Download Character Baggage – ANSWER KEY and more Study notes English in PDF only on Docsity!
Mr. Grosskreuz/Mr. Richards – English 3C Name: ____________________________________ The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien Period: ______ Date: _______________________
Character Baggage – ANSWER KEY
Directions: Along with your group, use the page numbers to research your assigned soldier(s) by identifying the things he carries. Put all physical items in the “Physical Baggage” column. Put all emotions, ideas, or feelings he carries in the “Mental Baggage” column.
Character Physical Baggage Mental Baggage
Jimmy Cross
First Lieutenant (pp 1-5, 8, 13, 16) letters from Martha wrapped in plastic (1), a canteen (1), a rucksack (1), two photographs of Martha – a Kodacolor snapshot signed Love and the volleyball action shot from his 1968 yearbook (4), a compass (5), maps (5), code books (5), binoculars (5), a .45-caliber pistol (5), a strobe light (5), a pebble from the Jersey shore, sent by Martha (8), entrenching tool (16) “his love for Martha” (3-4); “the responsibility for the lives of his men” (5); “a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried” (7); “they all carried ghosts” (10); guilt/shame over Ted Lavender’s death (16); anger/blame/disgust with himself for being distracted by loving Martha (16)
Henry Dobbins
Machine Gunner (pp 2, 5, 10, 14-15, 21) extra rations – canned peaches in heavy syrup over pound cake (2), an M-60 machine gun (5), 10-15 pounds of ammunition draped in belts across his chest and shoulders (5), his girlfriend’s pantyhose wrapped around his neck (10), a tropical chocolate bar (11), Black Flag insecticide (14) “a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried” (7); “they all carried ghosts” (10); superstition – the pantyhose is a lucky charm to keep him safe; the pantyhose also show his desire to make physical contact with his girlfriend because he misses her; the extra rations show he’s afraid of going hungry
Dave Jensen
PFC – Private First-Class (pp 2-4, 9-10, 13-15, 21) a toothbrush (2), dental floss (2), several hotel-sized bars of soap (2), three pairs of socks (3), a can of Dr. Scholl’s foot powder (3), night-sight vitamins high in carotene (9), earplugs (10), a rabbit’s foot (13), empty sandbags that can be filled at night for extra protection (14) “a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried” (7); “they all carried ghosts” (10); need to stay clean/feeling human; superstition – the rabbit’s foot is a good-luck charm; the sandbags show his fear of being ambushed and being vulnerable; he is concerned about protecting his health and his life
Ted Lavender
PFC – Private First-Class (pp 2-3, 6, 9, 14-15, 21) tranquilizers (2), 6-7 ounces of premium dope (3), 34 rounds of ammunition for an M- 79 grenade launcher equaling 20 pounds (6), a canteen (6), toilet paper (6), a flak jacket (6), a helmet (6), the starlight scope fear of dying; “a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried” (7); “they all carried ghosts” (10); extreme anxiety that requires him to self-medicate to numb the fear Continue
Character Physical Baggage Mental Baggage
Mitchell Sanders
Radio Telephone Operator (pp 3, 5, 9, 14-15, 21) condoms (3), a PRC-25 radio (5), brass knuckles, a set of starched tiger fatigues for special occasions (14) “a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried” (7); “they all carried ghosts” (10); the condoms and starched fatigues reveal his desire to have contact with a woman/the need for a connection; the condoms also show his need for sex; he is afraid of being vulnerable/defenseless – the brass knuckles are a weapon of last resort should he run out of ammunition
Norman Bowker
PFC – Private First-Class (pp 3, 13-15, 21) a diary (3), a dark-brown thumb cut from the decomposing corpse of a 15/16-year-old VC boy, presented to him as a gift by Sanders (13) “a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried” (7), “they all carried ghosts” (10); the thumb is a reminder of death because it could’ve been his thumb – he uses it to remind himself to stay alert and stay alive; the diary reveals that he is emotional and needs to express his feelings in order to keep his mind clear
Rat Kiley
Medic (pp 3, 5-6, 9, 14-15, 21) a canvas satchel filled with morphine, plasma, and malaria tablets (5), surgical tape (5), comic books (5), M&M’s for especially bad wounds (5), brandy (9) “a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried” (7); “they all carried ghosts” (10); the responsibility of saving his fellow soldiers’ lives; fear of not being able to save his fellow soldiers
Kiowa
PFC – Private First-Class (pp 3, 7, 9, 14-15, 19, 21) an illustrated New Testament that had been presented to him by his father (3), his grandfather’s old hunting hatchet (3), a pair of moccasins for silence (9) “his grandmother’s distrust of the white man” (3); “a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried” (7); “they all carried ghosts” (10); the feeling of not being dead (19); sympathy for Cross (19); religious and wants to adhere to a moral code
Lee Strunk
PFC – Private First-Class (pp 7, 11, 14-15, 21) a slingshot – a weapon of last resort (7), tanning lotion (14) “a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried” (7); “they all carried ghosts” (10); the slingshot represents his fear of dying – a slingshot will never run out of ammunition
Non-physical items all soldiers carry…
a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried ghosts the weight of memory they took up what others could no longer bear they carried each other – the wounded or the weak diseases o malaria, dysentery, lice, ringworm, paddy algae, leeches, rots, and molds Vietnam o the land, the sky, the whole atmosphere (humidity, monsoons, the stink of fungus and decay) gravity their own lives the emotions of grief, terror, love, longing the secret of cowardice barely restrained Reflecting on the things they carried: Answer all questions in complete, detailed sentences on a separate sheet of paper.
- Physically, we can estimate that to soldiers carried approximately 194.8 lbs. How would this make the soldiers feel? Explain.
- Author Tim O’Brien narrates, “To carry something was to hump it, as when Lieutenant Jimmy Cross humped his love for Martha up the hills and through the swamps” (3-4). Even though things such as Cross’s love for Martha and the emotions and ideas in the table above have no physical weight, how do these, when coupled with the weight of the physical items that the soldiers carry, affect the soldiers? Explain your thinking.
- Overall, why does Tim O’Brien choose to title his novel The Things They Carried? Explain.
