The Things They Carried RRJ
In paragraph form, separately answer each of the following questions thoroughly and with strong support. Remember that you are looking for the best-fitting, most exemplary passages when you provide support, not just anything you find that you think you can stretch to make work. Because you are using paragraph form, make sure to provide topic sentences, explanation, specific support (introduce, deliver, and use in-text citation for quotes), analysis of support tying it to your point, and concluding sentences. Paragraphs should be well-developed, strongly written, and atleast five to seven sentences each. Write at least one paragraph for each question—except the last, for which you only need one sentence.
- Explain how this novel could be considered “postmodern.” Questions to help you form your response: What is postmodernism? Why does O’Brian call this memoir “a work of fiction”? What does O’Brian seem to say about the nature of truth as revealed through story? What about the context of Viet Nam would lead him to write a postmodern war memoir? (Use these as talking points, but don’t just answer them in a laundry list of answers.) Provide a specific passage from the text as an example, and analyze how they prove his point.
- How does O’Brian create a polyphonic feel in his storytelling? Reference and analyze at least one specific passage from the text.
- Find an example of where O’Brien uses anaphora to create parallelism. Analyze the rhetorical effect of this device on the message he is trying to communicate.
- Find a cumulative and a periodic sentence and analyze why the author used those sentence types to present the specific information included in those sentences.
- Find and analyze a rhetorical device that appeals to ethos, logos, or pathos. How and why does this specific device make this specific appeal?
- Locate a passage (at least 15-20 lines) that you think is representative of O’Brian’s tone. Discuss how he creates this tone, especially using specific references to diction (though not only considering diction).
- Discuss O’Brien’s consistent use of rhetorical fragments. What is the effect on most passages?
- What is O’Brien’s purpose, and what is his occasion to write? (What gave him the opportunity to write?) Provide and analyze an exemplary passage.
- O’Brien uses symbols throughout the text, providing a link between the abstract and concrete. Give an example and discuss.
- Write a higher-level thinking question for discussion. Avoid who, what, when, and where, shooting rather for why and how.
The Things They Carried RRJ
In paragraph form, separately answer each of the following questions thoroughly and with strong support. Remember that you are looking for the best-fitting, most exemplary passages when you provide support, not just anything you find that you think you can stretch to make work. Because you are using paragraph form, make sure to provide topic sentences, explanation, specific support (introduce, deliver, and use in-text citation for quotes), analysis of support tying it to your point, and concluding sentences. Paragraphs should be well-developed, strongly written, and atleast five to seven sentences each. Write at least one paragraph for each question—except the last, for which you only need one sentence.
- Explain how this novel could be considered “postmodern.” Questions to help you form your response: What is postmodernism? Why does O’Brian call this memoir “a work of fiction”? What does O’Brian seem to say about the nature of truth as revealed through story? What about the context of Viet Nam would lead him to write a postmodern war memoir? (Use these as talking points, but don’t just answer them in a laundry list of answers.) Provide a specific passage from the text as an example, and analyze how they prove his point.
- How does O’Brian create a polyphonic feel in his storytelling? Reference and analyze at least one specific passage from the text.
- Find an example of where O’Brien uses anaphora to create parallelism. Analyze the rhetorical effect of this device on the message he is trying to communicate.
- Find a cumulative and a periodic sentence and analyze why the author used those sentence types to present the specific information included in those sentences.
- Find and analyze a rhetorical device that appeals to ethos, logos, or pathos. How and why does this specific device make this specific appeal?
- Locate a passage (at least 15-20 lines) that you think is representative of O’Brian’s tone. Discuss how he creates this tone, especially using specific references to diction (though not only considering diction).
- Discuss O’Brien’s consistent use of rhetorical fragments. What is the effect on most passages?
- What is O’Brien’s purpose, and what is his occasion to write? (What gave him the opportunity to write?) Provide and analyze an exemplary passage.
- O’Brien uses symbols throughout the text, providing a link between the abstract and concrete. Give an example and discuss.
- Write a higher-level thinking question for discussion. Avoid who, what, when, and where, shooting rather for why and how.