The things they carrued 19. What did O’Brien mean when he said, “You can tell a true war story by the way it never seems to end. Not then, not ever.”
20. Explain these two quotes about war:
Quote 1: “In a true war story, if there’s a moral at all, it’s like the thread that makes the cloth. You can’t tease it out. You can't extract the meaning without unraveling the deeper meaning. And in the end, really, there's nothing much to say about a true war story, except maybe ‘Oh.’”
Quote 2: “War is hell. . . . because it generalizes, I can’t believe it with my stomach. Nothing turns inside.”
“It comes down to gut instinct. A true war story, if truly told, makes the stomach believe.”
21. How does O’Brien do in telling you his war story. Does it meet his definition? Does it need explaining? Does your stomach believe?
22. O’Brien said the closer you come to death, the closer you come to life. What did he mean?
23. Often in a true war story there is no point. What did O’Brien mean by that?
24. What is meant when he said, “It wasn’t a war story. It was a love story
The Dentist
25. What’s the purpose of this story?
Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong
26. Before Rat joined Alpha Company, where was he?
27. Who were the six Greenies?
28. Explain the development of Mary Anne.
29. What happened after Fossie became engaged and made plans to send Mary Anne home?
30. What eventually happened to Mary Anne?
31. If Mary Anne was symbolic, what would she symbolize?
Stockings
32. What’s the purpose of this story?
Church
33. What’s the purpose of this story?
The Man I Killed
34. Describe the man O’Brien killed.
35. What did Kiowa tell O’Brien to help him overcome what he did?
Ambush
36. Why did O’Brien tell his daughter he never killed anyone?
37. Is this what O’Brien would call a true war story?
Style
38. Why did Dobbins tell Azar to “dance right?”
Speaking of Courage
39. Why was Norman Bowker driving around the lake so often?
40. According to the story, why didn’t Norman Bowker get the Silver Star?
41. Why were the villagers yelling at them as they set up camp in the field along the Song Tra Bong?
42. What happened to Kiowa?
Notes
43. Who suggested writing the chapter Speaking of Courage?
44. What does Bowker tell O’Brien his life is like now?
45. Why did Norman Bowker’s letter hit O’Brien so hard?
46. According to O’Brien, what happens when you tell stories?
47. What did Bowker say about the first draft of his story which appeared in print?
48. Who came up with the idea that Norman Bowker lost the Silver Star? Is it true?
In the Field
49. How did Jimmy Cross feel about the death of Kiowa?
50. How was Azar handling the death of Kiowa?
51. What did Mitchell Sanders feel about the death of Kiowa?
52. Why did Lt. Cross think about the golf courses?
53. Who was the young soldier Lt. Cross watches?
54. Who finds Kiowa?
55. What does Bowker’s final comment on page 168 mean?
56. How does this previous statement relate to what is said on page 169?
Good Form
57. What the difference between story-truth and happening-truth?
58. On page 180, how can O’Brien give his daughter two opposite answers and have each be “honest?”
Field Trip
59. How does O’Brien’s daughter react to the two of them being there? Is it weird?
The Ghost Soldiers
60. What is the greatest difference between the first and second time O’Brien is shot?
61. How did O’Brien feel about being shot? How did he think he should have felt?
62. In O’Brien’s conversation with Sanders, what does O’Brien discover about his new relationship with the men whom he had fought together with?
63. On page 200, what does O’Brien say he discovered about himself? How does this affect the rest of the story?
Night Life
64. What happened to Rat Kiley? Why did it happen now?
The Lives of the Dead
65. What happened to O’Brien on his fourth day in Vietnam?
66. Who does this man remind O’Brien of from his past?
67. What are we to learn about the comparison of these two stories?
68. How does the author end the novel?
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