Historical Context
Why did the U.S. join the war?
To stop Communism from spreading.
The men carry physical things, but they also carry abstract things like, "unweighed fear" and "the responsibility of their men" and "the weight of memory." Why does the author include these abstract weights? What is he saying about the types of burdens that the men carry in this war?
They don't just carry physical stuff -- they also carry the emotional burdens of living with what they saw and did during the war.
Who carries their girlfriend's pantyhose?
+50 bonus points if you can say how/where they carry them.
Henry Dobbins wears them around his neck.
What path was Tim O'Brien on before he was drafted? What did he want to be?
He was a student pursuing a PhD in government
"Zapped while zipping": explain the context of this line. Who is it about and why?
Ted Lavender was killed while he was peeing.
How did the American people respond to veterans upon their return from war?
Badly -- they spit on them, called them "baby killers," and generally did not celebrate or honor their sacrifices.
Name three things the men carry and explain the symbolic value of those items (go beyond, "to play basketball")
Martha's letters -- home, comfort, love
Grandma's fear of the white man -- family/heritage
New Testament -- religious background
Premium dope -- coping mechanism, fear/anxiety
Which man can't stop talking about Lavender's death? Why?
Kiowa -- it is his way of processing the shock that their friend was alive one minute and dead the next.
I'll accept the region of the country he is from.
What does SOP mean?
Standard Operating Procedure
What countries/groups were our enemies during this war?
North Vietnam, Russia (USSR), China, and the Viet Cong (guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam: enemies from within)
Tim "breaks" while at work at the slaughterhouse, declotting pigs. He is surrounded by blood and dead carcasses, and he is actively holding a (water) gun. This setting matches the elements of war he was afraid to face in Vietnam -- blood, death, and guns.
Name one character who feels guilty in this book and why.
Jimmy Cross -- Lavender's death
Dave Jensen -- Failing to kill Strunk/follow through on their pact (until Strunk dies, at least)
Tim -- Going to war against his own conscience
How did Tim O'Brien feel about going to war? How do you know?
Name one word in soldier slang and explain its meaning.
Hump = carry
Legs/grunts = foot soldiers/infantrymen
Freedom bird = plane home
What were some of the reasons for the anti-war movement in America?
You must list at least two reasons to score.
Unfair drafting techniques (the "fortunate sons" did not have to serve while the poor and minorities did); moral objections based on media coverage of civilian deaths in Vietnam; anti-government responses to events like the Kent State Massacre (prompted nationwide student strikes); the view that the war was a losing battle.
Who does Tim see while on the rainy river? Name at least 3 people/groups. Then explain how they influence his decision regarding the draft.
Abraham Lincoln; a young girl he went to school with who died; the man he killed in Vietnam; his (future) wife and children; cheerleaders; members of the Alpha Company; his parents and siblings; Huck Finn; more.
They represent Tim's internal conflict -- he is afraid of what others will think of him if he dodges the draft, so he decides to serve against his moral compass.
Which character uses cruelty as a defense-mechanism? Name one example of how they do this.
Azar -- explodes Lavender's puppy; makes fun of the dead Vietnamese (takes a thumb and uses it as a good luck charm)
Why do you think this book is often banned? Cite one specific scene that might get it blacklisted.
+50 bonus points: Why did O'Brien write it this way anyway?
The book contains vulgar language, some sexual references, and lots of violence -- zapped while zipping; Martha's letters/stone; various deaths/injuries
Bonus: The book is about the psychology of war -- it wouldn't feel real if it didn't honestly reflect how soldiers talk and react in these conditions.
Why do the men use euphemisms like "zapped while zipping" and "Boom -- down" and other slang to describe serious topics like death?
Because adding humor lightens the mood and helps them survive the death of their friends/the horrible things they see at war.
Describe at least two tactics and/or weapons used in the Vietnam war.
Guerrilla warfare -- the Viet Cong hid in trees, tunneled/ambushed, covered their bullets in dung to cause infection, used their knowledge of the terrain and conditions as an advantage
U.S. weapons -- M16 rifles, M60 machine guns, hand grenades, napalm bombs
The chapter called "Spin" has an odd structure. Describe that structure. Then explain what the author is saying about veterans' memories of war through that structure.
The structure is random, chaotic, scattered. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason for which memories come up when -- some are important, some are not. Some are happy, some are painful. The author shows that veterans' memories of war are likewise scattered and unpredictable. War is many things and living with the memories of war means dealing with a constant but random wave of memories, both good and bad.
Tim mentions one daughter by name -- who is she and what does she tell her father he should do (or stop doing)?
Kathleen tells Tim he should stop writing about war and write about something less painful.
What was one of O'Brien's goals in writing this book? How do you know?
He wants to depict the way war FEELS (make the stomach believe); he wanted to give soldiers' families a way of understanding them (video interview); he wants to process the war himself to understand what he experienced.
Infantrymen (like the men of Alpha company) are called "legs" or "grunts." What does this show about how they are valued in the military?
They are just there to carry stuff -- to bear the weight and keep their mouths shut. They are not highly valued.