“The Things They Carried,” “What
Were They Like?” and “Facing It”
Literature of the Vietnam War
“The Things They Carried” p. 277
• What is the significance of the long lists of
“things” that each man carries?
• This story uses the word “carry” in both a
literal and metaphorical sense, and sometimes
uses it to mean both at the same time. Find
some places where the use of this word is
especially significant.
• This story uses repeated phrases and
contrasting paragraph lengths as literary
devices. Find one phrase that is repeated and
one “one-sentence paragraph.” What is the
purpose of the repetition or the shortness of
the paragraph you chose?
“What Were They Like?” p. 667
• Comment on the structure of this poem.
What did you think of the “question and
answer” format? There are two speakers in
this poem. Who do you think they are?
What tone does each speaker use? What do
they remind you of?
• What images in this poem are especially
effective or interesting to you? How do they
contribute to the poem’s theme?
Some Pictures of the Vietnam
Memorial in D.C.
“Facing It” p. 667
• What is the significance of the title? What was
your immediate reaction to reading just the title
without knowing what the “it” is the poet is
facing?
• One of the central images of this poem is the
reflective surface of the Vietnam Memorial. Why
is the theme of reflection, or mirroring, important
in this poem?
• What other contrasting images do you find in this
poem? What purpose do those contrasts serve?
Comparisons and Contrasts
• How do these three works intersect with each
other? Consider especially:
– Attitude about the war
– Soldiers’ experiences in “The Things They Carried”
and “Facing It”
– It is generally accepted that “What Were They Like” is
an anti-war poem, but what about the other two
selections?
• Last class, we talked about the way that “Dulce Et
Decorum Est” seeks to shock its readers by
portraying the horrors of war and eliciting an
emotional reaction. Compare this with what some
have called the flat, unemotional tone of “The
Things They Carried.” What does O’Brien
accomplish by doing this?
In Class Writing #10: War
• Over the past several classes, we have read a
variety of short stories and poems dealing with
different facets of war and the soldier’s
experience. Which one of these works had the
most effect on you? (Positive or negative… you
might pick a work you liked for its imagery, but
you also might pick one that disturbed you or
made you angry/upset.) Pick one work that you
feel speaks most directly to your own sentiments
about the topic of war and explain why it is
particularly effective.