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Lakey
Feb 12, 2011, 11:48:22 AM2/12/11
to The Things They Carried discussion, spring 2011 (green)
In "The Man I Killed" O'Brien repeats himself a lot. Why do you think
he uses so much repetition?
he uses so much repetition?
Jessica
Feb 14, 2011, 8:33:07 AM2/14/11
to The Things They Carried discussion, spring 2011 (green)
That's a very good question Lakey. I think that O'Brien uses so much
repetition because he is shocked that he not only killed a man, but
completely mutiliated him. "Later, I remember, Kiowa tried to tell me
that the man would have died anyway," (O'Brien 133). Kiowa knew that
O'Brien was so upset and he tried to comfort him by telling him that
the man would have died anyway, but O'Brien is not comforted by that
because he was still too caught up in the reality of what he had just
done. So, I think O'Brien uses so much repetition because he wants the
reader to get a taste of the feelings swirling inside of him at that
moment.
repetition because he is shocked that he not only killed a man, but
completely mutiliated him. "Later, I remember, Kiowa tried to tell me
that the man would have died anyway," (O'Brien 133). Kiowa knew that
O'Brien was so upset and he tried to comfort him by telling him that
the man would have died anyway, but O'Brien is not comforted by that
because he was still too caught up in the reality of what he had just
done. So, I think O'Brien uses so much repetition because he wants the
reader to get a taste of the feelings swirling inside of him at that
moment.
Emily Richards
Feb 14, 2011, 7:58:04 PM2/14/11
to The Things They Carried discussion, spring 2011 (green)
That's a good question, Lakey, but I disagree with Jessica just a
little. I believe that Tim uses so much repetition because he is not
only in shock of what he's just done, but because he physically can't
think anything else. His mind is just going over and over in a circle
and all he can think is what he is seeing. His mind is in a frozen
state and he feels at loss for words, as illustrated when he says,
"Kiowa shook his head. There was some silence before he said, 'Stop
staring'" (O'Brien 122). No matter what Kiowa says or does can make
O'Brien turn away or think of anything else. He is speechless and this
image is forever embedded in his memory. That's why, even as he is
writing this, he can clearly see the man's face and remember exactly
how he felt. He never forgets the man. He uses repetition because he
is shocked and frozen. He can't turn away, nor does he want to.
> > he uses so much repetition?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
little. I believe that Tim uses so much repetition because he is not
only in shock of what he's just done, but because he physically can't
think anything else. His mind is just going over and over in a circle
and all he can think is what he is seeing. His mind is in a frozen
state and he feels at loss for words, as illustrated when he says,
"Kiowa shook his head. There was some silence before he said, 'Stop
staring'" (O'Brien 122). No matter what Kiowa says or does can make
O'Brien turn away or think of anything else. He is speechless and this
image is forever embedded in his memory. That's why, even as he is
writing this, he can clearly see the man's face and remember exactly
how he felt. He never forgets the man. He uses repetition because he
is shocked and frozen. He can't turn away, nor does he want to.
>
> - Show quoted text -
Logan Torgerson
Feb 15, 2011, 7:14:55 PM2/15/11
to The Things They Carried discussion, spring 2011 (green)
I have to agree with the points Emily made. I believe that O'Brien
uses so much repitition because the image of the man he killed is
simply embedded in his mind. He thinks of possible scenarios for the
man's life based on the way the dead man looks because he feels guilt
for killing someone he can relate to. "He devoted himself to his
studies. He spent nights alone, wrote romantic poems in his journal,
took pleasure in the grace and beauty of differential
equations." (O'Brien 122). In the moment, O'Brien couldn't move or
talk, all he can do is stare at the body of the man he just killed.
Kiowa tries to explain to O'Brien that he is lucky, since he could
have easily traded places and been the one killed if he hadn't thrown
the grenade, but O'Brien doesn't care. He is frozen in time. I don't
believe he was so much emotionally attached as he was in shock, since
he had performed the action of throwing the grenade without even
really thinking first.
On Feb 14, 7:58 pm, Emily Richards <emilynicholericha...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
uses so much repitition because the image of the man he killed is
simply embedded in his mind. He thinks of possible scenarios for the
man's life based on the way the dead man looks because he feels guilt
for killing someone he can relate to. "He devoted himself to his
studies. He spent nights alone, wrote romantic poems in his journal,
took pleasure in the grace and beauty of differential
equations." (O'Brien 122). In the moment, O'Brien couldn't move or
talk, all he can do is stare at the body of the man he just killed.
Kiowa tries to explain to O'Brien that he is lucky, since he could
have easily traded places and been the one killed if he hadn't thrown
the grenade, but O'Brien doesn't care. He is frozen in time. I don't
believe he was so much emotionally attached as he was in shock, since
he had performed the action of throwing the grenade without even
really thinking first.
On Feb 14, 7:58 pm, Emily Richards <emilynicholericha...@gmail.com>
wrote:
Moria
Feb 16, 2011, 5:54:10 PM2/16/11
to The Things They Carried discussion, spring 2011 (green)
Logan and Emily, you two make great points.
I think that the reason O'Brien repeats himself so much to not only
explain the thoughts going through his head, but to emphasize what he
saw. Before him was a man that was killed and completely torn to
pieces because of a grenade that he threw. He can't help but feel
guilty about killing a man that was causing no harm to him. He could
not stop staring at the body of the man that he killed. It was an
image that he would never forget. He just kept staring at the man and
thinking about what he did to the man. He wanted to let the readers
know what was going through his head at this point which was just
constant thoughts of the man's body. While Kiowa was helping to
comfort him, he said, "you want to trade places with him? Turn it all
upside down- you want that?" (O'Brien 120). Although O'Brien did not
want to be the one dead, he did not want to be the one that took this
man's life.
I think that the reason O'Brien repeats himself so much to not only
explain the thoughts going through his head, but to emphasize what he
saw. Before him was a man that was killed and completely torn to
pieces because of a grenade that he threw. He can't help but feel
guilty about killing a man that was causing no harm to him. He could
not stop staring at the body of the man that he killed. It was an
image that he would never forget. He just kept staring at the man and
thinking about what he did to the man. He wanted to let the readers
know what was going through his head at this point which was just
constant thoughts of the man's body. While Kiowa was helping to
comfort him, he said, "you want to trade places with him? Turn it all
upside down- you want that?" (O'Brien 120). Although O'Brien did not
want to be the one dead, he did not want to be the one that took this
man's life.
Lindsay Padgett
Feb 16, 2011, 6:37:10 PM2/16/11
to tttc20...@googlegroups.com
Meagan
Feb 16, 2011, 10:46:14 PM2/16/11
to The Things They Carried discussion, spring 2011 (green)
Moria, I like the point you introduced when you said that O'Brien felt
guilty because the man he killed had caused him no harm. I think that
had a lot to do with the state of shock the kill put O'Brien in. The
repetition used in the chapter was meant to emphasize his feelings of
total shock and guilt. O'Brien, as he admitted in the chapter, "On
the Rainy River", did not plan to be drafted into war and become a
soldier. Therefore, killing another human, friend or enemy, was a
completely foreign idea to him. This was his first brush with the
reality of killing another man and he could not get the images and
emotions to stop swirling around in his mind. O'Brien probably would
have stayed and stared at the corpse for hours if Kiowa didn't firmly
tell him to "'pull your shit together. Can't just sit here all
say...Understand?'" (O'Brien 123). Basically, I believe the guilt and
distress over killing another human overpowered O'Brien and repetition
was the only means of portraying his emotions on paper. Obviously
this was a very poignant occurrence for O'Brien, writing with this
much emphasis decades later.
guilty because the man he killed had caused him no harm. I think that
had a lot to do with the state of shock the kill put O'Brien in. The
repetition used in the chapter was meant to emphasize his feelings of
total shock and guilt. O'Brien, as he admitted in the chapter, "On
the Rainy River", did not plan to be drafted into war and become a
soldier. Therefore, killing another human, friend or enemy, was a
completely foreign idea to him. This was his first brush with the
reality of killing another man and he could not get the images and
emotions to stop swirling around in his mind. O'Brien probably would
have stayed and stared at the corpse for hours if Kiowa didn't firmly
tell him to "'pull your shit together. Can't just sit here all
say...Understand?'" (O'Brien 123). Basically, I believe the guilt and
distress over killing another human overpowered O'Brien and repetition
was the only means of portraying his emotions on paper. Obviously
this was a very poignant occurrence for O'Brien, writing with this
much emphasis decades later.
Raymond
Feb 16, 2011, 10:54:36 PM2/16/11
to The Things They Carried discussion, spring 2011 (green)
I agree with Jessica. I think that O'Brien uses repetition in this
chapter because this is a major event in his life. The shock of having
taken a life shocked him significantly. But what I think shocked him
the most was how automatic his reaction of throwing the grenade was
when he saw the man walking on the trail. "His jaw was in his throat,
his upper lip and teeth were gone, his one eye was shut, his other eye
was a star-shaped hole, his eyebrows were thin and arched like a
woman's, his nose was undamaged, there was a slight tear at the lobe
of one ear," (118). O'Brien relives these details over and over again
because he did not know he was capable of such a violent act. He
suspected he would have reacted differently, and by not even thinking
twice about throwing the grenade, he traumatizes himself. But I don't
think he repeats himself to help himself forget. It represents the
repetition of those memories that he relives. I think his hopes are to
demonstrate to the reader that the memory of his actions will never
leave him. He will never forget because he is still unable to believe
how easily he threw the grenade that killed the man walking on the
trail.
chapter because this is a major event in his life. The shock of having
taken a life shocked him significantly. But what I think shocked him
the most was how automatic his reaction of throwing the grenade was
when he saw the man walking on the trail. "His jaw was in his throat,
his upper lip and teeth were gone, his one eye was shut, his other eye
was a star-shaped hole, his eyebrows were thin and arched like a
woman's, his nose was undamaged, there was a slight tear at the lobe
of one ear," (118). O'Brien relives these details over and over again
because he did not know he was capable of such a violent act. He
suspected he would have reacted differently, and by not even thinking
twice about throwing the grenade, he traumatizes himself. But I don't
think he repeats himself to help himself forget. It represents the
repetition of those memories that he relives. I think his hopes are to
demonstrate to the reader that the memory of his actions will never
leave him. He will never forget because he is still unable to believe
how easily he threw the grenade that killed the man walking on the
trail.
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