The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
For the final weeks of class we will be reading eight stories from The Things They
Carried. Each student will be responsible for presenting a lesson on one of the stories.
Everyone in the class is responsible for reading the assigned stories. Your lesson should:

Explain the significance of the story.

Identify the theme/themes that the story expresses.

Find two quotations that relate to the theme/themes. Explain the relevance.

Provide two or three questions for the class to answer. (You must, of course, be able to answer you own questions.)
Email your study sheet to me the day before you are scheduled to present, and I will post it on my web page so the class will be able to access it.
I will provide a model.
Reading/Teaching Schedule:
“The Things They Carried” Mrs. O’Leary
“On Rainy River”
Wes, Alex, Ian
“How to Tell a True War Story” Jon, Mike, Glen
“The Sweetheart of Tra Bong” Sean, Jesse, Maria
“The Man I Killed” Theresa, Star, Danielle
“In the Field”
“Field Trip”
Kirsten, , Alyssa, Jenna
Allison, Jessica
“The Lives of the Dead” Kerrianne, Megan
Tuesday, June 5
Thursday, June 7
Thursday, June 7
Monday, June 11
Monday, June 11
Wednesday June 13
Wednesday June 13
Wednesday June 13
There will be multiple choice questions about these stories on the final exam. Your lesson /presentation will count as a test grade for this unit.

Title: “The Things They Carried” page 1
Significance:
This story introduces the main characters in the novel. It also creates a sense of the tone and atmosphere. There is a dark humor in the telling of the story. The kind of humor that helps protect us from the horrors of life too terrible to face head on. The story helps us get a feel for what it was like to be a “grunt” in Vietnam. The things the men carried tell a lot about them as people – some things tell about their special roles as soldiers, some things reveal what they value, what is important to them.
Themes -
Courage - What is courage?
Redemption - In the novel the characters seek redemption for acts for which they feel guilty.
Quotations:
1. Page 21 “They carry the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what had brought them to the war in the first place, nothing positive, no dreams of glory or honor, just to avoid the blush of dishonor. They died so as not to die of embarrassment.”
This quote relates to the theme of courage. Throughout the book, O’Brien asks what is true courage. He suggests, ironically, that sometimes what motivates a soldier is fear rather than bravery.

2. Page 25 “He would accept the blame for what happened to Ted Lavender. He would be a man about it. He would look them in the eyes, keeping his chin level, and he would issue the new SOP’s in a calm, impersonal tone of voice, a lieutenant’s voice, leaving no room for argument or discussion… He would not tolerate laxity. He would show strength, distancing himself.”
This quote relates to the theme of redemption – Lieutenant Cross ( name is significant – does he carry a figurative cross?) feels guilty about Lavender’s death and he seeks to redeem himself.
Questions:
1. a. The narrator barrages the reader with a seemingly endless list of things that the men
carried. What is the author’s purpose in presenting this overwhelming catalog of
things?
b. Besides things what else burdens these men as they trudge through the countryside
of South Vietnam?
2. What event dominates this story? What effect did the event seem to have on the men?