The Things They Carried

Contribute two (2) responses in the following ways:
*Post a response to one of the questions below

*Post a response to a peer's comment

*Post a thought-provoking question of your own about one of O'Brien's stories or the work as a whole for your peers to ponder

Questions:
1) Although The Things They Carried contains a story called "The Man I Killed" it is unclear whether O'Brien actually killed anyone in Vietnam. What purpose does this ambiguity serve?

2) What do the terms "truth" and "reality" mean in the context of this book? How do they
differ?

3) How does shame fit into O'Brien's portrayal of the war experience?

For sale: Baby shoes, never worn…

…is a story in six words written by Earnest Hemingway.  His terse composition proves that a few words can be evocative, powerful, and compelling.  I challenge you to mimic his rich and mysterious style by choosing one of your summer readings and summarizing the plot, or theme, or character(s), etc. in six words.  Following your original post, please respond thoughtfully to a peer’s story.  Mine is the first.  Feel free to post a comment after you have composed your own.  One original posting and one response due by Friday, August 28.