Reading #1, Question #2

[Robin B.]

What role does superstition play in the daily lives of the soldiers?
Are their superstitions a burden or a relief?

[Megan]

I feel like superstitions, for some of the characters, played an
important role in the soldiers daily life. The items that are carried
by the soldiers consist of the necessities and some personal items.
Some of these personal items are based on superstitions. These
superstitious items, for the most part, are a relief to the soldier.
They are a comforter to the soldier; it help keeps them sane, feeling
safe, and gives them something to reminisce about. Henry Dobbins
wears "his girlfriend's pantyhose wrapped around his neck" as he humps
through Vietnam on ambush missions (O'Brien 10). The pantyhose act as
a comforter to Dobbins as he stays the night in the dark meadows and
paddies. At first, Lieutenant Cross's good-luck pepple, given to him
by the woman he is madly in love with, acted as a consoler to Cross.
When he had the pepple, he was back home with Martha; he was safe. As
the chapter progressed, the thoughts of Cross revealed that the pepple
was a distraction to him. His relief turned into burden. His mind
was so focused on Martha that he put all his men in danger.

Other superstitious items include Dave Jensen's rabbit's foot and
Norman Bowker's thumb. These items give hope to the men, and the men
believe they bring them luck as well.


On Jan 20, 1:40 pm, "Robin B." <brizendin...@gtest.lcps.k12.va.us>
wrote:

[Katelin]

I believe their superstitions are a relief to the soldiers. The
soldiers carry a select few items with their person: guns, ponchos,
food, and items they bring from home. Some of the things they carry
are based off of superstition and devotion. They need something to
believe in and hold close to them. They do and don't do certain things
based off of their beliefs and I think they believe that it helps keep
them sane and alive.

On Jan 20, 10:40 am, "Robin B." <brizendin...@gtest.lcps.k12.va.us>
wrote:

[Casey]

As Megan said, the superstitions the soldiers carry keep them sane and
provide them with a comfort of home. These superstitions give them
something to hold on to while fighting and dying. For each man
different items brought them comfort; "Norman Bowker, otherwise a very
gentle person, carried a thumb that had been presented to him as a
gift by Mitchell Sanders. (O'Brien 13)" This thumb had been cut off a
boy who had died without blood shed. To Bowker this item brought him a
comfort that blood did not have to be shed and there was peace. This
thumb gave Bowker a reminder everyday that there is peace in the world
and that he was fighting for it.

On Jan 20, 1:40 pm, "Robin B." <brizendin...@gtest.lcps.k12.va.us>
wrote:

[Natese]

I agree completely agree with Megan, Katelin, and Casey, but at the
same time the superstitions are a relief, it could also be a burden.
Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried objects from her to remind him of the
love that he wish they shared with one another. Because his love for
her was so strong, he is found numerous times daydreaming about what
should have happened when they were together, what she would be doing
at the moment, and who she would be with every minute of the day. The
action of him being lost in thought causes him to take the blame for
the loss of life of Ted Lavender. The letters and pictures become a
burden to him and although he realized that "Lavender was dead." and
that he "...couldnt burn the blame" he still believed her to be a
distraction, making his superstitions of the good luck pebble,
letters, and pictures to be a heavy burden.

[Nojai]

I agree with Megan, for some of the characters superstitions played an
important role in the soldiers life's. The soldiers carried their
necessities and goods as a sense of protection. Each character holds
onto something from back home, whether it be a memory or an actual
item. Lieutenant Cross focuses majority of his attention and
concentration on a woman back home named Martha, he 'carried his good
luck pebble...in his mouth' (O'Brien 12). The lieutenant not only
holds onto the pebble for luck but to also expand on his imagination
limiting his focus on war. Similar to Dave Jensen, who carried a
rabbit's foot around for good luck. I believe that the superstitions
help them keep their peace of mind and like Megan said 'gives them
something to reminisce about'. Keeping these items in close contact as
if the person that represents the item was right by the soldier's
side.I believe that they carried these item for good luck purposes as
well as any other person who would be far away from home.
I believe that the superstitions were both a burden and a relief. A
burden because while in the war they also have the thoughts and the
memories of back home, which I believe can lead to a heavy burden of
becoming depressed and wanting to return home but can't. I also view
the superstitions as a relief because like I stated perviously and
like Megan, Kaitlin, and Natese agree, they kept the soldiers calm and
somewhat relaxed.

On Jan 20, 1:40 pm, "Robin B." <brizendin...@gtest.lcps.k12.va.us>
wrote:

[Emily Barnes]

I believe that these superstitions do give some comfort to the
soldiers, but only if they do not think about them all the time. when
the soldier only thinks about the superstition "and the pebble in his
mouth was her tounge" (O'Brian 11).Becasue the pebble was his good
luck charm, and because he focused on that good luck charm instead of
what was going on around him, one of his men was killed. So, to my
mind, good luck charms are more of a distraction and a burden than a
relief.

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> - Show quoted text -

[Nicole]

I think that everyone has some superstition whether it be picking your
feet up while going over railroad tracks and putting x's on their
windows after a black cat runs in front of their cars. So, the
soliders had their own superstitions which they grew up with and made
them feel like they had more chances of surviving. I feel that their
superstitions are a relief to them by far because they know what to
look for in a situation.