Prompt #3

I think that serving with someone in war would make you closer and a better friend because you are constantly relying on each other. I don't think you would know to much about there personal life outside of like family and where they live. Wes didn't really seem too know to much about the people in his squad. He didn't even know their real names. While in the book O'Brien knew a lot about everyones personal lives. I don't know if that is because he talked to them after the war or if it was something they had talked about when they were bored.

When Mary Anne Bell I was really confused. I didn't really understand why she would be brought into the story. At first she was just the "regular" woman. She cleaned and cared for the men like the 60's typical woman. Then she turned into this crazy psycho killer. And she was missing for like 3 weeks. It was like a transitions between a regular woman and a killer. I think it showed how people could be enveloped in a new culture.

Well I think it is all fake. It is a fiction book. So I think it has some truth to it. But overall I think most of it is fake, because if it were all the truth it wouldn't be as entertaining as it is. And that chapter which all ended up being fake really made me mad so now I think none of it was even real.

The Things they Carried Prompt #1

On Monday we will begin our unit on The Things They Carried, a memoir about a first-hand account of the Vietnam War. Before we begin reading, it is important that we learn about the Vietnam War to better understand the novel and engage the larger question of: Why did the Vietnam War occur? 
Because the French needed help controlling there territory, So the United States in order to help France and demolish communism joined the fight.

Respond to the following:

Most of you were young children when 9/11 occurred, so for the majority of your lives the United States has been at war or involved in international conflicts and/or occupations of countries around the world. Given this reality, respond to the following:

* What are your thoughts and beliefs about war? War is needed. It has been proven that diplomacy can't solve our problems. It is sad that we have to resort to war, but in order to get our points across it is needed.
* Do you feel that the United States should ever be involved in war?Why? Why not? Yes we should.  So far in every war including the Vietnam War we have acted morally. We fight for moral reasons so we should be involved in war.
* What do you know about the Vietnam War? I know that A bunch of cold war era politicians lied to the American people in order to fight in a "save-face" war. And I agree with them. We should of stayed in. At that time we were in high tension situations with the soviets. We were basically competing for world power. Losing a war to a country of rag tag militias would of been so bad politically it would of made us the laughing stock of the world. And it would of put us in a terrible position politically in the world. Morally was it right, no. But in the end was staying in so long the right decision yes.

What they carried

Along with a tremendous amount of gear the soldiers carried there emotions. Constant fear of death. The longing to go home and be with their families. The sadness for their fellow soldiers who have died alongside them. The feeling of anxiety, that they could be attacked at any second.

Ted Lavender was shot in the head while taking a piss outside of a cave. He was always high whether it was from weed or tranquilizers. Ted Lavender was constantly taking tranquilizers and always carried 6-8 ounces of weed. Ted Lavender succumbed to anxious pressures. He was a man of war. Drugs kept him steady. Drugs gave him a feeling that he couldn't have anywhere else. In a sense as the other decreased in moral and withered away he stayed mentally sane. Drugs also could of been the reason he died. Maybe the constant high began to wither his fear of death. Maybe the constant happy feeling made him forget. Fear was the only thing, for the most part keeping these men alive. The lack of the fear of death could of caused Ted to not be as cautious as he should have been leading to an untimely death.

They are all related because they all happened in the same time period.

The Great Gatsby Symbolism.

One symbol that has been shown so far in the book is the valley of ashes. It is the area where poor people live in between west egg and Manhattan. This is where Tom's mistress lives. Tom blatantly uses her and doesn't really care for her. For example when she brings of Daisy's name he tell her she isn't good enough to talk about Daisy. She is of a lower social status than Daisy and that is why Tom uses her.

Nick seems to be an exceptionally well rounded person. He isn't judgmental and seems to over examine everything. He seems very sarcastic and has witty humor. He has some sort of liking toward the fast paced money driven lifestyle of the east coast, but he seems to really represent the laid back mid western lifestyle.

Tom is an ass to say the least. He thinks that he is smart, but really he is just an oaf.  He thinks that his money makes him better than everyone else. He is having an affair and it is very blatant. He sort of uses the affair to show that he thinks he is a player.

Daisy is very rich and she acts as if that being rich makes her socially better than everyone else. It is very apparent through her mannerism and attitude.

This book is written in a way that intrigues me. I really enjoy it so far and although sometimes it is quite challenging to keep up with Nick's fast paced and deeply detailed viewpoints, but I will continue to enjoy reading this book.