The Things They CarriedBy: Tim O’Brien

Writing Prompt - Intro YOU HAVE TWO JOBS:

1. Write down the questions, making corrections for capitalization and grammar as needed

2. Respond to the questions: you should be writing for at least 7 minutes

QUESTIONS: what do you think of War? (Is it justifiable? Necessary? Helpful?

Hurtful? Why?) where does you’re knowledge of war come from? (movies,

books, history class, etc. – be specific)

Meet the Author Tim O’Brien

• Grew up in Worthington, Minnesota on a lake • earned a degree in political science in 1968 from Macalester college• a month later he was drafted into the Vietnam war, where he served from 1969-1970 with the 3rd Platoon, Company A, 5th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Division

• Harvard and the Washington Post• Lives in Texas with his wife and two sons• other works: If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home, Northern Lights, Going After Cacciato

Genre of The Things They Carried

War drama Characteristics: chaos of war, writing as a way to cope or gain

control, intensity of experiences (both emotional and physical), glamour of war countered with gruesomeness, brotherhood

Postmodern denies the existence of any ultimate principles No scientific, religious, or philosophical truth that fits everyone - a

characteristic of the "modern mind”. Resists traditional characteristics of genres (this book is both fiction

and non-fiction)

Leading up to the Vietnam War Vietnam is a country used to invasion

Ancient Vietnam – China 1800’s – France – French Indochina 1900s - nationalist movements demanding more

self-governance Communist leader Ho Chi Minh founds the Viet Minh.

World War II France loses power and Japan steps in Japan surrenders in 1945 Ho Chi Minh’s forces take the capital of Hanoi,

establish the Democratic Republic of Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh

The First Indochina War France comes back in 1946 to reclaim Vietnam Ho Chi Minh’s forces are forced to retreat to the North Minh appeals to the U.S., but U.S. aides France Minh’s forces defeat France at Dien Bein Phu in 1954 The Geneva Accords –temporarily divided North and South

Vietnam

Cold War, the U.S., Diem Regime Domino Theory Ngo Dinh Diem – U.S. supported leader of South

Vietnamese Republic of Vietnam government in 1955 Viet Cong – communists resisting the Diem regime (backed

by Ho Chi Minh) 1963 – U.S. backs an overthrow of Diem, but new

government just as ineffective and corrupt as the first

“Americanization” of the War Lyndon B. Johnson [1963-1969] 1964 Gulf of Tonkin resolution (carte blanche)

nearly 400,000 troops to Vietnam Operation Rolling Thunder [1965]

War tactics: Attrition Napalm Agent Orange Guerilla warfare

Losing Support and “Vietnamazation” The Tet Offensive [1968]

A U.S. tactical victory, portrayed by the media as a brutal loss Troop morale at an all-time low

My Lai Massacre [1968] U.S. troops killed hundreds of unarmed Vietnam civilians

Richard Nixon [1969-1974] Withdrew troops Illegally bombed Viet Cong in neutral zones The Pentagon Papers

The Cease-fire and the fall of Saigon Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho meet for secret peace

negotiations [1972] Nixon encourages China and the USSR to help U.S.

increase bombing of North Vietnam Cease fire: January 1973 Last U.S. troops leave: March 1973

U.S. continues to fund South Vietnam but focus shifts during Watergate scandal in 1974

April 30, 1975 – South Vietnamese capitol of Saigon falls to North Vietnam, the country is reunited under Communist rule as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Media and the War Journalists were embedded with troops for the first time “Voluntary censorship” – lasted until 1968 Tet Offensive TV made images of war more accessible than ever before Coverage of the Vietnam War could (and did) powerfully

sway public opinion

Vietnam in the news: On June 8, 1972, Associated Press photographer Nick Ut was shooting photos outside of Trang Bang village, South Vietnam. South Vietnamese planes accidentally dropped napalm bombs on Trang Bang, which had been occupied by North Vietnamese troops.

What is your reaction to this photo? Do you think this photo should have been allowed to be published? Why or why not?

Writing Prompt YOU HAVE TWO JOBS:

1. Write down the questions, making corrections for capitalization and grammar as needed

2. Respond to the questions: you should be writing for at least 7 minutes

QUESTIONS:

what things we’re the soldiers carrying that surprised you? what things would you carry in your backpack if you went to war? what did the physical things they carried tell us about the

characters? Did they carry something else besides physical items?

Current Event: Writing Prompt

FIND an article READ It WRITE about: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How Find a partner or group of 3:

What is your article about?

Is the reporting objective or subjective? (Does it stick to the facts or sway your opinion?)

Who is affected? What questions do you have after reading the

article? Why is it important to keep up with current events?