The Things They Carried: Curriculum Unit

by Ruth L. Van Arsdale

Twelve lessons have students participate in research activities, close reading, character analysis, reader-response activities, journaling, interpretation of style and structure, and theme analysis. Grades 9-12 (CFL119)

Genres: Audiobook, Fiction, Historical, War, Military Fiction

Paperback

First published August 30, 2005

Reviews

[Taylor Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far, ironically, one of the most cruel, violent and beautiful books I have read in a long time. The book is a story of soldiers fighting in the way and the things they saw, dealt with and the trauma they had to "carry" throughout the rest of their life. The simply things from the description of his friend stepping on a landmine to the cruel murder of the water buffalo made this story in it's own category. So well written you have to turn away from the story at times the way you do to not see the gore in a film. One of the best pulpy novels on the cruelty of war not on the soil and citiizens its faught but on the soldiers fighting it for us.

[Joe Schilp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story, written by Tim O'Brien, NOT Ruth whomever, is a mix of truth and fiction about the author's time in Vietnam, returning from Nam, and experiencing death and loss as a child. Some folks complain about fictionalized accounts of war, but I never do because even if portions of these stories come from other's experiences, they were real experiences. Nam was awful. LBJ should never be forgiven for getting us so involved over there and the generals who tied our soldiers hands behind their backs should be equally blamed as Johnson.

Anyhow, the stories told here are riveting stories that were well-written. I read the whole thing in a day. So yes, I recommend it, particularly since you can find it online for free.

[Fowad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis: Good book about war, particularly liked the absurd little war stories thrown in along with the more greusome realities, distinction between "true" war story and an untrue ones etc. The one story of the soldier who just loses a man, then goes and shoots a water buffalo in every single place. Some of it was a bit trite, like the repetitio\n of the one guy who he killed with the grenade and the story he made up about him, but overall, it also had a lot of heart and it's a thing that people should read before marching gung ho into battle.

[BookClubBot]

book_id:332

[Kyla]

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction finalist

[Sharon]

War! Every politician should be required to read this novel. Certainly I believe Westmoreland should have led the boys into the those terrible tunnels in Vietnam and slept in the jungle along side out boys. President Johnson (yes, I realize he has expired) should have been there and been scared out of his mind and every politician since (with the exception of Pres. Obama) should have been shipped over and required to hump the supplies and weapons through the jungle and required to sleep, eat and march in the rain and humidity under fire and be scared to death. What a travesty of justice.

[Karen Lohse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't really want to read this book but it was a choice of my bookclub. I thought it would be a very depressing, painful book. There was some of that, but, it as really a book about about how this group of young soldiers dealt with a tumultous and uncontrollable event in their lives. It was about how we can process horrific events, what do we do with them? Good book!

[Regina Mastrogiacomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about what we carry with us, either out of security or remembrance, and how both allows us to retell our stories or relive the. The things we carry are the most important and poignant parts of ourselves that never go away. Excellent story telling that makes you wonder what is real and what is made up, and how tragic life can be.