Thesis Statements

1.    “A” This is a weak thesis statement because it makes no claim about The Origin of the Species, or how the writer is going to respond to it. It is also too broad a claim; “Darwin’s concerns” need to be defined.

2.     “A” This statement is too narrow, there is little room for argument.

3.    “B” This statement is obvious or common knowledge.  Makes me think “Well duh.”

4.    “A” makes a broad claim,  it leaves out any argument.

5.    “A” is a personal bias, conviction.  It is not arguable.

Statement for essay #3:

“Further, it, (“faction”) is a tool apropos to the America of O’Brien’s youth, out of the chaos, came clarity.” 

Comment: This will work for a thesis statement, because it can be argued, though I’m hoping to pull something better out of the hat for the final draft.  I support the idea in O’Brien’s text viewed through history. 

Other Thesis for exploration: 

I have questioned why O’Brien uses the two less prominent females mentioned in his book.

One is Kathleen, a daughter character. The other is Linda, his childhood sweetheart. It would be interesting to know who the characters are based on, or if like Norman Bowker, they are real people and that is their actual names.   

Why, as the writer, not the narrator, did O’Brien use each of them? What might their characters represent?

They are minor characters that fill in much of the story. In "Ambush" Kathleen is a starry eyed little girl that, like any kid, can get away with saying things no adult could-nor should they.  In essence she asks her “dad” if he killed anyone in Viet Nam.  It’s a question that goes through the mind of many when they meet a combat veteran.  Kathleen is naive, but without guile.  I think she represent many of the “folks back home” in a war-even one as controversial as Viet Nam.  Not everyone was spitting on soldiers when they returned home.  The narrator wanted to “tell her exactly what happened.”  I think most soldiers want people to understand “exactly what happened.”  Throughout O’Brien’s book are examples of combatants wanting to be understood, the most obvious is Bowker.  

A thesis statement would run something like: “Kathleen represents the home folks, not family, but a population, that were not hostile towards Viet Nam veterans.”

Linda's character in "The Lives of the Dead" could be a explored from the childhood/adult aspect, “survival guilt”, curiosity about the afterlife and probably a lot more. What comes to mind most immediately is she is another innocent little girl, but not naive as Kathleen is, because she has cancer.  She carries much too. 

A thesis might be: “Neither Linda nor O’Brien chose their burdens, but the manner of how they were carried is telling a great character.”  (I know that’s hackneyed, but I’m tired and want to get my homework done. M;)

Sources for Reserch Essay

Wesley, Marilyn. "Truth and fiction in Hit >> Tim O'Brien's If I Die in a Combat Zone and The Things They Carried." College Literature. 29.2 (Spring 2002): 1-18. Print.

http://lion.chadwyck.com.proxy.yc.edu/searchFulltext.do?id=R01615238&divLevel=0&queryId=../session/1287808478_25168&trailId=12B3CDF2422&area=abell&forward=critref_ft

Marilyn Wesley discusses war in general and Vietnam in particular in relation to a true factual account verses “a true story.”  She has excerpts from Tim O’Brien carrying out the  themes of truth versus fiction versus accuracy, concepts throughout “The Things They Carried.”  I am hoping to incorporate some of the thoughts she puts forth about O’Brien’s work compared to Hemmingway’s or works of other time periods concerning war.

Getlin, Josh. "Vietnam and WWII: Myths and Memories." Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA). 09 Apr 1995: A1+. SIRS Researcher. Web. 23 Oct 2010.

http://sks.sirs.com.proxy.yc.edu/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SAZ0642-0-7815&artno=0000012698&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=War%2C%20vietnam%20stories&title=Vietnam%20and%20WWII%3A%20Myths%20and%20Memories&res=Y&ren=N&gov=N&lnk=N&ic=N#citation

An article that caught my attention in a SIRS search was “Vietnam and WWII: Myths and Memories.”  It touches on the how war stories are told and how they affect the nation.  Published in 1995, in the Los Angeles Times, it has credibility with interviews from participants of both wars.  I’m most confident because the search was through the library SIRS database, rather than a general web search.

Portfolio Letter

October 12, 2010

Laura Cline

Yavapai College

1800 Sheldon

Prescott, AZ 86301

Dear Mrs. Cline;

I’ve enjoyed English 102 at Yavapai College this semester.  I have found the use of electronic mediums one of the bigger challenges of class.  In part that comes from lack of familiarity with things like creating a blog or using a web cam.  By the same token, learning to participate as required using the web more efficiently has been a great reward. 

Though I had seen Tin O'Brien work “The Things They Carried” and perused the book once, I was unfamiliar with the other reading required in class.  That is, The Sand Storm by Sean Huze and “A Handmaidens Tail.” by Margaret Atwood.  Each book has had food for thought, and caused me to define or sort out issues they have brought up, that I had not considered before.  I have felt that I’ve been saturated in foul language after finishing the first two works.  While the argument can be made it is the vernacular of the settings, it is still "saturating."   By far I have been most affected by the poetry unit, in particular “Photograph on September 11. “   Not only did it strike a personal note with me, I enjoyed Szymborska simple style of writing.

I have had some formal writing experience, and limited literary analysis.   I hope to be quite comfortable with analysis by the end of the semester.  No doubt, because of the requirements of the class, helpful resources, and input, I will be.

Sincerely;

Mary Dennis

Summary v. Analysis-O'Brien

In Ghost Soldiers, Tim O’Brien kept with his “flashback” style of writing to tell about getting wounded twice in Vietnam.  The first time was when Rat Kiley was medic and he took care of O’Brien with speedy competence and courage.  The second wound occurred when Kiley’s replacement, Bobby Jorgenson, had joined the unit.  By contrast, Jorgenson, as a new medic, “bungled the patch job” (O’Brien 190), which nearly cost O’Brien his life and certainly caused a lot more pain.  O’Brien was eventually transferred to a supply station, away from front line fighting.  He spent a lot of energy hating Jorgenson for his incompetence.  He also was taken aback to realized he “missed the real war out in the boonies” (O’Brien 192).  Eventually his former Alpha Company unit arrived for a couple weeks of rest.  O’Brien, while enjoying the reunion also realized he was “out of touch” with the unit and Jorgenson “was one of us now” (O’Brien, 197), as told to him by Sanders.  O’Brien, though receiving an apology from Jorgenson, had his mind set on revenge, Sanders was letting him know Jorgenson had proven himself and was a part of the unit, to leave him alone.  O’Brien enlisted Azar’s help to frighten Jorgenson, maybe hoping he would over react or disgrace himself somehow.  In the end, it was O’Brien who was shamed, and Azar, in total disgust, kicked him in the head.  Jorgenson, skillfully treated O’Brien and the hard feelings were set aside.

Vietnam War Memorial by William Yager

O’Brien portrayed another intriguing theme as this story unfolded; the communication between the soldiers was always “bottom line.”  All the conversations were at the least direct and in more extreme circumstance brutally raw.  There are examples throughout, like when Sander told O’Brien: “Negative” and “Man, you’re sick” (O’Brien 201), rather than trying to talk him out of action against Jorgenson.  Or again, when Azar was revolted by O’Brien and, though his cohort, told him “You’re a sorry, sorry case” (O’Brien 216), and much worse before kicking him in the head.  It was as if conversations were a reflection of their environment.  There was no compromise when there was a conflict.  One did not need to guess the politics of a situation; it was made clear and acted on.  It was as if the conversations were everything the politics of the day was not, relevant, clear and with a concise plan of action.  Maybe, conversation in any war or in any closed environment, are brutally direct.  Maybe, it was a relief to be able to “declare whose side you’re on” and act on it without doubt when the opportunity arose.

O'Brien, Tim. 1st. New York, NY: Houghton Miffin Harcourt, 1990. 189-218. Print.

An interesting tribute