**ATTENTION 1st/2nd AP/1101 NEXT TTTC RDG + QU's ASSIGNMENT DUE FRI. 9/9**

1st/2nd APLang/ENG 1101

HW DUE FRI. 9/9:

JUST AS WITH YOUR FIRST READING, PLEASE READ THIS QUICK INTRO:

The first longer text/novel we will study--Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried (1990)--explores the realities that coincide with war and our perhaps misguided perceptions of the complex issues surrounding combat versus civilian life; read The Things They Carried with the following concepts in mind:

• take into account the author’s [O’Brien’s] purpose, context, and the message(s) he conveys through his stories of the Vietnam War, both as author AND narrator 
• recognize strategies and tactics employed to broaden the civilian understanding of the atrocities of war and to explain current societal/political issues associated with the subject
• understand the myriad of ethical dilemmas associated with war and the differing perceptions of TRUTH and REALITY that arise within the text

1) Over the next TWO NIGHTS, read the FOLLOWING THREE (3) CHAPTERS/*VIGNETTES* of O'Brien's TTTC, listed below (**NOTE below you are SKIPPING one chapter--more on this later!):

• "How to Tell a True War Story"
• "The Dentist"
• ***SKIP "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong"--MORE ON THIS TO COME***
• "Stockings"

2) As you read these three chapters, consider again the bulleted points above in the QUICK INTRO; make notes [post-its, preferably] of any details, plot points, memories, descriptions, etc. that you believe carry O'Brien's stories

3) AND to again show that you get the 'gist' of this next reading of O'Brien's stories of war, take a look at the list of questions below laid out for each of these chapters. 

• of the TWO (2) questions below per chapter, ANSWER. THEM. BOTH. VIA POST-IT OR PAPER/ANNOTATED STYLE. -----> NOTE THAT THIS SECOND RDG/QU'S ASSIGNMENT IS NOT A JOURNAL!!!!!

4) FINALLY: I WILL BE RANDOMLY CHOOSING PEOPLE IN CLASS FRIDAY TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FOR A DISCUSSION GRADE!

• please make sure you've read and answered these in order to ensure you're prepared!
• find "text evidence" to back up your assertions about O'Brien's text

POST-IT **OR** PAPER QU's TO CHOOSE FROM/ANSWER FOR TTTC x3 CHAPTERS

“How to Tell a True War Story” 

1. According to O'Brien, how do you tell a true war story? What does he mean when he says that true war stories are never about war? In what sense is a “true” war story actually true? That is, in O’Brien’s terms, what is the relationship between historical truth and fictional truth? 

2. Why does this story begin with the line: “This is true.” How does that prepare you, as a reader, for the story? In what sense is “this” true? 

“The Dentist” 

1. How did Curt Lemon’s visit to the dentist affect him? Why does he behave this way? 

2. What is the purpose of placing this chapter directly after “How to Tell a True War Story”? 

 

“Stockings” 

1. Why did Henry Dobbins continue to carry his girlfriend’s stocking even after she broke up with him? 

2. Consider the comparison O’Brien makes between Dobbins and America. How does this affect your view of how O’Brien views America?

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SO, let's RECAP:

• Come to class FRI. 9/9 having read the above x3 (THREE) CHAPTERS of TTTC; be ready for LOADS of discussion and lots to unpack; LET ME KNOW YOU'VE READ!
• **NOTE: you may also read more/ahead, but you're only *required* to complete the assignment above

• On post-its inside your copy of the text or ON PAPER, make sure you've answered BOTH/TWO (x2) the questions listed above PER CHAPTER; that's a TOTAL of x6 qu's/post-its (<<more is fine as well) 

• BECAUSE YOU'LL BE READY TO ANSWER THESE QU's OUT LOUD, make sure your annotated/post-it answers are more than just an arrow or a word or two; give specifics, and answer the qu's thoughtfully, yet still 'annotation' style