The Things They Carried Study Guide - Chapters 1-9

Who are the "friends" in chapter six?

Dave Jensen and Lee Strunk

What is the contract that Dave Jensen and Lee Strunk make with each other

If one is permanently disabled, the other will kill them

What happens to Strunk?

He steps on a mine and loses a leg

Do Strunk and Jensen keep their pact with one another?

No

Why did the news of Strunk's death relieve Jensen

He didn't have to kill his friend

Who are the enemies in chapter 5?

Dave Jensen and Lee Strunk

What do Strunk and Jensen fight about?

A stolen knife

Who wins the fight between Strunk and Jensen and how does the winner act?

Jensen wins and becomes paranoid that Strunk will retaliate

Why does Dave Jensen break his nose with a pistol?

He wanted to even the score between him and Strunk

What is ironic about the end of Chapter 5?

Dave Jensen suffered more despite winning the fight

What does Azar's reaction to the Vietnamese boy in chapter 3 mean?

It shows that they didn't think of the vietnamese as people and had no sympathy for them

What does Mitchell Sanders do with his body lice?

He mails them to his draft board in Ohio

How does the author compare checkers to Vietnam and the war?

He says checkers is orderly and clear while the war is not

Who is the narrator of the novel?

Tim O'Brien

Why is chapter 3 called "Spin"?

It talks about how to "spin" a story to make it sound the way you want

Describe the tone at the beginning of chapter 4

Uncomfortable, serious, weak, shameful

What view on war has O'Brien maintained since he was in college?

He believed that war was wrong

How does O'Brien react to his draft notice and why?

He was scared and believed he was "too good" to go to war

What was ironic about O'Brien's job in the summer of 1968

He mentions that he hates blood, yet his job was to spray out blood clots from severed hog heads

Who is Elroy Berdahl and how does he help O'Brien?

He owns a lodge on the border of the US and Canada. He gives O'Brien food, shelter, and even money while he discerned whether or not to escape from the draft

What keeps O'Brien from running to Canada?

He was afraid of the embarrassment that would come with it

What is the significance of the "Emergency Fund" that Elroy gives O'Brien?

Elroy knew that O'Brien might escape to Canada

Besides embarrassment, what other reason does O'Brien give for not escaping to Canada?

He feels obligated

Who does Rat Kiley write a letter to? Why does he put so much effort into it?

He writes a letter to Curt Lemon's sister. He put in a lot of effort because they were very good friends

Does Rat recieve a response to his letter? How does this make him feel?

He does not recieve a response and this makes him angry

How does Curt lemon die?

He stepped on a mine and got shot into a tree

What are some elements that compose a true war story?

Never moral, endless, does not generalize, obscene, reader asks "is this really true?", cannot be believed

Why does Rat Kiley kill the baby water buffalo and what are his emotions?

Rat Kiley, almost robotically, shot at the water buffalo's limbs and then later broke down and cried while he killed it because he was upset about his friend's death.

Why is the scene where Rat Kiley murders the baby water buffalo so disturbing?

The water buffalo doesn't make a sound

Explain how "proximity to death brings with it a corresponding proximity to life"

When you are that close to death, it makes you enjoy life more.

Why does the author say that this story is not a war story, but a love story?

It talks about how close the men are and how much they care for each other

Who is Mark Fossie and what does he do?

He is a young medic who brings his girlfriend to Vietnam

Describe the Greenies

They are quiet, isolated, and mysterious

Describe Mary Anne when she arrives at the medical unit

She is bubbly, happy, and friendly

How does Mary Anne begin to change?

She starts to become more serious and confident

What is the compromise between Mark Fossie and Mary Anne? Does it last?

They get engaged which does not last