Foreignness in Vietnam The Things They Carried by Tim...

Foreignness in Vietnam When you think of what is foreign to the common soldier in the vietnam war you usually think of the vietnamese people or the terrain. In the book The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien twists the idea of what is foreign to the common soldier in Vietnam. The opposite happens too, what was so familiar not too long ago back home seems almost completely unknown to them now. O’Brien even shows similarities between the American soldiers and the Viet-Cong. In the Vignette the â€Å"Man I Killed† Tim O’Brien relates himself to the man he killed. He makes up a life for the man who he didn’t even know. â€Å"But all he could do, he thought, was wait and pray and try not to grow up too fast.† This quote shows an assumption about the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"‘Well,’ he said, ‘howd you like to hear about—’ He stopped and shook his head. ‘Hear what, man?’ ‘Nothing.’† This quote quote shows Norman’s inability to adjust because he cannot even get himself to tell his story to someone in his head because he feels that no one could understand his decisions. Through Norman, O’Brien presents the gap of understanding between soldiers who fought in Vietnam and regular people. The idea of foreignness is conveyed through many ways in the novel. Through this idea O’Brien makes it clear that the war was hard on the soldiers while still illustrating that we could never fully understand what they went through. O’Brien expresses this theme to show that the people back home may be more foreign to the soldiers than the Viet-Cong. Even though there is a language barrier between the two sides they are the only ones who will be able to understand what they’ve been through. Rubric Analysis (Claims, Explain) Accurate supporting claims that establishes story’s theme Clarifying explanation . Support (Comprehension) Quotations are accurate and adequate to support theme. Organization An introduction that hooks audience A conclusion that restates thesis and highlights claims. Excellence Enhancers Context for each quotation shows basic understanding of the text Thesis (theme) is particularly creative or insightful.