TTTC Group Project: Analysis Questions

Period 3

Directions​: Listen to each group’s presentation and then answer the following questions. Each
response should be at least 2-3 formal sentences. ​Please write your responses in blue.

Group 1: Chapter 7, “How to Tell a True War Story”

1. What part of war stories stay the same even when details are augmented or fictionalized?

2. Is there a definite truth in storytelling or is it up to the reader to determine what parts are true?
Explain your answer:

3. Why does O’Brien utilize meta-writing in this chapter and how does it help us determine what
is true and what is false?
 

Group 2: Chapter 7, “How to Tell a True War Story”

1. According to O’Brien, what is the purpose of exaggerating a war story?

- According to O’Brien the purpose of exaggerating a war story “is to make the stomach
believe.” O’Brien chooses to exaggerate certain parts of his story to make it so the reader
can get a feel to what was actually going on. By exaggerating the story, the reader is able
to more accurately determine what the narrator was feeling at that specific point in time.
For example Rat Kiley did not actually shoot the water buffalo that many times. O’Brien
states that he did so that the reader can feel the amount of pain that Rat Kiley was in for
just losing his Best Friend. By exaggerating many of the little details O’Brien depicts an
unclear story with clear feelings and really gives a true sense to what the soldiers felt
when they lost a comrade or had to kill someone. He is able to give a true sense of the
war. This really allows the reader to become immersed in the feelings and the true and
falsities of war. It engages the reader and makes them feel as if they are really in the war
along with the narrator. It gives a glimpse of the pain that they were all going through.
(ex. Baby buffalo dying)
2. Explain the purpose of O’Brien’s allusion to the Garden of Evil.
- The purpose of the allusion to the Garden of Evil is to represent some of the aspects of
the Vietnam War. This is shown when O’Brien states that “every sin is real and fresh and
original” (76). He uses this symbol to allude to the fact that war draws out the hidden
strange and violent behavior in every person. The purpose is to use the Garden of Evil to
symbolize the new types of cruelty and evil that were unleashed during the war such as
the revealed fact that Rat Kylie shoots a baby buffalo as a way to release his unignorable
grief. The war caused many of the men to be tempted to do bad things. They lost sight of
their morals, just like the story of the garden of eden where Eve eats the apple even
though she knows that it is wrong. This relates to the war because the men kill even
 though it goes against their morals. They let themselves be scared or tempted into doing
things they did not want to do just as Eve was.

3. How does the use of several fluctuating tones help alter the interpretation of Curt Lemon’s
death?
- It helps to alter the interpretation of Curt Lemon’s death because O’Brien has a very
sympathetic and forgiving tone. The sympathetic tone helps people to mourn the loss of
Curt Lemon along with O’Brien. The readers can feel the pain because they realize that
these were just young kids thrown into war. The fluctuating tones help to make the
readers understand that they were not just soldiers, but the kind that wanted to play
around and have fun. It helps to exemplify how many of the men changed during the war
just as the tones changed. The tone was light and joyful right before Curt Lemon died but
when he did die the tone was a little humorous. This shows how all of the men were just
boys and tries to make everything joyful so that they would not lose themselves. This is
seen when the men are singing while peeling Curt Lemon off of the tree. This helps us to
not be sad about Curt Lemon’s death because at least he dies having fun rather then
during a fearful gun fight. Because of the fluctuating tones, the reader cannot really
decipher how the men actually felt about the death of their friend.

Group 3: Chapter 9, “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong”

1. Determine the two themes from this chapter and explain how they contribute to the impact war
has on people in the war and those back home.
- Women and many of the family members that were left at home were not aware of how
brutal the war was - Contrastingly, throughout this time period men were expected to
handle the brutality and bloodshed.This left a very bad impact on those that were in the
war which were mostly men because when they went back home they were unable to talk
to anybody that would understand them. They had to keep all of their thoughts and
emotions hidden inside. This led to many of the soldiers that went back home to feel
lonely and isolated from society because they could not relate to their family. This left a
large impact on those that lost loved ones but a not so large impact on those that had their
loved ones return home. But this was also bad because they were so unaware of the
brutality of the war. Since they were not informed they were unable to help their
husbands and fathers feel as if they belonged. They were unable to accommodate for the
trauma the men had to face while in the war.
- War has the ability to influence changes if naive people that had never seen the brutality
before - This can be seen through the changes that occurred throughout Mary-Anne when
she was introduced to the war. Mary-Anne was left in the dark and not informed about
how bad the war was. So when she was thrown into the horror, she had to adapt quickly.
SHe did not get the same training as the men, and she was not ready for the horrors she
would see. This caused her to get immersed with war. She wanted to help and the sense
of adventure and adrenaline was new to her. She was drunk off of this new experience.
This shows that since she was so naive and innocent, she was excited to encounter these
new experiences and was very unprepared. This shows how not educating people on the
 brutalities of war can change them, and not always for the better. Overall, war changes
people who are uneducated about all of the horrors that happen throughout it.

2. Explain the symbolism of Mary-Anne’s eyes changing from blue to green.

- Mary-Anne’s eyes changing from blue to green symbolizes. When Mary-Anne had the
blue eyes she was viewed as one of the innocent and naive women that were left at home.
She was a member of society and she fit her role perfectly. She was a sense of comfort to
the men because she reminded them of home. She was sweet and sheltered from the
horrors of the outside world and that allowed her to stay the sweet girl that Mark had
known and loved. However, when she is introduced to the war she begins to change. She
begins to get more immersed into the war and the woman that she used to be begins to
fade away and a new woman emerges. This new woman is first seen when Mary-Anne
first emerges from the green forest. Kiley recalls that her eyes were glowing green. This
symbolizes how the soldiers had to conform. Their insanity overtakes them and their soul
begins to leave them as they are forced to change who they are as a person. She was
finally allowed to be herself, not the person that she was forced to be back at home. She
was free and enjoyed that aspect of the war and was one of the reasons that she began to
change.

3. Identify TWO Global Issues within this chapter and provide a brief explanation and a direct
quote for each.
- Culture and the division they faced from other countries- Vietnam's culture was seen as
different and wild. Even though there was a war going on between the North and the
South, both sides were still connected in a way. This was through culture. Although they
had many differences, both sides still had many of the same foundational beliefs. The
Americans were viewed as outsiders because we could not understand the culture of the
Vietnamese. O’Brien states how Mary-Anne “became one with the land”(110). She
started to embrace their culture while many of the men did not understand any of it. For
example when Mary- Anne is dancing with the necklace of tongues, the other soldiers are
disgusted by what she has become. They did not understand that she was just letting the
Vietnamese culture into her life. She even tells them that they would not understand. This
is a major global issue because many men are disgusted by other cultures and unable to
let themselves be influenced by them. Many people around the world are unwilling to try
to learn or be around new cultures and this can lead to misunderstandings between
different groups of people.
- Gender roles- Women were seen as comforters and arm candy. They were only useful for
how they looked and their wife skills. This restricted the potential for many women. This
can be seen through the change in Mary-Anne because she was a basic woman before she
went to the war. She was the woman everyone wanted because she was nice, bubbly, and
represented home. She was also very beautiful. However, when she is introduced into the
war we begin to see her reach her true potential. She turns into this amazing, fearless
woman who does not allow herself to be bossed around by any man. This is seen when
she finally stands up to Mark by running away to the forest where she felt she belonged.
Obviously, Mary-Anne was only able to reach her true potential after standing up to
gender roles and deciding that she was not going to conform to society. This is a big issue
 in today's world. In many countries women are forced to conform to these horrible gender
roles and are left unable to reach their true potential if they were to break free. Many
women feel trapped or live in fear of punishment from their husband if they were to break
the gender roles of a woman. This keeps them from reaching their true potential of
becoming amazing at whatever their passion is.

Group 4: Chapter 9, “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong”

1. According to the presentation, what makes a character within a novel an unreliable narrator?
- If the story is not told in 1st person then the narrator is unable to add all of the feelings
and emotions that were going on at that moment of time. They can also be unreliable
because they add their own opinions into the story instead of speaking true facts only.
This taints the story and makes the character an unreliable narrator. The character is an
unreliable narrator because the story is not his to tell. He can only tell it from his
perspective and from things that he has heard. He is never 100% sure on what he is
telling and even knows himself that some of the aspects may be false, but he chooses to
tell them anyways. An outside point of view is unreliable because they may be getting
their information and it may have been twisted. Since this Chapter is told through an
inside point of view, some aspect may have been true while others are unreliable. We can
never know what has truly happened because the narrator did not experience it. Because
there are some aspects that are unreliable the reader is able to choose what they believe is
true or fake. This can change how the story is interpreted.

2. What is the symbolism behind Mary-Anne’s pink sweater and culottes? Conversely, what is
the symbolism behind her chanting and her necklace of tongues?
- Pink Sweater / Culottes - It symbolizes that she was sheltered from the word. She was
viewed as bubbly and not that intelligence. Many of the soldiers loved to have her
company because she symbolized home. She was seen as a comfort to them. The pink
shows her innocence and naivety, she was the typical girl next door. She followed the
basic norms of women. She was soft and unaware of the horror of war.
- Chanting / Necklace of Tongues - This symbolizes her change from an innocent naive
girl to a well informed soldier. She had become brave and had a hardness to her. She was
no longer the innocent bubbly girl that she once was. She now felt as if she had a
purpose. She had adapted to her surroundings. It symbolizes her change to the adaptation
of Vietnamese culture and the way she was no longer a girl who would waste her life
conforming to gender roles.

3. Is the impact of war always negative, or can it be positive in some ways? Please explain:
- War is always negative. Everyone is always innocent and clean when they first go to war,
but when they come back they are all tainted and dirty from all of the deaths they had to
suffer and see while they were there. It has negative effects on everyone and is sometimes
if not always detrimental to mental health. When people come back, they are never the
same. War changes people and reveals a side of them that had been locked away and that
may have never came out if they hadn’t been involved in the gruesome war. It reveals
experiences that would not be seen in regular lives. Many children go to war with hope
 and a spark in their eyes, but when they come back they are men who have lived through
some of the most traumatic experiences one could ever imagine. When they come back
they are dull, and have a hard time adjusting to society. They are broken, and live with
the constant nightmares for the rest of their lives.

Group 5: Chapter 12 & 13, “The Man I Killed” & “Ambush”

1. What is the symbolism between the butterfly and the dead Viet-Cong soldier?
- The butterfly symbolizes renewal, resurrection, and rebirth. It helps to serve as a
reminder that life will always continue to go on even after a tragic event. For example in
the death of the Viet- Cong soldier. O’Brien is forced to face what he did and knows that
he eventually has to move on with his guilty conscience. These are both similar because
they both symbolize how they must move on, just as a butterfly is constantly on the
move, so are the soldiers, never able to stay in one place for too long. This is also
displayed when Kiowa tells O’Brien that they can only stay for a couple of minutes
because they have to keep moving. The butterfly is also similar to the Viet- Cong soldier
because now that the Viet- Cong soldier is dead he will be able to resurrect. O’Brien is
also similar to the butterfly because after he kills the innocent soldier he rebirthed as a
new man. He is no longer innocent and is now tainted. The Viet- Cong soldier has a small
resurrection because he was able to be remembered in these stories.

2. Identify and discuss the main theme in EACH chapter..

- The death faced in war was inevitable and many men die for nothing.War does more
harm then good. America brutalizes Vietnam through excessive force which leads to a
devastating impact for the country. This represented multiple times through the chapter,
especially through the death of the seemingly innocent Viet- Cong soldier. Many soldiers
had to die for a cause that they did nor believe in. This was horrible seeing that they were
mostly children, just out of highschool, that hadn’t even had a chance to live yet. With
AMerica getting involved in the war this led to many more unnecessary deaths. The
soldier did not understand why they were fighting for a country that was not theirs.
Overall, death faced in war is inevitable as well as the many innocent lives lost.
- War is not made out by acts of bravery but is rather derived out of fear. Everyone was
always super scared throughout the novel. They were all just unable to admit this. This is
revealed when O’Brien states multiple times that they only did things so as to not be
embarrassed. They were only brave because they needed to be in order to not be seen as
cowards. O’Brien is constantly calling people out for their false acts of bravery. He
always seems to be reminding the readers that they were just kids and that they only did
things so that they would not be teased or embarrassed. Many of the brave acts were
made because of fear. For example some may think that O’Brien was brave in killing the
Viet- Cong soldier, but through his feelings revealed in the chapter we know that he only
acted out of fear and self preservation, not love for one’s country.

3. How do these two chapters complete each other and what does O’Brien accomplish?
- These chapters complete each other because “The man I killed” O’Brien illustrates the
anguish that O’Brien went through immediately after he had killed the man with a
 grenade. In “Ambush” O’Brien reveals the events leading up to the kill and the
circumstances that he was in. O’Brien chose to separate these chapters because he wanted
to establish what the man was like and the imagery before explaining the reasoning for
these horrid actions. By splitting these chapters O’Brien creates a dramatic effect for the
readers to show O’Briens prolonged guilt. This also helps the readers to really feel all of
the emotions that went through O’Brien and to vividly describe the image to the readers.
The readers were also able to gain some insight to the thoughts of O’Brien and how this
one kill had stuck with him after all of the years. It shows the destructive mental aspect of
the war. He is also able to prevent the romanticisation of war.

Group 6: Chapter 15, “Speaking of Courage”

1. Identify and explain the TWO main themes of the chapter.

- One of the main themes is that soldiers can never truly return to a world where they are at
peace, instead of discovering alienation and loneliness living in a country they fought for.
A reason some soldiers were unable to assimilate into the new world was the fact that the
war has caused them to become outdated. For example when Norman Bowker was finally
able to return to the US he found that “the town was somehow remote. Sally was married
and Max was drowned and his father was at home watching baseball on national
TV”(133). A lot of things have changed since Bowker left for Vietnam. He was now
removed from his past. Everyone that he thought he knew had moved on with their lives
and left him far behind. He finds nothing is the same as it was when he left. Because of
this he feels lonely and as if he has no purpose because nobody expects anything from
him and he has no life to come back to. It is also due to their inability to escape the
memories of war.
- Another one of the main themes was that there is a discrepancy between the way courage
is perceived by soldiers and the public, since soldiers experienced the fear of war. The
public’s perception of courage is displayed through Norman Bowker’s father because he
often wanted to talk about the badges that Bowker had earned. The badges were seen as a
physical representation of the bravery Bowker had shown. Since his father did not go to
war he is unable to realize what true bravery is and is held back by the thought that only
the small pieces of metal were able to demonstrate the bravery he had overcome.
However, Bowker states that “courage was not a matter of yes or no. Sometimes, it came
in degrees; sometimes, you were very brave up to a point and then beyond the point, you
were not so brave”(147). Bowker is not held back by the thought that only medals could
distinguish one's bravery. He knows that they give them to whomever they feel, even if
all that person has done is wait around. He knows that it is impossible to be brave all of
the time and how war ruined them. Overall, it is obvious that the soldiers have a different
perspective on bravery than those who did not go to war.

2. Thoroughly explain what the motif of ​time​ represents.

- The motif of time is used to represent the inability to escape the past, due to the memories
that plague one’s wretched mind. The motif of time can be seen as a correlation to
Bowker’s skill of knowing the time without having a clock. Norman, seeming to exist in
a meaningless dimension, repeatedly performs the same lonely routines with no obvious
 purpose. For example, he wastes his time driving around the lake without even knowing
it or reaching a destination. This is ironic because when night falls he realizes all of the
moments that he wasted because he is always totally aware of the time ticking by. He
feels as if his life has no more purpose now that he is back home from the war. Even
though he makes many attempts to distract himself, they end up being fruitless attempts.
He no longer feels the tranquility of time and is stuck in this ongoing state of turmoil
which forms from the gruesome memories of the war. The memories of the past never
seem to fade away as the hours of the day do.
- how America could care less about the war in Vietnam and how most of the soldiers who
went to war felt as if they had no purpose. For example, Bowker explains that “the war
taught him to tell time without clocks” (134). Bowker repeatedly brings attention to this
to show that throughout his time in the war he had actually learned something useful and
positive. He wants to show people this new trick but most do not find it impressive
because they already have the resources to tell the time and will probably never have to
rely on that skill. This shows how they are not that attached to the outside world and that
they are extremely closed off. This also helps to support that most of the people in the US
probably did not care what happened in the war because it did not really have an impact
on them. The motif of time is also used to reveal how Bowker struggles to find his
purpose in life because he would spend a lot of time driving around until he would find
the destination which is his purpose.

3. What does O’Brien accomplish through the sentimentality of the chapter?

- Through the sentimentality of the passage O’Brien is able to connect with the readers. It
shows how the large portion of time that occurred between the start and the end of the
war had alienated the soldiers from society. One example of this sentimentality being
used is through Bowker’s stories about life before the war. The small anecdotes reveal a
reflective tone. O’Brien utilizes this tone so that the nostalgic feel of the chapter is
intensified. This then allows the readers to more easily sympathize with the feelings
going through Bowker. Another example of this is Bowkerś drive of constant circles.
This obviously shows how sentimentality can lead to repetitive acts and a lack of
purpose. Norman drives in seemingly endless circles and reflects on how all of his
experiences have led to a loss of purpose. This is utilized by O’Brien to show the lack of
purpose that many of the soldiers had after coming home from war. This also highlights
how disconnected they feel from society. Overall, it helps to create nostalgia, sympathy
towards the soldiers, and demonstrate the lack of purpose and repetition sentimentality
can lead to.

Group 7: Chapter 15, “Speaking of Courage”

1. Explain the purpose of juxtaposing America and Vietnam.

- The purpose of Juxtaposing Vietnam and America is to display the disinterest the US had
toward the Vietnamese. This in turn causes the soldiers that were forced to participate to
feel as if they had no purpose. Vietnam is described by Bowker in an extremely
unpleasant manner. This presents the war as sickening and reminds the audience that the
only thing that war accomplished is bringing death and despair. Negative Imagery is used
 to describe the horribleness and grossness of the war. He only presents the negative
things such as the horrible rainy weather and the horrible stink. He gives the readers a
taste of the war by using this vivid imagery to demonstrate the death that war brings.
America is juxtaposing Vietnam because Bowker describes it contrastingly. He illustrates
the calm, serene, and relaxed life of those living in America. He shows how life proceeds
extremely normal and that most of the people are naive in pure which is the total opposite
of Vietnam. He uses more positive connotations, such as the brightly painted houses and
the calm scenery he sees during his drive. Overall, the purpose of Juxtaposing America
and Vietnam is to display how America is totally unaffected by the events happening in
Vietnam. Many of the people in America were uninterested and disgusted by the event
that happened in Vietnam. This shows how America isolated themselves from Vietnam.

2. Why does O’Brien use the day of the Fourth of July in the chapter and what is he trying to
show?
- He uses the Fourth of July in America to show how isolated America was from the other
countries and that they do not have any idea about what has been going on outside of the
country for the past year. Bowker, while listening to the radio, hears: “all you on the road
drive extra carefully on this fine Fourth of July”(134). O’Brien illustrates through the
celebration of Independence in America that they are isolated. But they were also trying
to take away the independence of Vietnam because most of the people in the US were
unaware of the brutal ways the war was being fought. Because of their naivety they are
able to happily celebrate the Fourth of July without feeling any guilt because of the
torment happening in Vietnam. Many of the US soldiers that came home felt as if they
had no purpose but still felt guilty for celebrating the Fourth of July because they know
the brutality of war, with people trying to win their independence. This can cause some of
them to feel unneeded and separated from all of society because they can not celebrate
the day of independence without feeling guilty.

3. Hypothesize what happens to Norman after the conclusion of this chapter and support your
hypothesis with paraphrased evidence.
- I think that Norman Baker killed himself. Maybe by drowning after he watched the
fireworks show. I think this because he “waded into the lake without undressing”and
“opened his mouth for the taste”(148). This kind of implies that he was not going into the
water just to swim. He had different motives. If you think about it, Norman killing
himself would make sense because he felt isolated from society and was unable to talk to
anyone about his trauma. He had to hold it all inside. This could lead to a very heavy
depression in which he would still not be able to talk to anyone because they would not
truly understand what he was dealing with. Unable to cure his depression I feel that
Norman thought there was no way to end this ongoing pain except for ending his life.
This decision would finally give him peace and would release him from the memories of
the war. This is why I think that he commited suicide.