Sunday, September 29, 2013

Interpretive questions compiled here, from Mike Lohre

Please post your new interpretive questions in the Comments section under this post.

Here are some of the questions we have generated so far in class:


  1. Why did Henry Dobbins continue to believe in the stockings?
  2. Why is the theme of superstition so prominant and important in TTTC?
  3. Was it the jungle that made the girl so crazy in "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" or what was it?
  4. Why didn't Norman Bowker tell his story to the man over the intercom in "Speaking of Courage"?
  5. What is the symbolism of the monks cleaning the guns in "Church"?
  6. What motivates a soldier to keep fighting after someone dies?
  7. Why was the girl dancing after her whole family was dead?
  8. What does the lake symbolize in "Speaking of Courage" and why did Norman circle it so many times?
  9. Why was Curt Lemon all smiles after getting a good tooth pulled?
  10. How does the character Tim O'Brien make a decision to go to war and why does he call himself a coward for doing so?
  11. Why is it so difficult to tell a true war story?
  12. What may have attracted Mary Anne Bell to the Greenies?
  13. Why didn't Dave Jenson kill Lee Strunk even though they had a pact?


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14 comments:

  1. UnknownSeptember 29, 2013 at 6:47 PM

    1: why did O`Brien feel the need to seek revenge on the new medic
    2: what was the symbolism of the red cap?
    3: what may have made Rat think he wasn't fit to be a medic?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Emma HardestySeptember 30, 2013 at 6:41 PM

    1. Why does Tim suddenly feel a sense of separation from his buddies in the platoon?
    2. How come Tim "hated" Jorgenson for causing him to "stop hating him"?
    3. What happened in his experiences with war that made Rat decide to shoot himself?

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownSeptember 30, 2013 at 7:54 PM

    1. Was Jorgenson's reaction at the bunker the one Azar and O'Brien expected?
    2. Why does LT Cross vouch for Rat but also criticize him?
    3. Why was there some tension between the farmer and Tim twenty years later?

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownSeptember 30, 2013 at 8:58 PM

    1. Why does Azar decide to apologize now on the day Kiowa dies?
    2. What was the reason for Tim to go back to the place of Kiowa's death?
    3. Why does Tim vow revenge on Jorgenson?

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownSeptember 30, 2013 at 10:26 PM

    1. Why does he mention the guy with the star shaped hole in multiple chapters?
    2. Why does Tim feel betrayed?
    3. What can stories about Linda do for Tim?

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownSeptember 30, 2013 at 10:53 PM

    Why does O'Brien have a problem with joking around with the others.
    What changes do you see in O'Brien as time passes on.
    How does what we know about society in the Vietnam Era help explain the actions of some of the characters in the novel.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kevin MurrayOctober 1, 2013 at 5:50 AM

    1. Why did Norman Bowker wade out in the water?
    2. Why can't the soldiers get along with each other rather than seek revenge in such drastic circumstances?
    3. How does O'Brien cope with death at such a young age?

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownOctober 1, 2013 at 6:20 AM

    1. What would happen is Linda was never there?
    2. Why does Norman try to relive that day Kiowa died?
    3. Why does O'Brein want revenge?

    ReplyDelete
  9. UnknownOctober 1, 2013 at 6:21 AM

    1. How did O'Brien change through out the period of the war?
    2. Why did Mary Anne change through out the chapter?
    3. WHy did O'Brien consider it more cowardly to go to war than to flee from war?

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnknownOctober 1, 2013 at 6:28 AM

    1.should Norman Bowker have seaked professional help? and would this have prevented him from killing himself?
    2.should O'Brian have tried to get help for Norman Bowker?
    3. what does using parts of the story "speaking of courage" accomplish when writing "notes"

    ReplyDelete
  11. UnknownOctober 1, 2013 at 6:34 AM

    1. In the chapter, "In the field", what was the internal battle that the young soldier faced?
    2. Is Rat Kiley a hero for checking on Tim O'Brien in the story "The Ghost Soldiers"?
    3. Why did Tim O'Brien hate Bobby Jorgenson?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Madeline HouserOctober 1, 2013 at 7:11 AM

    1.) What makes Rat feel so our of place that he has to take such drastic measures?
    2.) Why do you think Norman's mental state is being so greatly effected by Kiowa's death?
    3.) Why does Norman think that by reliving the night Kiowa died will help?

    ReplyDelete
  13. UnknownOctober 1, 2013 at 8:15 AM

    1. What was wrong with Linda? 2. Why did Tim OBrien take his daughter back to Nam? 3. What did Tim put back into the water? 4. Why was the old man staring at him?

    ReplyDelete
  14. UnknownOctober 23, 2013 at 5:05 PM

    1) What was the soldiers search about?
    2) Why did jimmy burn the photo of Martha?
    3) What is the mocked of looking the girl dancing?

    ReplyDelete

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