not might understand, is that Mitchell Sanders is the RTO, yet he carries condoms. The RTO (which was my job) was probably the last person who would have free time for sex. It’s an extremely busy job, there is no downtime.
Can you point out any other characterization tools used by O’Brien in this chapter?
Ex) word choice, tone, structure, and style
(Adapted from Josh Mortensen for our Teaching Reading lesson plan)
Sample Poems:
The Things I Carry
The things I carry:
A wallet, keys, chap-stick, a phone, Rolaids;
Not much, just to get me through the day.
Those things stay the same.
My wallet: an assortment of collected cards,
my ID, my ATM card, my Exxon card;
Three dollars (soon to be two),
Canadian money, old receipts, things I’m too lazy to throw away.
My keys, just two keys: a house and a car
with the beeper thing, I guess I’d call it a remote.
My chap-stick; I never need it unless I don’t have it with me.
A phone: so I can know what I’m doing, without it I’d probably be lost (literally).
Rolaids: Heartburn’s a pain.
Today I carry a white Abercrombie and Fitch shirt,
khaki pants, and wallabies.
Depending on what day it is, I can be seen with a laptop
and a couple of books at my side.
I carry with me the carelessness
that I have decided to adopt,
my ambitions, and my fears.
I carry friendship.
The weight of each of these is undetermined,
but they do not weigh me down.
-Jared Herring
I carry a jacket or a coat for protection
For protection from the world
Or to hide from the world and what is inside
Or to hide the truth and the lies
Depending on the weather
I carry my feeling, my emotions, my personality, and my thoughts
There are a lot of things I carry
But there are also things that carry me
My life carries my
It gives me hope and it gives me the will
Because of my life I am who I am
I am who I am because of the things I carry
-Rhonda Spigh
Notes:
1. Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried (novel)
2. Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home” (short story)
Rationale:
Conflict is common among all nations, but reasons for the conflict and how the conflict is dealt with can really help define a culture. A closer look at war literature is essential to an American literature course because so many American generations have been influenced and in part defined by wars, so not taking a look at a soldier’s perspective would not provide a complete view of American culture and history. Studying war literature has great cultural significance. It is important for students to understand the history of their nation because knowing where you come from can help you decide on where you need to be going, which feeds into civic awareness as well. Studying this literature provides students with a better understanding of their country’s history. “His [O’Brien’s] stories resonate with students on both intellectual and emotional levels and prompt classes to make important connections between the historical and the personal, between style and idea, between memory and storytelling” ( Gilmore ix). Students should be able to recognize the multiple purposes of a text. Stories are not always just an entertaining story; good literature is a gateway to understanding important historical events and time periods. Students can also gain knowledge of mentalities, opinions, and perspectives that extend across time periods and various wars that are important to understand. Even though WWI and the Vietnam War took place over 50 years apart from one another, there are common themes across similar experiences such as these that students should be aware of. It is important to understand that while wars and individuals’ experiences will differ, there are some common threads that help define the American mentality on war.
The two major texts to be used in this unit will be Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried and a small selection of Ernest Hemingway’s short stories including “Soldier’s Home.” Not only will this selection of texts provide a variety in genre, but it will also provide a variety in perspectives; The Things They Carried deals with the Vietnam War while Ernest Hemingway writes about World War I. While none of these texts are non-fiction, these selections were written with strong autobiographical influence from the authors’ personal experiences with war. Supplementary texts for this unit may include non-fiction letters or accounts made by soldiers and also music and other pop culture texts from each time period in order to help students become more immersed in the settings in which these stories take place. A huge part of understanding literature is understanding its context. I understand that there have been many other wars that America has been involved in, and there are important lessons to be learned from each of them, but with a limited amount of time to cover such a vast topic, picking these two wars seemed appropriate because they are far enough apart to give two different perspectives. There is a lot of good war literature out there to choose from, but I believe that The Things They Carried is an upstanding option, and the novel also provides the opportunity to explore other literary elements apart from the topic of war including the idea of metafiction and the use of various literary elements like metaphor and symbolism. O’Brien’s writing is the perfect writing model for students to use when composing their own personal narratives, a standard for the 11th grade English classroom. “If the reassuring statement that ‘stories save us’ from the last chapter of The Things They Carried is true, it’s been our experience that O’Brien’s own stories—and the stories students write on their own as a result of reading his work—are well-suited for the job” (ix Gilmore). Choosing Hemingway’s “Solider’s Home” is also appropriate. Because of Hemingway’s great influence on American literature, he had to be included in the curriculum. Reading Hemingway will also expose students to another writing style, and to the experiences of someone who experienced a different war. Studying a short story by Hemingway in 11th grade will also help prepare students to study his longer works in 12th grade.
Works Cited
Gilmore, Barry , and Alexander Kaplan. Tim O'Brien in the Classroom: "This too is true: Stories can save us". Urbana, Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English, 2007. Print.
Goals:
By the end of the unit, my students will...
-Write a personal narrative.
-Understand the writing process and be able to implement all elements of the process.
-Give other students constructive feedback on their writing as well as be able to revise their work based on constructive feedback they receive from their peers.
-Recognize the differences and similarities in the writing styles of O’Brien and Hemingway.
-Understand the role that war plays in American culture and literature.
By the end of the unit, I as an educator will...
-Write my own personal narrative to model for the students as well as undergo this self-examination for myself.
-Know my students on an even deeper level based on what they write about in their narratives.
Standards:
1. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
2. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3a Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
3. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
4. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3c Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).
5. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3d Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
6. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3e Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
Activities:
1. Introductory activity: We would do this activity on the very first day of the unit because what the men carry in The Things They Carried is the central idea to the novel. This activity would be hopefully make the students curious about the novel we’re about to start and would get them thinking about what their narrative topics will be without them even realizing it. I will ask students to take out a piece of paper and write down everything they have in their pockets and backpacks. After they’ve been given some time to do this, I would ask them to come up to the front and get a bucket/bag and as many rocks as they have items listed on their list and put them in the bucket. I would ask them to try to pick up the bucket/bag. What do they notice about the weight of one rock versus their whole bag of rocks? Next, I will ask them to continue their list and write down all of the emotional baggage they feel they carry (Example: pressure from my parents to do well in school, pressure from my coach to perform well in football, grief from missing my grandfather who passed away last year, sadness from the bullying I endure, frustration with my siblings, etc.) After students have done this, I would ask them to come to the front and get as many larger rocks as they have abstract items on their list. (I would probably use pebbles or river rocks for the physical things and about hand-sized stones for the abstract items.) After students had put these rocks in their bag, I’d ask them to try to lift their bag now. Why do they think that our abstract baggage would be represented by bigger/heavier rocks than our physical baggage? After this activity, students will spend the remainder of the class period starting the novel and keeping a journal of their thoughts regarding the things the characters carry and the things they carry and the connections that can be made.
2. Pre-writing poem: For this activity, students will be continuing their thinking about the things they carry in their own life. This poetry writing activity will be a way for them to narrow down some ideas on what they might like to write about for their personal narrative. I will ask the students to think about some of things you carry in your own life or would carry if you were going to war. These things could be physical items (a special necklace, an important book, a letter or photograph) or these things could be more figurative (the loss of a loved one, pride for your country, love for someone special). Think about what we discussed during the rock activity and the lists we made about the things we carry in our own lives. Also, refer back to the first chapter in The Things They Carried that we’ve read. Consider O’Brien’s characterization tools: earned abstractions, selection of detail, juxtaposition of ideas, and any other tools you observed (word choice, tone, structure, and general style.) You can refer to the handout from class to give you ideas on stylistic choices to make. (In misc.) How could you allow his writing style to influence your own style? Try to include some of the aspects in his writing in your own. Be prepared to explain your stylistic choices when we share as a class. Students will then share their poems with each other in small groups and get feedback not only on their ideas, but also on their writing style itself. This activity can help students get their feet wet with modeling O’Brien’s writing style as well as thinking even more about the things they carry. One of these items will potentially be the topic of their narrative essay that is soon to come. (Examples of poems are in the misc. section.)
3. Snapshot activity and Thoughtshot Activity: This activity will help students learn ways of bringing their writing alive. Students will be asked to choose a moment from their narrative and freeze it. They will then zoom in and bring the reader into their story by giving more detail and description. The next part of the activity will require students to think of places in their writing where they could include a flashback, flashforward, and a brain argument. I will provide examples of all of these and provide the students with handouts to guide their thinking. (See handouts as attachments at the bottom of this page.)
4. Narrative Structure Group Assignment: This is an activity the class would do after having finished the novel. The class will be divided into 5 groups and focus on these aspects of the novel: Groups 1 and 2: Chronology, Group 3: Point of view, Group 4: Length, Group 5: Metaficition. Each group will look for these elements in each of the chapters in the novel and work together to fill in their sections in a chart on the whiteboard. After the chart is filled out, a class discussion will follow, guided by question about the kind of “map” this chart creates for the novel. This activity will be used to help students consider how they are including these elements in their own personal narratives. (An example of the chart, the discussion questions, and a detailed layout of the activity can be found in Tim O’Brien in the Classroom by Gilmore & Kaplan. This activity is adapted from pages 47-52).
5. Peer Review: I think it is important for students to engage in peer review sessions. Feedback on one’s writing can be very helpful. Students will divide into partners. Students will read their partner’s narrative, fill out the peer review sheet and mark up the essay itself, and then briefly conference with each other about the comments they made. They will repeat this process with a new partner so each student receives feedback from multiple people. Writing is subjective, so it is nice to get a second opinion. The remainder of class will be work time for the students to begin the revisions and editing of their narratives. While they are working, students will be given the opportunity to conference with me individually about any questions they may have.
Culminating texts:
The culminating text for this unit will be the students’ personal narratives and the packet that accompanies it. The topic for this narrative will be centered around what do we carry, either physical or emotional? This question is a major theme throughout The Things They Carried and is written in a narrative form with each chapter being a smaller story within the main storyline. These individual stories and the novel as a whole will provide a good model for the students to follow when writing their essays.
Assessments:
- Narrative Checklist:
- Topic fits to the prompt. You wrote a focused narrative about a specific event in your life about a time you were affected by what you carry (physical or abstract) or an event that lead to your carrying of something (physical or abstract.)
- Narrative is at least three pages double spaced, pt. 12 font.
- You display at least five different elements of O’Brien’s stylistic choices in your writing (see Tim O’Brien’s writing style in The Things They Carried” handout under Misc.)
- You must have at least one example of all of the figurative language elements listed on the writing style handout.
- You have at least three snapshots in your narrative. (See handout in Misc.)
- You have at least three thoughtshots in your narrative. (See handout in Misc.)
- Dialogue helps develop characters and moves to process the story.
- You provide your prewriting poem and all of your working drafts along with your peer review sheet.
- You provide a reflection piece talking about your experience with writing this narrative and O’Brien’s stylistic choices that you struggled with implementing.
- This packet should be pulled together in this order:
-Cover page on top (name, title of your narrative, and graphic representation)
-Reflection piece
-Pre-writing poem
-Final draft
-Working drafts working backwards from most recent to first attempt
-Peer Review sheet
2. Students will also be given a test on “Soldier’s Home” consisting of short essay responses regarding content and writing style based on our class discussions of the story.
Miscellaneous:
Handout:
Tim O’Brien’s WRITING STYLE in The Things They Carried
As you review the stylistic choices that O’Brien makes in his writing, consider the intended effects.
- What is truth? “story truth” vs. “happening truth”
- Focus on emotion and feeling, not the events
- “Makes the stomach feel”
- sensory details SHOW the reader, rather than tell
- specific examples make the reader feel
- descriptive diction
- Vivid imagery – words create pictures in the reader’s mind
- Sensory details
- Figurative Language
- Similes
- Metaphors
- Onomatopoeia
- Personification
- Alliteration
- Symbolism (i.e. physical items represent abstract values, beliefs and feelings)
- Repetition (of words, phrases, images)
- Parallel Structure
- Syntax
o Brief sentences, fragments, one-word statements
- Rhetorical Questions
- Non-linear structure: sequence of events are not linear or in chronological order
- Manipulation of Time
o Flashbacks
· Parallels are made between the past and present, United States and Vietnam
- Circularity – within a chapter and within the entire book
- Juxtaposition, contrast, and opposition – for emphasis and to demonstrate a change or effect of an experience
- Fragmentation
- Different Point of Views
o employs different perspectives and ‘spins’ on the same topic
- Dialogue (between two people) and Internal Dialogue (thoughts in one’s head)
- Conversational language – how people actually talk (i.e slang and obscenities)
- Series of vignettes and inter-related chapters: thematic and character connections
bgamericanlit.wikispaces.com
- Meaningful and symbolic titles (of chapters and book)
Handout:
5 Methods of Characterization
Direct
Thoughts
Appearance
Actions
Indirect
Narrator’s/other characters’ judgments of character
Dialogue
Appearance (clothing, objects) Actions (carrying objects), and Narrator’s judgments
What tools does O’Brien use to make these lists more revealing about the characters and the war itself?
(Explain then have class find evidence of these)
Earned abstractions
-Earned = the author has “earned” the right to use it
-Abstraction = a word that holds an unclear definition – ex) love, joy, peace, forever
-Read page 11 – “Kiowa, a devout Baptist …” through “…old hunting hatchet”
-Can you identify an “abstraction” in this passage?
-How is it earned? Answer
Selection of detail
-Look at page 11 again, at the sentence beginning with “Henry Dobbins, who was a big man, carried extra rations”
-O’Brien could have stopped his characterization right there, but he continues with “canned peaches in heavy syrup over pound cake”
-What does that selection of detail tell us about Henry Dobbins that we couldn’t have interpreted from just “extra rations”?
-Can anyone find other instances of Tim O’Brien’s use of selection of detail for characterization?
-Are any of these details dispensable? Or do they all serve a specific purpose in characterization?
Juxtaposition of ideas
-Who can tell me what juxtaposition is?
-Look at page 11 again, we see that Kiowa carries both a New Testament and weaponry, and Ted Lavender (12) carries a poncho as a raincoat, but later it used to haul off his dead body
-Can you find any other instances of juxtaposition anywhere in this chapter?
-One that I found, which non-veteran readers not might understand, is that Mitchell Sanders is the RTO, yet he carries condoms. The RTO (which was my job) was probably the last person who would have free time for sex. It’s an extremely busy job, there is no downtime.
Can you point out any other characterization tools used by O’Brien in this chapter?
Ex) word choice, tone, structure, and style
(Adapted from Josh Mortensen for our Teaching Reading lesson plan)
Sample Poems:
The Things I Carry
The things I carry:
A wallet, keys, chap-stick, a phone, Rolaids;
Not much, just to get me through the day.
Those things stay the same.
My wallet: an assortment of collected cards,
my ID, my ATM card, my Exxon card;
Three dollars (soon to be two),
Canadian money, old receipts, things I’m too lazy to throw away.
My keys, just two keys: a house and a car
with the beeper thing, I guess I’d call it a remote.
My chap-stick; I never need it unless I don’t have it with me.
A phone: so I can know what I’m doing, without it I’d probably be lost (literally).
Rolaids: Heartburn’s a pain.
Today I carry a white Abercrombie and Fitch shirt,
khaki pants, and wallabies.
Depending on what day it is, I can be seen with a laptop
and a couple of books at my side.
I carry with me the carelessness
that I have decided to adopt,
my ambitions, and my fears.
I carry friendship.
The weight of each of these is undetermined,
but they do not weigh me down.
-Jared Herring
I carry a jacket or a coat for protection
For protection from the world
Or to hide from the world and what is inside
Or to hide the truth and the lies
Depending on the weather
I carry my feeling, my emotions, my personality, and my thoughts
There are a lot of things I carry
But there are also things that carry me
My life carries my
It gives me hope and it gives me the will
Because of my life I am who I am
I am who I am because of the things I carry
-Rhonda Spigh
Notes:
- Go over the 5 steps of the writing process.
- Interview recording with Tim O'Brien: http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/WritingVietnam/obrien.html
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