“The things They Carried” In-Class Essay.
While reading, “The things they carried.” by Tim O’Brien, I’ve asked myself many times, Why is there not many women represented in this novel ? O’brien only included very few women in his novel. I am announcing three women who were portrayed very well in the novel, and explaining their importance in the book. Martha, Mary Anne, and Kathleen were the three women who showed the importance of being a women while playing a delicate role. Beginning with Martha, Jimmy Cross’s lover, had not want anything to do with him. He loved her so much and she didn’t want to be with him. He quietly didn’t understand the reasoning behind it. In the novel, An example from the text follows, …show more content…
She was the girlfriend of Mark fossie. In the short story, “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” Mary Anne is just a sweet and beautiful teen girl. She comes up to Vietnam to only visit Mark Fossie. While, staying longer than what she was suppose to she changed from an innocent teen girl to an adventurous and untouchable teen girl with no feelings. In the beginning of the chapter it thoroughly explains her, “ Mary Anne Bell was an attractive girl… with terrific legs, a bubbly personality, and a happy smile...she gave off a kind of energy, coy and flirtatious, but apparently it never bothered Mark Fossie.” (Pg.91). The guys were looking at her and wanting to get with her, but knowing she belongs to Mark Fossie stopped them. Later, on in the story she deliberately changed her appearance. “She stopped wearing jewelry, cut her hair short and wrapped it in a dark green bandanna. Hygiene became a matter of small consequence.” (Pg.94) She was turning into the guy she was, in heart. After her appearance changing and her actions towards her boyfriend (sneaking out and never coming back until days later), Mark Fossie was getting strictly annoyed and announced to her that it was time to go home. “Mark Fossie suggested that it might be time to think about heading home, but Mary Anne laughed and told him to forget it.” (Pg.94). Right then and there I knew she was not the innocent …show more content…
She shows in both stories, “Ambush” and “Field Trip.” She’s represented as the younger most feminism in this novel. She was so interested if her dad killed someone in his war times. He was hesitant about telling her. For example, “When she was nine, my daughter Kathleen… she said… “So i guess you must’ve killed somebody?” “It was a difficult moment, but I did what seemed right, which was to say, “Of course not,”(Pg.125). This shows he politely lied to his daughter, but for a good cause. This quote was portrayed in the story, “Ambush.” In the next chapter “Field Trip.” Tim took his daughter on a journey in Vietnam. “Kathleen had just turned ten, and this trip was a kind of birthday present, showing her the world, offering a small piece of her father’s history.” (Pg.174). This quote shows that he wanted to answer her question badly, but instead Tim distracted her with the scenery more than the audio story to her. Since she is still young he didn’t give, the answer of him killing someone, away just yet. She was furious. “ Well, I don't get it. I mean, how come you were even here in the first place.” He explained in an, “I don’t know” type of an
While reading, “The things they carried.” by Tim O’Brien, I’ve asked myself many times, Why is there not many women represented in this novel ? O’brien only included very few women in his novel. I am announcing three women who were portrayed very well in the novel, and explaining their importance in the book. Martha, Mary Anne, and Kathleen were the three women who showed the importance of being a women while playing a delicate role. Beginning with Martha, Jimmy Cross’s lover, had not want anything to do with him. He loved her so much and she didn’t want to be with him. He quietly didn’t understand the reasoning behind it. In the novel, An example from the text follows, …show more content…
She was the girlfriend of Mark fossie. In the short story, “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” Mary Anne is just a sweet and beautiful teen girl. She comes up to Vietnam to only visit Mark Fossie. While, staying longer than what she was suppose to she changed from an innocent teen girl to an adventurous and untouchable teen girl with no feelings. In the beginning of the chapter it thoroughly explains her, “ Mary Anne Bell was an attractive girl… with terrific legs, a bubbly personality, and a happy smile...she gave off a kind of energy, coy and flirtatious, but apparently it never bothered Mark Fossie.” (Pg.91). The guys were looking at her and wanting to get with her, but knowing she belongs to Mark Fossie stopped them. Later, on in the story she deliberately changed her appearance. “She stopped wearing jewelry, cut her hair short and wrapped it in a dark green bandanna. Hygiene became a matter of small consequence.” (Pg.94) She was turning into the guy she was, in heart. After her appearance changing and her actions towards her boyfriend (sneaking out and never coming back until days later), Mark Fossie was getting strictly annoyed and announced to her that it was time to go home. “Mark Fossie suggested that it might be time to think about heading home, but Mary Anne laughed and told him to forget it.” (Pg.94). Right then and there I knew she was not the innocent …show more content…
She shows in both stories, “Ambush” and “Field Trip.” She’s represented as the younger most feminism in this novel. She was so interested if her dad killed someone in his war times. He was hesitant about telling her. For example, “When she was nine, my daughter Kathleen… she said… “So i guess you must’ve killed somebody?” “It was a difficult moment, but I did what seemed right, which was to say, “Of course not,”(Pg.125). This shows he politely lied to his daughter, but for a good cause. This quote was portrayed in the story, “Ambush.” In the next chapter “Field Trip.” Tim took his daughter on a journey in Vietnam. “Kathleen had just turned ten, and this trip was a kind of birthday present, showing her the world, offering a small piece of her father’s history.” (Pg.174). This quote shows that he wanted to answer her question badly, but instead Tim distracted her with the scenery more than the audio story to her. Since she is still young he didn’t give, the answer of him killing someone, away just yet. She was furious. “ Well, I don't get it. I mean, how come you were even here in the first place.” He explained in an, “I don’t know” type of an