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The Things They Carried pp. 1-25

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 17mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Who died during the first 25 pages?

a)

Ted Lavender

b)

Kiowa

c)

Lt. Jimmy Cross

d)

Dobbins

2.

Check all items that count as "emotional weight"(intangible) items that the soldiers carried:

a)

shame

b)

guilt

c)

candy

d)

loneliness

3.

Check all items that count as "comfort" (tangible/physical) items that the soldiers carried:

a)

toothbrush

b)

fear

c)

foot powder

d)

comic books

e)

grief

4.

Who is the AUTHOR of The Things they Carried?

a)

Tim O'Brien

b)

Jimmy Cross

c)

Ted Lavender

5.

What does Martha leave out of her letters to Jimmy?

a)

Her classes in college

b)

Her affection for him

c)

Any mention of war

6.

What does the following line show about Jimmy Cross's feelings about the Vietnam War?

"... he carried the pebble in his mouth, turning it with his tongue, tasting sea salt and moisture. He had difficulty keeping his attention on the war. On occasion... he would slip away into daydreams, just pretending, walking barefoot along the Jersey shore, with Martha, carrying nothing. He would feel himself rising. Sun and waves and gentle winds, all love and lightness" (8-9).

a)

He does not want to be in Vietnam, and Martha's stone helps him escape in daydreams.

b)

He loves his men, and would do anything to protect them.

c)

He is motivated to win the war, and wants to avoid all distractions.

d)

Thinking about Martha makes him want to survive the war so he can return home to her.

7.

How does Jimmy Cross change after Lavender's death?

a)

He decides to run away.

b)

He gives up trying to be a leader.

c)

He tries to take his position as lieutenant more seriously.

d)

He begins to blame his men for all problems.

8.

Why does Tim O'Brien repeat so many items that the men carried throughout this chapter?

a)

To show how prepared the men were and that they had nothing to complain about.

b)

To emphasize how much mental and physical weight these young men had to carry which shows the challenges of the war.

c)

He wants the reader to remember every item these men carried.

d)

He wants to show how exciting this war was.

9.

The dedication of this book reads, "This book is lovingly dedicated to the men of Alpha Company, and in particular to Jimmy Cross, Norman Bowker, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Henry Dobbins, and Kiowa."


What does this tell us about the book?

a)

It is a work of mostly fiction (made-up storytelling).

b)

It is probably a work of non-fiction (real events), and the characters in the book are real people.

10.

What does First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carry?

a)

Letters from his mother

b)

Letters from a girl named Martha

c)

Letters from his brother

d)

Letters from a priest

11.

What was the good-luck charm sent to Jimmy Cross?

a)

A pebble

b)

A rabbit’s foot

c)

A cross

d)

A lock of hair

12.

Through the death of Ted Lavender, Jimmy learns

a)

how to bury a soldier

b)

which path to take up the mountain

c)

that he must give up his obsession with the girl

d)

he doesn't really want to be a soldier

13.

. What are Freedom Birds?

a)

birds like doves

b)

awards given to brave soldiers

c)

birds hunted by soldiers

d)

jumbo jets that carry soldiers to the US

14.

How does the author help the reader "feel" the items being carried to war?

a)

He lists the actual weight of each item

b)

He describes what each item is for

c)

He explains the emotional attachment to each item

d)

all of the above

15.

Before the men blew up the elaborate tunnels, one soldier (whoever drew #17) had to

a)

physically search the tunnel

b)

yell into the tunnel

c)

send a dog into the tunnel

d)

shine a flashlight into the tunnel