That's a really good question! This requires a lot of thinking... I think I would carry pictures of everyone that I cared about and maybe something that has their scent. I would probably bring a few really long books that I had never read to keep me entertained at night or during the "borring" parts of the war. I would also bring items like the foot cream and other medications to help prevent or cure wounds in case I or someone in my platoon could not seek medical help.
I think I would bring some of my favorite books. And I would absolutely have to bring chapstick. I would die without my Burt's Bees. And hand sanitizer and wipes. I guess that would be my weird thing - in the middle of war, I would still be worried about keeping my hands clean.
I wouldn't carry pictures, looking at the people I love would make me depressed. I would carry a small obsidian worry stone, I reminds me of home and isn't so personal that I'd be sad.
I think I would bring a harmonica and learn how to play. It's kind of difficult to fit a guitar in your backpack, and it would be very calming to have some music with the group all the time.
I think I would carry photos or letters from my friends and family because it would keep reminding me where I came from and it would encourage me to keep moving on.
heres a link about what men from the Vietnam war said they carried and how much they thought their bags weighed. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_weight_did_the_average_soldier_carry_during_the_Vietnam_War
I would carry a ring that I recieved from my Great Grandma that has been passed down to me. It reminds me of my family and the ones closest to me. I'd probably wear that though instead of throw it in my bag!
I would carry something to distract me, like a gameboy and batteries. But I'd also bring a journal to write about my days, just to get my mind off of the war. Plus it would be pretty cool to bring home and have people read.
I would bring paper and pencil to write down my thoughts. I wouldn't bring any reminders of people I use to know. I would bring all the necessities for being a soldier and I would bring Chapstick.
(Beil) Hmm... I feel like I'd want to carry around a good luck charm, and but I don't have one and it's not like I could carry around a bottle of flix felicis, so I guess I'd take something I find comfort in always having like my cross necklace. Also I would have to carry a book or two with me. I mean, I've read my whole life and my story is just as much in the pages of those novels as the characters' story is. And besides my books... pictures yeah, all that typical stuff.
I would probably bring my blue folder. It has my music and letters I keep from significant people such as my family and friends. It has the 2 things that would keep me sane: people and music
My reminder of home would probably be my photo album I am currently working on. It has a lot of memories of my friends and family and it's always comforting to look at. As for the weird item, I'm not sure what it would be. All of the reminders I would want would be what you consider "normal."
I would resist the urge to bring memories of home because for me it would only make me more homesick. But the weird item that i need would be lotion because i would rather be sick or injured than have dry hands.
If I could magically have an eternal iPod battery, I would bring my iPod. I use music to escape from everything, and from what O'Brien has described even in the first six chapters, I would definitely have a lot of escaping to do. If I couldn't escape the draft, I would try to escape the war. (I'd probably end up dead though. Whatever.)
I would probably take something to keep clean. I like to keep clean and who knows what they could have been walking through. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/158655/US-Marines-wading-through-a-marsh-during-the-Vietnam-War
Why does Martha seem to taunt Jimmy. She sends pictures and letters, writes "love" at the end, knowing how he feels about her. Why doesn't she clear things up.
Because she's a young girl and she doesn't want to hurt his feelings, and she probably thinks it's fun to tease him. Maybe she even thinks she has to because it's the only pleasure he has at war. Maybe it's because she feels guilty that she doesn't like him back, and it's easy to pretend in a letter that you like someone.
Jimmy did not know what happened to Martha until he got to come home so while away, she could act like that because he did not know the real truth. She may also think that it gives him something to look forward to while away. I think that Martha really does want to talk to him but when they talk in person she makes it seem like she does not.
http://www.win-with-women.com/images/is-she-playing-hard-to-get-or-not.jpg I feel like this is him when it comes to how Martha feels. I think she's just playing mind games which is not nice..
I think she truly does love Jimmy but I feel like she might have gone through something traumatizing with men (such as being raped) and she can't bring herself to be with him. Pretty sad.
I don't think she is trying to lead him on. I feel like she is friends with him and enjoys writing to him but doesn't realize how personally he take the love Martha ending. I don't think she really understands what he is going through and how she sounds through her letters in his head.
I dont think the best time to clear things up is while the other person is at war. While at war probably the best thing for me to receive would be a letter from home and or from someone you love. Clearing things up while he is already so vulnerable at war would only make it worse for him.
Do you think Lietenant Jimmy Cross takes his "obsession" with Martha too far? "He would sometimes taste the envelope flaps, knowing her tongue had been there" (1), "...and watch the night and wonder if Martha was a virgin" (2), "He should've carried her up the stairs to her room and tied her to the bed and touched that left knee all night long" (4), and "...he wanted to sleep inside her lungs and breathe her blood and be smothered" (11) are just a few examples of his outraging obsession. Do you agree?
He was definitely obsessed, but he needed a distraction from the war. It was creepy and cringe-y to read it, but it can almost be justified. If he would've been a regular guy at home, he never would've gotten so obsessed with her. She just symbolizes for him what he's missing out on at home and may never get to do again.
I do agree but I think that the author does this in order to show how women affect the war. The women play a huge role in the lives of the men in the story. They are the mens' encouragement to keep going on no matter the conditions.
I agree that he went a little overboard on his obsession. But you have to think that he is in a foreign country and that is his only link to the United States. He feels some safety and connection to her through the letters, and then his imagination takes over and he goes overboard.
I agree with Mackenzie, but also she symbolizes how out of touch the citizens back home are. They don't realize the impact they have on the soldiers they are so far away from. They just don't get it and O'Brien wants readers to recognize how that changes the political landscape. Citizens who aren't tuned in are more likely to go along with a war that they don't feel directly impacts them.
Its creepy, understandable when he's away from civilization almost, and that he care for her. But yes, the things he imagines are disturbing and kind of frightening.
Licking the envelope is definitely creepy- maybe he was hungry. In all seriousness though I think O'Brien tries to emphasize his point on how lonely the soldiers can get. He shows how depressing the war was and this really adds to that!
I have to say Lietenant Jimmy Cross probably was not the only one with issues. What about Mitchell Sanders that carried condoms (3)? At this point in American history the front lines soldier were all men... There is no way to dance around the facts, men at war (and recently women at war) can do things completely out of character. There is very little social interaction let alone "other things", they see the same group of people for months; the men were under stress and at times under the influence of drugs. The clarity of their thinking could not have been great.
I've kind of wondered what kind of person O'Brien is to be able to describe these men's crazy obsessions so well. What personal experience do you think O'Brien has with crazy obsessons?
Response to your first sentence: War created a filter through which O'Brien picks up all these random and sort of crazy observations. They are confined together 24/7, and his insane boredom probably compelled these observations. He is responsible for their lives, therefore he feels responsible to take notice of their personal quirks as well. Also, I think its important to notice that there is a O'Brien persona - meaning he detaches himself from the story often in order to provide his readers with the insight of his men's thoughts and emotions.
I think he Is kind of obsessed by the fact that he has strong feeling for someone who didn't feel the same way but you can't blame him for feeling the way he does. He's isolated and those emotions are what is making him go and plus he is in love with her. If someone was in love then they would want to have as much of that person they can such as licking the envelope and the other things such as sleeping in her lungs was probably the best way he could describe his feelings.
I will admit the touching her knee thing was weird
I don't believe it was an "outraging obsession", not only was he separated from the opposite sex he was separated from all types of love. All he was around was fighting, death, cursing, and evil things. The only taste of love he ever had was touching her knee when he was younger and he was simply trying to recreate that feeling of love that left him when he joined the war.
Why do you think that O'Brien put the weight of every object the soldiers carried around with them during the war? I mean, he put the exact wieght out several decimals sometimes. What do you think his purpose was with this?
Part of it might be that it was one thing that was measurable and was true beyond any reasonable doubt. As we learn later in the book, O'Brien has a difficult time remembering much of the war, as time and mental trauma have erased much of the specifics of the war. One of the few things that he can hold onto as a constant, something that can't change with the fading of memories, is what they carried on them, and how much it weighed.
I think part of the reason is to make the audience understand the literal weight of all the objects and how difficult it was to carry them. I had never really considered how much soldiers had to take with them every day, especially not how heavy everything would be. But I also thought it added a sort of rhythm to the chapter.
I think he probably carried a journal around with him because i can't imagine how he could remember all of these war stories without some sort of help. Also he most likely brought pictures of his family and friends and objects that reminded him of home.
Great article and video. We have to keep telling these stories and being reminded that soldiers are still feeling the effects from Vietnam. How long are the soldiers who've been fighting our most recent wars going to be suffering with the effects they will undoubtedly have?
Just seeing if this works. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteYou're so cute.
DeleteWhat do you think the weird item in your backpack would be? Your reminder of home?
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good question! This requires a lot of thinking... I think I would carry pictures of everyone that I cared about and maybe something that has their scent. I would probably bring a few really long books that I had never read to keep me entertained at night or during the "borring" parts of the war. I would also bring items like the foot cream and other medications to help prevent or cure wounds in case I or someone in my platoon could not seek medical help.
DeleteI think I would bring some of my favorite books. And I would absolutely have to bring chapstick. I would die without my Burt's Bees. And hand sanitizer and wipes. I guess that would be my weird thing - in the middle of war, I would still be worried about keeping my hands clean.
DeleteI wouldn't carry pictures, looking at the people I love would make me depressed. I would carry a small obsidian worry stone, I reminds me of home and isn't so personal that I'd be sad.
DeleteI think I would bring a harmonica and learn how to play. It's kind of difficult to fit a guitar in your backpack, and it would be very calming to have some music with the group all the time.
DeleteI think I would carry photos or letters from my friends and family because it would keep reminding me where I came from and it would encourage me to keep moving on.
Deleteheres a link about what men from the Vietnam war said they carried and how much they thought their bags weighed.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_weight_did_the_average_soldier_carry_during_the_Vietnam_War
I would bring something to keep my mind sharp and distract me from the war. Something like Sudoku or crossword puzzles.
DeleteI would carry a ring that I recieved from my Great Grandma that has been passed down to me. It reminds me of my family and the ones closest to me. I'd probably wear that though instead of throw it in my bag!
DeleteI would carry something to distract me, like a gameboy and batteries. But I'd also bring a journal to write about my days, just to get my mind off of the war. Plus it would be pretty cool to bring home and have people read.
DeleteI would bring paper and pencil to write down my thoughts. I wouldn't bring any reminders of people I use to know. I would bring all the necessities for being a soldier and I would bring Chapstick.
Delete(Beil)
DeleteHmm... I feel like I'd want to carry around a good luck charm, and but I don't have one and it's not like I could carry around a bottle of flix felicis, so I guess I'd take something I find comfort in always having like my cross necklace. Also I would have to carry a book or two with me. I mean, I've read my whole life and my story is just as much in the pages of those novels as the characters' story is. And besides my books... pictures yeah, all that typical stuff.
I would bring a journal to keep track of my thoughts, and a compass so I would never get lost.
DeleteI would probably bring my blue folder. It has my music and letters I keep from significant people such as my family and friends. It has the 2 things that would keep me sane: people and music
DeleteMy reminder of home would probably be my photo album I am currently working on. It has a lot of memories of my friends and family and it's always comforting to look at. As for the weird item, I'm not sure what it would be. All of the reminders I would want would be what you consider "normal."
DeleteI would resist the urge to bring memories of home because for me it would only make me more homesick. But the weird item that i need would be lotion because i would rather be sick or injured than have dry hands.
DeleteIf I could magically have an eternal iPod battery, I would bring my iPod. I use music to escape from everything, and from what O'Brien has described even in the first six chapters, I would definitely have a lot of escaping to do. If I couldn't escape the draft, I would try to escape the war. (I'd probably end up dead though. Whatever.)
DeleteI would probably bring some photos, and a deck of cards to play when we are waiting.
DeleteI would probably take something to keep clean. I like to keep clean and who knows what they could have been walking through.
Deletehttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/158655/US-Marines-wading-through-a-marsh-during-the-Vietnam-War
Why does Martha seem to taunt Jimmy. She sends pictures and letters, writes "love" at the end, knowing how he feels about her. Why doesn't she clear things up.
ReplyDeleteBecause she's a young girl and she doesn't want to hurt his feelings, and she probably thinks it's fun to tease him. Maybe she even thinks she has to because it's the only pleasure he has at war. Maybe it's because she feels guilty that she doesn't like him back, and it's easy to pretend in a letter that you like someone.
DeleteJimmy did not know what happened to Martha until he got to come home so while away, she could act like that because he did not know the real truth. She may also think that it gives him something to look forward to while away. I think that Martha really does want to talk to him but when they talk in person she makes it seem like she does not.
Deletehttp://www.win-with-women.com/images/is-she-playing-hard-to-get-or-not.jpg I feel like this is him when it comes to how Martha feels. I think she's just playing mind games which is not nice..
DeleteI think she truly does love Jimmy but I feel like she might have gone through something traumatizing with men (such as being raped) and she can't bring herself to be with him. Pretty sad.
DeleteI don't think she is trying to lead him on. I feel like she is friends with him and enjoys writing to him but doesn't realize how personally he take the love Martha ending. I don't think she really understands what he is going through and how she sounds through her letters in his head.
DeleteI dont think the best time to clear things up is while the other person is at war. While at war probably the best thing for me to receive would be a letter from home and or from someone you love. Clearing things up while he is already so vulnerable at war would only make it worse for him.
DeleteDo you think Lietenant Jimmy Cross takes his "obsession" with Martha too far? "He would sometimes taste the envelope flaps, knowing her tongue had been there" (1), "...and watch the night and wonder if Martha was a virgin" (2), "He should've carried her up the stairs to her room and tied her to the bed and touched that left knee all night long" (4), and "...he wanted to sleep inside her lungs and breathe her blood and be smothered" (11) are just a few examples of his outraging obsession. Do you agree?
ReplyDeleteHe was definitely obsessed, but he needed a distraction from the war. It was creepy and cringe-y to read it, but it can almost be justified. If he would've been a regular guy at home, he never would've gotten so obsessed with her. She just symbolizes for him what he's missing out on at home and may never get to do again.
DeleteI do agree but I think that the author does this in order to show how women affect the war. The women play a huge role in the lives of the men in the story. They are the mens' encouragement to keep going on no matter the conditions.
DeleteI agree that he went a little overboard on his obsession. But you have to think that he is in a foreign country and that is his only link to the United States. He feels some safety and connection to her through the letters, and then his imagination takes over and he goes overboard.
DeleteI agree with Mackenzie, but also she symbolizes how out of touch the citizens back home are. They don't realize the impact they have on the soldiers they are so far away from. They just don't get it and O'Brien wants readers to recognize how that changes the political landscape. Citizens who aren't tuned in are more likely to go along with a war that they don't feel directly impacts them.
DeleteIts creepy, understandable when he's away from civilization almost, and that he care for her. But yes, the things he imagines are disturbing and kind of frightening.
DeleteI would only be okay with creepy activities if it was him....
Deletehttp://static-l3.blogcritics.org/10/10/18/138791/Dear-john-Letters.jpg
Licking the envelope is definitely creepy- maybe he was hungry. In all seriousness though I think O'Brien tries to emphasize his point on how lonely the soldiers can get. He shows how depressing the war was and this really adds to that!
DeleteI have to say Lietenant Jimmy Cross probably was not the only one with issues. What about Mitchell Sanders that carried condoms (3)? At this point in American history the front lines soldier were all men...
DeleteThere is no way to dance around the facts, men at war (and recently women at war) can do things completely out of character. There is very little social interaction let alone "other things", they see the same group of people for months; the men were under stress and at times under the influence of drugs. The clarity of their thinking could not have been great.
I've kind of wondered what kind of person O'Brien is to be able to describe these men's crazy obsessions so well. What personal experience do you think O'Brien has with crazy obsessons?
DeleteResponse to your first sentence: War created a filter through which O'Brien picks up all these random and sort of crazy observations. They are confined together 24/7, and his insane boredom probably compelled these observations. He is responsible for their lives, therefore he feels responsible to take notice of their personal quirks as well. Also, I think its important to notice that there is a O'Brien persona - meaning he detaches himself from the story often in order to provide his readers with the insight of his men's thoughts and emotions.
DeleteI think he Is kind of obsessed by the fact that he has strong feeling for someone who didn't feel the same way but you can't blame him for feeling the way he does. He's isolated and those emotions are what is making him go and plus he is in love with her. If someone was in love then they would want to have as much of that person they can such as licking the envelope and the other things such as sleeping in her lungs was probably the best way he could describe his feelings.
DeleteI will admit the touching her knee thing was weird
I don't believe it was an "outraging obsession", not only was he separated from the opposite sex he was separated from all types of love. All he was around was fighting, death, cursing, and evil things. The only taste of love he ever had was touching her knee when he was younger and he was simply trying to recreate that feeling of love that left him when he joined the war.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think that O'Brien put the weight of every object the soldiers carried around with them during the war? I mean, he put the exact wieght out several decimals sometimes. What do you think his purpose was with this?
ReplyDelete(Hannah Beil)
DeletePart of it might be that it was one thing that was measurable and was true beyond any reasonable doubt. As we learn later in the book, O'Brien has a difficult time remembering much of the war, as time and mental trauma have erased much of the specifics of the war. One of the few things that he can hold onto as a constant, something that can't change with the fading of memories, is what they carried on them, and how much it weighed.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI think part of the reason is to make the audience understand the literal weight of all the objects and how difficult it was to carry them. I had never really considered how much soldiers had to take with them every day, especially not how heavy everything would be. But I also thought it added a sort of rhythm to the chapter.
DeleteO'Brien himself doesn't tell readers what stuff he carried. Whether it be typical or atypical, what sort of items do you think he carried with him?
ReplyDeleteI think he probably carried a journal around with him because i can't imagine how he could remember all of these war stories without some sort of help. Also he most likely brought pictures of his family and friends and objects that reminded him of home.
DeleteGreat article and video. We have to keep telling these stories and being reminded that soldiers are still feeling the effects from Vietnam. How long are the soldiers who've been fighting our most recent wars going to be suffering with the effects they will undoubtedly have?
ReplyDelete