Bonus Assignment - 10 pts formative

To earn credit for this assignment, print and complete the corresponding worksheet (located on the student assignment drive) and turn in with a 1-2 page paper that compares or contrasts this film’s treatment of the Vietnam War with The Things They Carried. This paper should follow the guidelines established in the student handbook for formal papers.

Possible movies include: Platoon (R), Full Metal Jacket (R), Apocalypse Now (R), Deer Hunter (R), Good Morning Vietnam (R), We Were Soldiers (R), Born On the Fourth of July (R), Hamburger Hill (R), Casualties of War (R), The Killing Fields (R), and Green Dragon (pg-13).

Please note: many of the above mentioned films include strong language and scenes of graphic violence which may be difficult for some students to watch. If you do not feel comfortable with this, I recommend either Good Morning Vietnam or Green Dragon. I will also accept submissions based on Forrest Gump; students should focus on the relevant scenes from that film if they choose this option.

TTTC - readings for late April

While reading the first chapter of TTTC, take note of what we learn about each character based on what he carries. Additionally, reflect/take note of the burdens of the loads. The author is trying to communicate the truth of the soldier's experience to us through emphasizing the burden that each soldier carried with him day in, day out. We as readers must go beyond what we know from our own experiences to try to understand what it may have been like. Since we were not there, like the character Martha, we must carefully reflect on the details of the author's descriptions.

In the following chapters, focus on the concept of truth. "Love" focuses on Cross's experiences with Martha. This is very interesting for a number of reasons. There is much more to Martha than meets the eye - try to figure out why she may react as she does in certain situations.

"Spin" is very postmodern chapter, and it will end up being a chapter that I will refer back to all the way up to the test. In other words, this is a very important chapter - take good notes.

"On the Rainy River" takes the form of a traditional narrative - it is structured like a "normal" story that we are more accustomed to. Pay attention to what O'Brien has to say about courage, and take careful notes on that theme.

The Things They Carried... overview

The class text is a postmodern account of the experiences had by soldiers in Vietnam. We will journal, reflect, discuss, and annotate this text for postmodernism and its concept of "truth." We will also examine a variety of themes specific to individual chapters. The final assessments for this unit will be an individual, closed note test, and a graded discussion (notes and texts allowed). We will not be doing literature circles for this text.

The reading schedule for The Things They Carried (TTTC) is:

Thursday, 4/16 – pp. 1-26
Friday, 4/17 – pp. 27-30
A-day, 4/20-21 – pp. 31-38
B-day, 4/21-22 – pp. 39-61
Quiz pp. 1-61

Thursday, 4/23 – pp. 62-66
Monday, 4/27 – pp. 67-85
Quiz pp. 62-85

B-day, 4/29-30 – pp. 86-116
Friday, 5/1 – pp. 117-119
Monday 5/4 – pp. 120–130
Quiz pp. 86-130

A-day, 5/5-6 – pp. 131-154
B-day, 5/6-7 – pp. 155-161
Friday, 5/8 – pp. 162-180
Quiz pp. 131-180

Monday, 5/11 – pp. 181-188
B-Day, 5/13-14 – pp. 189-218
Friday, 5/15 – pp. 219-224
Quiz pp. 181-218

A-Day, 5/19-20 – pp. 225-246
B-Day, 5/20-21 – ReviewFriday, 5/22 – Final Test

Remember, readings are expected to be completed by the beginning of class on the day listed.