“the things they carried” Tim O’Brien

38360The second paragraph of the story begins, “The things they carried were largely determined by necessity” (O’Brien, 1990). Were the soldiers truly able to carry everything they needed? What needs were left unfulfilled by these items, and what in the story suggests this?
The narrator also lists specific items that each man carried. How do these items symbolize the emotions that they carried with them, and how does this understanding enrich our understanding of the characters?
Often a comparative analysis can help us to notice elements of a story that we might not otherwise notice. Choose two or three characters and compare the things they carried. How does this comparison help qualities of each come to the surface?
Create a detailed introduction that contains a thesis that offers a debatable claim based on one of the prompts on the list.
Apply critical thought by analyzing the primary source you selected from the approved List of Literary Works. Avoid summary and personal reflection.
Develop body paragraphs that contain clear topic sentences and examples that support the argument.
Write a conclusion that reaffirms the thesis statement and includes a summary of the key ideas in essay.
Apply your knowledge of literary elements and other concepts in your response to the prompt.
Incorporate research from the primary and secondary sources.