The Things They Carried

The Things They Carried

By Joseph Agundez

​Tim O'Brien uses these types of writing styles in The Things They Carried.

• Historical Fiction

• Creative Nonfiction

• Memoir

• Meta-Fiction​

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​Historical Fiction

​Historical details and events are used to enrich a fictional story. Tim O'Brien shares authentic experiences about the Vietnam War, but he is not strictly a historian. His purpose is to tell a story about the Vietnam War to reflect the complexity of human nature and exploring the past.

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​Creative Nonfiction

When an author crafts his/her words artfully as a fictional writer, but the story is true to their own experiences. Tim O'Brien dedicates his book to his platoon squad that served with him in Vietnam.​

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​Memoir

A memoir discusses a specific event that happened during the author's life in great detail. Tim O'Brien refers to himself by name in his book and he tells the story as a Vietnam Veteran.​

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​Meta-Fiction

The breaking of literary tradition between fiction and nonfiction story telling. Tim O'Brien frequently blurs the line between "story truth" (fiction) and "happening truth" (nonfiction). ​

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​What is a symbol?

A symbol is a literary device in which an object, place, or person is used to represent an abstract idea-often with multiple levels of meaning.​

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​- Tim O'Brien

" They carried the land itself - Vietnam, the place, the soil - a powdery orange-red dust that covered their boots and fatigues and faces. " 

Multiple Choice

The weight, grief, sadness, and anger of "The Things They Carried" is a form of.

• Theme

• Simile

• Symbolism

• Irony

Multiple Choice

"Boom...Down" described the sound of___?

• Sadness

• Death

• Fighting

• Marching

Multiple Choice

What kind of writing style is the following quote?

"In June of 1968, a month after graduating from Macalester Collee, I was drafted to fight a war I hated. I was 21 years old. Young, yes, and politically naïve, but even so the American war in Vietnam seemed to me wrong" (p.38)

• Meta-Fiction

• Historical Fiction

• Memoir

• Creative Nonfiction

Multiple Choice

How does Tim O'Brien view the Vietnam War?

• Justified

• Unjustified

​Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing creates an impression or image in the reader’s mind of a person, place, or event. The writing sets the mood or describes in such detail that if the reader saw it, they would recognize it. When writing, it’s good to “show, don’t tell” as a description. Focus on the five senses (smell, taste, sight, touch, and hearing). ​

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​Descriptive Writing Example

Example: ​He was angry.

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Descriptive: ​His eyes darkened and deep lines formed over his brow. He spoke quietly, but with a tone that sent shivers down your spine.

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Open Ended

Write a descriptive sentence for the following:

"Alpha Company was walking through the jungle."