1. The Things They Carried
English 11
The Things They Carried
Have this up on the screen as students are walking in, letting the song play: “All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix.
An introduction to Tim O’Brien and his fictional account of the Vietnam War
The Things They Carried

2. Vietnam Views Opposition: Not obligated under Geneva treaty to help
Civil War – no right to intervene
Vietnam chose not to honor Geneva treaty
No Chinese threat – long history of China and Vietnam animosity
South wanted unification
No democracy in Vietnam
Bad military tactics – napalm, ambushes, etc.

3. Relevant Facts About the Vietnam War
English 11
Relevant Facts About the Vietnam War
No fixed date that the US entered into war with Vietnam
Series of steps from 1950 – 1965
Vietnam
The Things They Carried

4. Vietnam War 58,000 Americans dead
~150 Billion dollars – cost of America
Wanted to keep communism from spreading – domino theory
Guerrilla Warfare
Surprise attacks, ambushes, bombings, no clear enemy, terrorist in nature

5. English 11
Vietnam Timeline
1950 – Truman sent economic and military aid to the French who were trying to retain hold on their Indochina colony.
1954 – The defeated French conceded to a communist government north of the 17th parallel.
1960 – JFK approves Aid
1964 – US began sending combat troops as a result of The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
Can also show students the time line provided by pbs.org located here: which is linked on the next slide
Vietnam
The Things They Carried

6. Vietnam Timeline
1965 – 1966 Military escalation because S. Vietnam couldn’t handle things
1967 – Draft began. Antiwar Protests happening across US
1969 –My Lai Massacre where US soldiers kill a village full of civilians
1972 – Ceasefire
1973 – Paris Peace Agreement
Click here for an online timeline offered by pbs.org
Vietnam

7. Post Vietnam Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: ~ 30% of Vietnam Veterans
Frightening thoughts and memories
Lack of emotional attachments to others
Sleep disorders
Easily startled
Nightmares/flashbacks
Psychiatric problems
Lack of interest in life
~ 30% of Vietnam Veterans

8. English 11
Vietnam Demographics
Location – South of China, East of Laos and Cambodia, West of South China Sea
This map shows some of the various places mentioned in the book. Have an enlarged map on the board, or create an overhead for future reference. Can also show interactive map located here: throughout the stories in the book.
Here is an interesting interactive map of places mentioned in the book
Vietnam
The Things They Carried

9. Religion
Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Tam Giao (tri-religion, …)
Vietnam

10. English 11
Religions
It’s interesting to note that the majority of Vietnamese people have no practiced religion.
*Other religions include: Hoa Hao (1.5%), Cao Dai (1.1%), Protestant (.5%, and Muslim (.1%)
The Things They Carried

11. People of Vietnam 80% ethnic Vietnamese
20% different ethnic minority groups, hill tribes
Languages spoken: Vietnamese, Chinese, English, French, Russian
Vietnam

12. What Do You Need to Know About the Book Before Reading It?
English 11
What Do You Need to Know About the Book Before Reading It?
It is ALL fiction!
Facts are not important!
Emotional effect of incidents is what is important.
Be sure to stress this slide, it is the most important for students to realize that none of the events actually happened as Tim describes. He is going for the emotional effect to get the reader to feel what he felt during the war.
The Things They Carried

13. Tim O’Brien (author) vs. “Tim O’Brien” (character, narrator)
English 11
Tim O’Brien (author) vs. “Tim O’Brien” (character, narrator)
Protagonist and sometimes narrator is “Tim O’Brien”. This “Tim O’Brien” in the book is NOT REAL.
Even when “Tim O’Brien” talks directly to the reader, it is the fictional “Tim”.
Put this on the board. When “Tim O’Brien” is in quotes, we are referring to the fictional narrator. When Tim O’Brien is not in quotes, we mean the real-life author.
The Things They Carried

14. Example of the narrator “Tim O’Brien” speaking directly to the reader
“Now and then, when I tell this story [about the baby water buffalo], someone will come up to me afterward and say she liked it. It’s always a woman. “…. What I should do”, she’ll say, “is put it all behind me. Find new stories to tell.”
“I wont say it but I’ll think it.
“I’ll picture Rat Kiley’s face, his grief, and I’ll think, You dumb cooze.
“Because she wasn’t listening.
“It wasn’t a war story. It was a love story.”
~ “How to Tell a True War Story”, pgs

15. Tim O’Brien
The author Tim did actually go to Vietnam and really was in the Alpha Company, but is writing a fictional account.
Tim O'Brien

16. Themes The justification of killing Loss of a friend Isolation
Corruption of war
Inability to adjust back to normal life
Individual consequences of war
Racism as a coping mechanism

17. Tim O'Brien biography: The Early Years
English 11
Tim O'Brien biography: The Early Years
Born in Austin on Oct. 1, 1946 and grew up in a small town in Minnesota
He shares this birth date with several of his characters
Dad was an insurance salesman
Mom was an elementary school teacher
Students do not need to write this down.
Tim O'Brien
The Things They Carried

18. Tim O'Brien Biography: College Life
English 11
Tim O'Brien Biography: College Life
Political science major at Macalester College, attended peace vigils and war protests
Graduated in 1968
Students do not need to write this down. Click on the crest to link to the college’s website.
Tim O'Brien
The Things They Carried

19. Tim O'Brien Biography: To Go to War?
English 11
Tim O'Brien Biography: To Go to War?
Received his draft notice upon graduation
Was against the war: hated Boy Scouts, bugs, and rifles.
Considered deserting to Canada once he received his classification as an infantryman
Student’s do not need to write this down; however, this will be important to remember later on when we get to this chapter (On the Rainy River)
Tim O'Brien
The Things They Carried

20. Tim O'Brien Biography: In Vietnam
English 11
Tim O'Brien Biography: In Vietnam
Assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, 5th battalion, 46th Infantry as a foot soldier
Served in Vietnam from
Returned home with a Purple Heart
Was wounded by shrapnel from a hand grenade
Students do not need to remember this.
Tim O'Brien
The Things They Carried

21. Tim O'Brien Biography: Views on Vietnam
English 11
Tim O'Brien Biography: Views on Vietnam
Now believes it was an act of cowardice to go to war instead of fleeing to Canada
Was 22 years old and feared the disapproval of his family and friends, his townspeople and country
Hated every minute of Vietnam
This is important. This is a good essay question for the test – that going to war was an act of cowardice, and the brave thing to do would have been to flee to Canada. How do they (students) feel? What would they have done?
Tim O'Brien
The Things They Carried

22. Tim O'Brien Biography: Life after Vietnam
After returning to the states, he became a grad student at Harvard.
Left Harvard to become a newspaper reporter for The Washington Post.
Began writing fiction about Vietnam
Tim O'Brien

23. Tim O’Brien
Claims he still gets calls from people, asking questions, offering their own opinions about what happened.
They want to know, missing the point of the novel, that life often does not offer solutions or resolutions, that it is impossible to know completely what secrets lurk within people
Tim O'Brien