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.
An introduction to Tim O’Brien and his fictional account of the Vietnam War
The Things They Carried

2. Prior Knowledge (Vocabulary)
English 11
Prior Knowledge (Vocabulary)
Fabricated
Psychological warfare
Propaganda
Communists
Protagonist
Students should copy these terms into their notebook and leave some space between each for the definition.
Vocabulary
The Things They Carried

3. Fabricated Made up, created.
The child fabricated a lie when asked how the lamp became broken.
The child made up a lie when asked how the lamp became broken.
Vocabulary
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4. Psychological Warfare
Tactics that use propaganda to try to demoralize an enemy in war, usually including the civilian population
Vocabulary
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5. Propaganda
Something communicated in a biased way in order to shape or change the ideas of a targeted audience
information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.
Vocabulary
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6. Communists
One who believes in a system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy shares all goods equally with the people
Create closed state economies that barely trade with capitalist countries
Vocabulary
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7. Protagonist
The central figure of a story; The character with the lead role.
Vocabulary
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8. 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

9. Relevant Facts about the Vietnam War
Eisenhower fabricated a government of South Vietnam
Advisers to psychological warfare against North Vietnam
Vietnam

10. 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

11. 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

12. Vietnam Demographics Location Religion People Vietnam English 11
Three demographics that students should keep in the back of their minds while reading this book
Vietnam
The Things They Carried

13. 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

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

15. 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

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

17. 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

18. Tim O’Brien (author) vs. “Tim O’Brien” (character, narrator)
English 11
Tim O’Brien (author) vs. “Tim O’Brien” (character, narrator)
Protagonist and sometime 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. Literary Devices found in The Things They Carried
Imagery
Mood
Point of View
Characterization
Symbolism
Metaphor
Irony
Lit devices

22. Imagery Vivid language that puts a picture in the mind of the reader
Example:
“His jaw was in his throat, his upper lip and teeth were gone, his one eye was shut, his other eye was a star-shaped hole…” (pg. 124)
Lit devices

23. Mood Feeling author wants the reader to have while reading Example:
In the story “Ghost Soldiers” Tim wants the reader to feel the fear of being on night watch.
Lit devices

24. Point of View The attitude or outlook of a narrator or character.
Example:
The narrator “Tim O’Brien” is against war and thinks himself a coward for going to Vietnam
Lit devices

25. Characterization What the characters are like; their personalities
English 11
Characterization
What the characters are like; their personalities
Example:
Henry Dobbins is superstitious and believes in luck because he carries extra rations and his girlfriend’s pantyhose.
Add more information on the major characters.
Lit devices
The Things They Carried

26. English 11
Metaphor
Compare two things that are unlike in any way (without using like or as)
Example:
The disjointed telling of the story is a metaphor for life as a soldier in Vietnam
Find a good example from the book
Lit devices
The Things They Carried

27. Symbolism An object that represents a larger idea Example
English 11
Symbolism
An object that represents a larger idea
Example
The Silver Star is a medal that symbolizes courage and honor
Need a good example
Lit devices
The Things They Carried

28. Irony The opposite of what is expected happens Example:
When 2 characters are goofing off and having a good time, a bomb goes off and kills one.
Lit devices

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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

35. Works by Tim O’Brien If I Die in Combat (1973) Northern Lights (1975)
English 11
Works by Tim O’Brien
If I Die in Combat (1973)
Northern Lights (1975)
Going after Cacciato (1978)
The Nuclear Age (1985)
The Things They Carried (1990)
In the Lake of the Woods (1994)
Some students like his writing, and may find these interesting.
Tim O'Brien
The Things They Carried

36. Tim O'Brien Biography: Current Whereabouts
Is currently a visiting professor and chair at Southwest Texas State University where he teaches in the Creative Writing Program
Tim O'Brien

37. 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

38. Abbreviations found in The Things They Carried
English 11
Abbreviations found in The Things They Carried
Abbreviation
Part of speech
Definition
SOP N
Standard Operating Procedure CO
Commanding Officer
PFC
Private First Class (rank)
RTO
Radio Transmissions Officer LP
Language/Listening Patrol CS
Tear gas
MRE
Meal ready to eat VC
Viet Cong
Great quiz material!
Vocabulary
The Things They Carried

39. Resources http://www.indexmundi.com/vietnam/demographics_profile.html
pbs.org