Tim O'Brien Blog Post #2

“The Things They Carried,” begins with the introduction of characters as in most beginning chapters but O’Brien went about it in a unique way. Introducing each character by giving the reader an idea and explaining what each individual carried, and why they did so. O’Brien used the description of the things the soldiers carried to distinguish one solider from another. The things each soldier carries gives me a little cue on what each person is like, maybe even how these individuals prioritize things in their lives. The simple things each one carried showed an interest or what was most important to them. The way O’Brien went about the descriptions was an intriguing way to get the reader interested, it gave me a grasp to remember who was who?
This chapter really gave a perspective of how soldiers feel about war and the things they did to make time pass in their down time. It also shows the sides of the soldiers besides the tough side we see. The death of a fellow comrade (Lavender) made one solider (Cross) take a second look about his obsession with his love Martha, thinking this being the reason why Lavender died. He thought his obsession took away from his assertiveness and caused him to be negligent. Cross showed that love got in his way and it is his time to step up and be aware because it could have easily been his life that was taken. O’Brien not only showed that Cross was aware of the loss but the others were as well, even though it didn’t affect them as deeply. O’Brien gave a deep setting and descriptive scenery of what was really important for the reader to cue in on. Each part of the story was told in a creative way and left my imagination running wild and waiting in anticipation for the chapters to come.

Summary vs Analysis Ghost Soldiers

Summary
“Ghost Soldiers” began with O’ Brien describing his pair of gunshot wounds and the people that helped aid in keeping him alive. The first gunshot wound was treated courageously and proper by a fellow soldier who was a medic by the name of Rat Kiley. A month after this occurred Rat Kiley was shipped off to another assignment and replaced with Bobby Jorgenson. The second shot happened when Jorgenson was on duty and tended to the wound unsuccessfully. Jorgenson was so shook up he didn’t realize O’ Brien was in shock. The mishap has put Tim in an immense amount of pain and not to mention almost caused him his life.
The lack of knowledge that was used during treating O’ Brien’s wound left him livid with Jorgenson. The thought of revenge was the only thing left on his mind. O Brien was determined to get back at Jorgenson and make him pay for the pain he was enduring. Jorgenson made an attempt to apologize and explain he had no intent on not treating the shock that had occurred it just hadn’t dawned on him. O Brien didn’t want to budge and still wanted revenge. The next step was taken by plotting out a scheme to get back at Jorgensen. O Brien convinced one fellow trouble maker and a member of the Alpha Company (Azar) to participate in his scheme. The plan was to spook Jorgenson by making it seem that there were enemies nearby. The two continue to taunt Jorgenson until he stands up and calls out O’ Brien’s name. Up until this point O Brien thought Jorgenson didn’t have what it took, the pair later reconciles and realize they are now even.
Analysis
“Ghost Soldiers” explains a perspective of O’ Brien before entering the war, “I’d come to this war a quiet, thoughtful sort of person, a college grad, Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude, all the credentials”(O’ Brien 190), and while being in the war, “ I now feel a deep coldness inside me, something dark and beyond reason. It’s hard to admit, even to myself, but I was capable of evil” (O Brien 191). O’ Brien upon entering the war was gentle and untouched by pain, the grueling sites and harsh inexplicable principles of the war took over the person that O’ Brien once was. He not only felt a different man, but no conscious was going to get in his way. Jorgenson mishap threw O’Brien into overdrive bringing out the evil that so badly wanted revenge. O’Brien follows through realizing half way in to it he doesn’t want to follow through. His partner continuing anyways, O’ Brien finds himself distraught beyond belief. Despite the person O’Brien became during war, and as emotionless that he wanted to be, nothing can take away the under layer of the person that was once there.

Sam Hamill Response

“The Necessity to speak” by Sam Hamill had many points and many aspects to situations. The speaker experienced a lot in his life and was willing to share to change others. I agree with the speaker when he says there isn’t just one type of person from one race or one social class that commits wrongful doings. I think many people tend to make assumptions on certain people pertaining to their status. This is part of our human nature yet so hard to break away from.
Other topics presented by the speaker were very deep. I feel that the author in each situation was showing the aspects of what happens when people remain silent. The speaker gave many statistics and what certain aspects can lead to. The author seems to want the reader to know that sometimes things are seen and learned as children and these ways are instilled in them passing the ways on into their adult lifestyles. The individual doesn’t know any different and does as they see and are taught by their elders. The deeds may not seem wrong but in reality they are. Many individuals are never told or showed any different and by this, the cycle is never broken. The author presents the battered women and children in pertaining to this issue. I feel that this is true in many aspects, yet you can’t stereotype each individual that has experienced hardships in their life. There are many individuals that come out completely different than how they were raised and become that much stronger in living a different lifestyle.
The speaker wants issues to be put out in the open because silence results in violence and in turn can end in death, as in the case of the author’s friend that was a battered woman. I feel that the author wanted to let the word out about a lot of things that are shunned in many people’s lives. I feel that Hamill had felt like he couldn’t speak about certain things in his life at one point, until he found it through his poetry. Now he was able to help people through his words and let the world know that they can break the silence.

Responding to a poem

The two poems that stood out the most to me were,” Immigrants in Our Own Land” by Jimmy Santiago and “The Song of Napalm” by Bruce Weigl. Upon reading “Immigrants in Our Own Land,”I had preconceived thoughts about what the poem was going to be
pertaining to. After reading the poem several times I realized there are many interpretations each reader could make towards the speakers words. The speaker painted a picture in my mind that an individual is an immigrant to their new surroundings. I feel the author presents the idea of immigrants coming to a new country and having the dreams and thoughts of a better future, yet only when arriving things are not at all what they seemed. We came here to get away from false promises…” (Santiago Line 33). Even though the speaker presented the poem as a prison theme such as when saying, “Across the way Joey is hands through the bars to hand Felipe a cigarette, men are hollering back and forth from cell to cell, saying there sinks don’t work, or somebody downstairs hollers angrily about a toilet overflowing, or that heaters don’t work” (Santiago Lines 46-52),it can be thought about in many aspects. I believe the speaker wanted to present the poem so that more than one type of audience could relate.
The poem “The Song of Napalm” was quite shocking and let alone the image it gave me was disturbing. I felt the speaker was deeply saddened by the image he had witnessed. The site of an innocent child being burned to death and anyone experiencing that would leave a nightmare in anyone’s thoughts. When the speaker says, “I try to imagine she runs down the road and wings…” (Weigl Line 30), it seems he feels that he wish he could do anything to rid that horrific site he experienced. This poem made me think about all the sites people experience and how these experiences can change each individual in many of ways.
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=171470
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=179708

Welcome Video

Good Reader/Good Writer

Nabokov thinks a good reader is one that is not a reader but a rereader. Nabokov is trying to get people to open their eyes to the author and their individuality. Nabokov also wants the reader to not expect things when reading and let your imagination flow. A good reader has no thoughts, judgment or expectations, on what the book is about.

Nabokov states that imagining yourself or a life experience in the reading is one of the worst things a reader could do. It is natural human instinct in my opinion to imagine yourself or life issues into many things you are reading, I don’t think that just because you do this you are considered not a good reader. Nabokov has great thoughts about imagination and letting your mind flow with the reading.

A good characteristic of a good reader is having the time and focus on whatever it is your burying your nose into. I feel that if you are not interested in the material you are reading, that it is hard to have that focus and drive to get in depth with whatever you may be reading. As far as asking myself if I am good reader is something that I have never addressed before. I think it really depends on my mood and how interested I am in the reading material. Considering that I if I have a nice quiet place and minimal distractions I feel that anyone could be a good reader.
http://www.mindtools.com/rdstratg.html