Exploration Three- Eleni Smock

Exploration 3: My Response to The Things They Carried 

     Throughout The Things They Carried, I think that my active reading is going very well. The method that I think is the most effective for me is to just highlight names, places, and any details that I find very important. This helps me recognize terms quicker when I go back into the reading to recall details from the book. Also, whenever I ask a question about the text, I normally write it in the margins. It's easier for me to have it all in one place, that way I can go back and look at my notes. This helps me collect my thoughts about the chapters and it can also answer any of the thoughts I had prior.
     The one story that has stuck with me so far has definitely been Enemies. I thought it was interesting to see how much impact the war could have on someone's mind and health. It can make someone go "crazy" like Dave Jensen after the fist fight he had with Lee Strunk. This chapter shows how much time you have alone with your mind, and how the war can warp it quickly. The quote that I think goes perfectly with the story would be when O'Brien was describing the event when Jensen started going after Strunk with his gun. "Something must have snapped;" (pg. 60.)  But then again in the story Friends, the two soldiers quickly made up after their fight, and became best friends. It's truly amazing what can happen in the matter of weeks. The two stories shows how you can't be enemies with your own ambush, like Strunk and Jensen. There isn't any time to fight your own battles, other than the main one you are fighting for.
     The one character that stands out to me in the text has been Tim O'Brien. Even though I liked the story Enemies, the other story has been On a Rainy River. I liked how O'Brien went into great detail about his doubts, feelings, and experience about getting called into the war. He wasn't ready, and he breaks the fourth wall by asking the reader to put yourself in his shoes and really think about how you would feel in his situation. I also like how he captures different events throughout his service. Other than On a Rainy River, he doesn't really like to talk about himself. He likes to paint other people's emotions and background in Vietnam. He visualizes the scene so much that you can really feel like you are there in the war with Kiowa and Jimmy Cross.