Journal Prompt:
In Chapter 4 of ‘The Things They Carried,’ Tim O’Brien explores the burdens that soldiers carry, both physical and emotional. Analyze O’Brien’s narrative techniques and storytelling in this chapter, using 2 quotes from ‘The Things They Carried’ Chapter 4 and 1 quote each from ‘How to Read Literature Like a Professor,’ ‘They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing,’ and an outside research article related to the themes of war and literature. These can be the same passages as your discussion or two new passages if you choose.
Quoting Chapter 4: Select and quote two passages from Chapter 4 of ‘The Things They Carried’ that illustrate how O’Brien portrays the emotional burdens of the soldiers through their personal items. Discuss the significance of these items and their impact on the characters’ experiences.
Symbolism and Literary Devices: Include one quote from ‘How to Read Literature Like a Professor’ by Thomas C. Foster that relates to the analysis of symbolism or literary devices in literature. Explain how the concept from Foster’s book applies to O’Brien’s narrative in Chapter 4.
Academic Writing Concept: Include one quote from ‘They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing’ to highlight an academic writing concept that you find applicable to O’Brien’s narrative. Discuss how this concept can be applied to your analysis of the chapter.
Outside Research Article: Locate an outside research article related to the themes of war and literature. Quote a relevant passage from this article and explain how it contributes to your understanding of the emotional burdens carried by soldiers in Chapter 4 of ‘The Things They Carried.’
Interconnections and Narrative Impact: Discuss how these quotes and ideas interconnect, shedding light on the narrative style and deeper themes of the chapter. How do O’Brien’s techniques, the concept from Foster’s book, the academic writing concept, and the insights from the outside research article collectively enhance your comprehension of the characters’ experiences in the Vietnam War as depicted in Chapter 4?
Minimum Word/Page Count: Your journal entry should be a minimum of 500 words, which is approximately 2 pages when double-spaced.
This journal entry encourages you to draw from a range of sources, including the text itself, external research, literary analysis concepts, and academic writing strategies, to provide a comprehensive analysis of O’Brien’s storytelling techniques and the emotional burdens carried by the soldiers in this pivotal chapter.
