Exploration Three: Derrick Thompson

I'm really enjoying The Things They Carried, even though it is quite a heart-felt read. I believe I'm having trouble thinking of things to write in the margins. I've been highlighting things that I find important, but I just can't think of anything to write that the Author hasn't already stated in his book. I'm going to try writing down what comes to mind when I highlight and see if that helps any. I found it quite interesting how many times the Author goes back to Curt Lemon's death. I think this emphasizes how permanent that scene is in the mind. Once you see something that devastating, you can never truly forget about it.

"On the Rainy River" was definitely the best story so far in my opinion. You get the incredibly well written build up of a man, trying to escape a war he does not believe in. You understand why he doesn't want to and why he'd rather just run. At some point, I was almost rooting for the guy to jump out and hit cross the border. But then it hit me, this isn't a decision anybody but he can make. As he states, "I gripped the edge of the boat and leaned forward and thought, now. I did try. It just wasn't possible." (p. 56). The man isn't able to jump out of the boat because he doesn't want to, but because he is too embarrassed to.

I really enjoyed O'Brien as a character. You really get to see into his interests and general daily routines before the war occurs. The Author shows how much O'Brien hates his job and how uncomfortable it makes him. O'Brien doesn't agree with the war and you truly get to see his internal struggle as a person. Even through his delusion later in the story, you see that he wants to have a family and doesn't want to die in a war he doesn't believe in. O'Brien thinks of himself a coward, even though most today would consider heroic or at the very least someone to respect.