Interpretation of Symbols

Interpretation of Symbols

The Weight of What They Carry

Opening

Review what you have read of “The Things They Carried” so far. Note places where the narrator gives specific weight to the things the men are carrying. Then respond to the following questions.

  • What kinds of things are the men carrying?
  • What kinds of things does the narrator assign specific weight to?
    • Why do you think he does this?
  • What effect does this assigning of weight have on you as you read the story?

When you have finished, talk through your thoughts and ideas with the rest of the class.

The Men in The Things They Carried

Work Time

Begin reading where you left off last lesson, and read through the paragraph that begins, “They carried the emotional baggage of men who might die.”

  • Annotate and highlight as you read, focusing on what O’Brien does to make the reader feel an emotional attachment to the men.

Share your notes and your ideas with your partner. Add to your own notes as you discuss.

Big Ideas

Closing

Reread the last paragraph from the section you just finished. Annotate and take notes on how the narrator characterizes the men.

Then answer the following questions.

  • How does the narrator feel about the men in the story? How do you know?
  • What specific pieces from the text support your thinking?
  • What big ideas or thematic ideas are expressed in this paragraph?

The End of The Things They Carried