Guidelines to the Final Essay over The Things They Carried

The final essay over The Things They Carried needs to follow these guidelines:

·       An opening paragraph that gets the reader’s attention, introduces the book and its author, presents relevant background information that introduces the topic and leads to a thesis statement that will be supported in the body of the paper.

Sample introductions--feel free to use any one of these to help you develop your introduction.
Please note that in every introduction, the thesis statement comes near the end of the paragraph and should lead naturally into the body of the paper.
 
     Writers are free to take the whole of human experience as their subjects. Authors have been known to write about the search for identity, the war between the sexes, the effect of love--and the effect of war on an individual. For The Things They Carried, author Tim O'Brien takes the reader into the lives of soldiers of Alpha Company, before, during, and after the Vietnam War. He does not focus on the battles fought nor the missions assigned. Instead, O'Brien reveals the personal experiences of the men of Alpha Company, and through their episodes illustrates the importance of storytelling, particularly in "The Lives of Dead," "Good Form," "Spin," and "The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong."

OR:
     Writers are free . . . He does not focus on the battles fought nor the missions assigned. Instead, O'Brien reveals the personal experiences of the men of Alpha Company, and through their episodes illustrates the impact of guilt on a number of the men, specifically Jimmy Cross, Norman Bowker, and the narrator of the novel, Tim O'Brien

OR:
     Writers are free . . . He does not focus on the battles fought nor the missions assigned. Instead, O'Brien reveals the personal experiences of the men of Alpha Company, and through their episodes illustrates the complex and conflicting nature of  paradox and irony, particularly in the stories "How to Tell a True War Story," "On the Rainey River," and "Spin."

OR:
     Writers are free . . . He does not focus on the battles fought nor the missions assigned. Instead, O'Brien reveals the personal experiences of the men of Alpha Company, and through their episodes illustrates the importance of Kiowa, the unofficial counselor to the men and spiritual center of the novel, and his the interactions with the men.

·       The body paragraphs should present specific examples from the book. Each example should be presented clearly and its connection to the thesis explained. THIS IS NOT A BOOK SUMMARY. THIS IS AN ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC, RELEVANT INFORMATION SUPPORTED BY THE NOVEL.

·       A conclusion that is appropriate to the essay, which brings the paper logical closure and leaves the reader with a positive impression of the essay

How to prepare for the final essay:

Make sure you have read and understood the book; notes that you take on the book are encouraged.

Look at the information posted on the blog which designates the themes or motifs that most often appear in the book.  One way to do this effectively and which could help with preliminary work for the essay is to copy the following chart on your own paper and fill in information from the stories that are indicated.

The impact of guilt on soldiers – for each story listed, identify who the soldier is that feels guilty, WHY he feels guilty, and how that guilt affects his actions

“The Things They Carried” – begin with the most obvious story and the most obvious character, Lt. Jimmy Cross--why does he feel guilty? What does he do because of his guilt? What does this reveal about Cross?

“Ambush” & “The Man I Killed”-- Which soldier do these stories center on? How does he handle his guilt?

“Speaking of Courage” & “Notes”-- Ironically, the soldier who is most decorated, who receives the most medals is the one most tormented by guilt. Who is this soldier , why does he feel guilty, and what effect does this guilt have on him?

Paradox and Irony – for each story listed, explain the example of paradox  and /or irony involved, how it creates complexity within the story, and its significance to the novel

“On the Rainey River” – especially consider the ending--The narrator goes to the Vietnam war after being drafted; however, he is not pleased or proud of himself. Why does he consider himself a coward? -- Note that you'll need to explain this situation

“How to Tell a True War Story” – there are so many examples of paradox in this one story that an essay could conceivably focus totally on this one story alone—but DON’T.  Things to consider from this story: how can war be both ugly and beautiful? how can war make an individual feel alive? how can men march into mountains to kill and enemy and want goodness and justice?

“Spin” – look carefully at the different vignettes--specifically, what do Henry Dobbins and Mitchell Sanders play at the end of the day? How is this game different from the situation in which they find themselves?

The Importance of Storytelling – why tell stories? The author answers this question in a number of comments as the novel progresses
“The Lives of the Dead” -- O'Brien says that stories can save us--how?  O'Brien says that stories can bring the dead back to life--how?
“Good Form” & “Notes”--what is the difference between a happening truth and a story truth? How can a story truth be more real than a happening truth?  Explain and illustrate.
“Spin” -- How do stories take us from the past to the present?
“The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” – the interaction between Mitchell Sanders and Rat Kiley is especially important; why does Mitch Sanders INSIST upon an ending? Why does Sanders want a moral to the story?
The Importance of Kiowa to the men of Alpha Company – if there is one man who is the spiritual center of Alpha Company and to the novel, it is Kiowa. His death is felt more deeply than Ted Lavender’s or even Curt Lemon’s, but why? What does Kiowa mean to the men of Alpha Company?
“The Things They Carried” – his personal effects tell the reader much about Kiowa—what are they and what do they mean to him; not only that, but how is Kiowa in contrast to Norman Bowker? Why is that important? How does Kiowa’s behavior repeat itself with the other soldiers?
“Church” – both the location and Henry Dobbins are important in revealing characteristics of Kiowa
“The Man I Killed” – again, with whom does Kiowa interact in this story? Why is it important?
“In The Field” – the impact of Kiowa’s death is felt here and in “Field Trip” – why?