PLAGIARISM & Student Essays

If you plagiarize your final essay, you receive a zero, which  counts 20% of your final grade, which basically means you failed the course.

Reading other student essays can help you grasp the concept of what you need to do, but that does not mean you copy the work and claim it as your own. That would be plagiarism. One paper used the following; it's a good reference to see how to write about literature but not as a copied essay.

List of student essays 

You have been warned!

POTENTIAL Topics for Final

Remember that you can NOT use the book on your final essay, but you CAN use an index card--either 3x5 OR 4x6, with notes front and back. Write in 3rd person ONLY. (No "you" [2nd person] and no "I / me" [1st person])  Length: 2.5 pages, standard MLA format. Make sure you support your paper with details and examples from the novel. You still must have an interesting introduction, thesis statement, ample development AND a thoughtful conclusion.

I am not allowed to give you the topics of your final essay in advance, but I can promise you they will be drawn from the following:

Storytelling  

• Who are the storytellers and what are their stories; more importantly, why is storytelling important to the teller AND the listener
• In what way is The Things They Carried  not a war story at all, but a "ghost story" and a "love story"?
• Specifically . . . the stories of Rat Kiley and Mitchell Sanders

The Narrator - What decisions and experiences "mark" the narrator, Tim O'Brien for the rest of his life? Why?

Contrasts - In this novel, contrasts are everywhere, from the characters to the country itself; be prepared to discuss any of the following as contrasts:

• Henry Dobbins and Azar
• Courage inspired by cowardice
• the Beauty and Ugliness of the War Itself

Character Interaction - Each of the following characters is involved with the narrator--discuss the importance of each man to Alpha Company and to the narrator:

• Rat Kiley
• Norman Bowker
• Kiowa
• Lt. Jimmy Cross 

I would be sure to have read these stories (note: they are grouped here for your convenience):

"The Things They Carried," "Spin," "Lives of the Dead"- Alpha Co.(& Linda)


"How to Tell a True War Story" - storytelling/Rat Kiley/Mitch Sanders
"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" - Kiley/Sanders/storytelling
"The Lives of the Dead" - narrator/storytelling
"Good Form" - storytelling
***** Notice that at least 4 stories are related to storytelling*****

"On the Rainy River" - narrator
" The Man I Killed" - narrator
"Ambush" - narrator
"The Lives of the Dead" - narrator/storytelling
*****Notice that at least 4 stories directly relate to the narrator*****

"Stockings," "Church," "Style" - Dobbins
"Speaking of Courage" & "Notes"- Bowker

 

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY!!!

Your final exam counts 20% of your final grade. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could add 5 points to the final essay grade?!  All it takes is your time and attention. Attend a performance of Middle Georgia State's production of The Glass Menagerie this week and bring in proof of your attendance (this is given out after every show).  The performance is FREE for all MGSC students. Here are the specs:

More Topics for Your Consideration on THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

*** If you have been reading along on the blog, it should come as no surprise that many of the topics over Tim O'Brien's novel, The Things They Carried, are repeated on several posts. There is good reason for that. These topics are of major importance to the analysis of the novel and understanding it.***


The following are not EXACT topics that could appear for you to select on the final essay, but could be similar to what you might see:

• Who are the storytellers of Alpha Company? What do they have in common? What stories do they tell? Why do use exaggeration? What is they want from their audience/readers? 
• Stories that might help: "How to Tell a True War Story," "The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong," "Good Form," "Lives of the Dead"
• Tim O'Brien says that stories can "save us." What does he mean? He also says stories can bring the dead back to life? Use examples from the book to illustrate what he means. How does this even connect the story of Linda to the men who were lost in Alpha Company?
•  "Good Form," "Lives of the Dead" 
• Paradox and irony are close companions in this novel. For example, in the story "How to Tell a True War Story," Tim O'Brien says the truths are "contradictory." He notes for example, that war is indeed "hell" and that it "makes the stomach believe." He tells the story of the baby water buffalo that is killed slowly and cruelly as evidence; yet he adds that for all its ugliness, war is also beautiful. What does evidence goes he give from the story to support this statement? Ultimately, at the conclusion of the story he says that the stories he tells are "not war stories," they're "love stories." What does he mean by that? [It is by the way, another paradox.] In what paradoxical [and ironic] way does cowardice lead these young men to perform courageous deeds?
• "How to Tell a True War Story," "On the Rainy River," "Enemies" and "Friends"
• Explain the difference between "happening-truth" and "story-truth," as O'Brien distinguishes it. What does story-truth do that happening-truth cannot? In what way does the fiction of Tim O'Brien become more believable and truer than happening-truth. Give examples from the book to support your answer.
• "Good Form," "Notes" --other stories as well
• IF there are any questions about character in this novel that could develop into an essay topic, it might be this: Which two soldiers are the most important to Alpha Company and in what way? -- Needless to say, support with evidence.
• Depends on who you choose

More Notes/Ideas on THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

THEME in literature refers to the main idea about life that the book/short story/poem reveals. Theme is usually indirect and while it permeates the book, it is not something that one can simply "pull out" and place in a "fill in the blank" quiz. As Tim O'Brien says, theme is like a "thread" that runs through the work; you can't "tease" it out. The characters and their actions reveal the various themes in this novel. It is a character-driven novel, not a plot-driven novel. The focus is not what will happen next; rather, the focus is who are these men, how do they react to these circumstances and what happens to them. 

Themes . . . will most likely be the focus of the essay topics for the final--but to illustrate how theme is revealed, you MUST be familiar with the men of Alpha Company.

For example . . . why is storytelling important? What do stories do, according to Tim O'Brien? Who are the storytellers? What do all the storytellers have in common? What's the difference between "happening truth" and "story truth"?

For example . . . O'Brien, Norman Bowker, and Jimmy Cross are all haunted by memories. Bowker and O'Brien are especially guilt ridden by memory--but there are other soldiers who cannot forget, as well. What do they remember? How is truth different from memory? How do stories connect memory to the present?

For example . . . For all its horror, cruelty, and brutality, war is equally beautiful, according to the narrator of "How to Tell a True War Story." In fact, paradox run through this novel, not just this story, though there are abundant examples in this particular story. What are they? What are other paradoxes that exist in the story--for instance, in the midst of chaos and misery, random death and violence, how common is it to find men playing--and enjoying--a nightly game of checkers? Why is this a fitting paradox. How paradoxical is it, too, to find 19 year-old men who are more afraid to be seen a coward than to be seen dead? Remember Curt Lemon and the dentist.

For example . . . How paradoxical is it that courage and cowardice go hand and hand? How ironic, true, and paradoxical (yep, all three) that Tim O'Brien, soldier, considers himself a coward for going to war?  Why do the men of Alpha Company understand Rat Kiley's decision to shoot himself in the foot and choose not to deride him for his action?

ANNOUNCEMENTS ! ! !

Begin reading the novel, The Things They Carried  by Tim O'Brien, if you have not already started.


Quiz over the novel:
the first class day, the week of April 28th


We will be reading and discussing the novel over the next two weeks and your final in-class essay will be over this novel.


FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE - this must be written in-class; you may not use the book, but you can use an index card which contains notes (yes, front and back); you will NOT know the topics in advance, but we will not discuss aspects of the novel that are not relevant to the final


Every person in every class will be assigned a character; you need to know everything about this character that can be gleaned from reading the book:
- who he is?
- what is his job?
- what is his character/personality like
- what does he carry into the war? why?
- what does he carry out of the war? why?
- who are his friends? how does he get along with the rest of Alpha Company? with Azar?    with O'Brien?
- does he have a back story? what is it? what is his future likely to be?


***If you do not see your last name listed under your class, that means you do not have a character; let me know--or assume you have the narrator/speaker, Tim O'Brien***



English Comp. I - 09 - Our final exam will be Friday, May 9, 2014 - 10:30-12:30
Aka - J. Cross                          Carter - N. Bowker              Cummings - R. Kiley
Baldwin - J. Cross                    Chambliss - N. Bowker         Currie - Kiowa
Camara - J. Cross                     Colbert - N. Bowker            Durden - R. Kiley
                                                                                        Gilchrist - R. Kiley
Guerrier - M. Sanders                Mock - H. Dobbins              Trice - Kiowa
Johnson-Smith - M. Sanders       Montreuil - H. Dobbins
Lee - M. Sanders                       Moran - H. Dobbins




English Comp. I - 02 - Our final exam will be Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - 8:00-10:00
Almendras - J. Cross                       Jackson - M. Sanders
Booze - J. Cross                              Lowery - M. Sanders
Crowder - N. Bowker                       Saunders - M. Sanders
Garner - N. Bowker                         Mitchell - Kiowa
Waters - N. Bowker                         Osorno-Diaz - Kiowa
Gatliff - R. Kiley                             Pearson - Kiowa
Hood - R. Kiley                               Peake - H. Dobbins
Small - R. Kiley                               Williams - H. Dobbins




English Comp. I - 06 - Our final exam will be Thursday, May 8, 2014 - 8:00-10:00
Baker - J. Cross                                Cormier - Kiowa
Bivins - J. Cross                                Jackson - Kiowa
Boatwright - J. Cross                         Prim - Kiowa
Robertson - J. Cross                          Shakalima - Kiowa
Brown - N. Bowker                            Johnson - M. Sanders
Brundage - N. Bowker                        Letson - M. Sanders
Calhoun - N. Bowker                          K. Patel - M. Sanders
Watkins - N. Bowker                          Lincoln - H. Dobbins
Cliett - R. Kiley                                 H. Patel - H. Dobbins
Cooley - R. Kiley                                Taylor - H. Dobbins
Dukes - R. Kiley                                 Williams - H. Dobbins
Strickland - R. Kiley

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED - a study guide

As an introduction to Tim O'Brien and The Things They Carried, listen to a portion of his speech here: Tim O'Brien - speech for Arlington Reads on youtube. Skip the first 17 minutes of the speech and begin around minute 18. Listen carefully to what O'Brien has to say about the benefit of storytelling, the paradox of fiction being truer than "truth," how one event sparked his story "Ambush," and his thoughts on the elusive nature of truth.

Themes and Motifs in the Novel

HINT:  topics for the final exam will come from this study guide

The Importance of Storytelling - Why do people tell stories?

Paradox - What is a paradox? What aspects of the novel (and real life) contain paradox?

Truth & Memory - What is the difference between story-truth and happening-truth? At least in this novel, which is more important? WHY?

TTTC notes 

Connect characters as they interact with each other—note how each man functions:

Kiowa – how does he interact with each of the following men? What does this tell you about Kiowa? (You might not “get” the other men from these stories, but you should be able to relate to Kiowa and his importance to these men and to Alpha Company.)

With Norman Bowker, in “The Things They Carried”

With Tim O’Brien in “The Man I Killed”

With Henry Dobbins in “Churches”

Rat Kiley –

With Mitch Sanders, in “The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” – pay close attention to their discussion of telling stories

With Curt Lemon in “How to Tell a True War Story” – what is Rat’s way of dealing with a friend’s sudden death? WHY? How is it comparable to the actions of Alpha Company

Tim O’Brien (note: he is a character in his own novel; as he said on the youtube video, he creates himself as a character, but the character’s experiences are based on true stories, but are not true in themselves)

Norman Bowker

Minor revelations of his character come in the stories “The Things They Carried” and “Spin”

Major revelations of his character come in “Speaking of Courage” and “Notes”

Look for stories that contain references to storytelling 

For example:

“The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong”

“How to Tell a True War Story”**

“Spin,” especially the very last paragraph

“Good Form”

“Notes”

Find examples of paradox and irony

Paradox – two things that are opposite that exist at the same time, though it would seem impossible; for example, from “How to Tell a True War Story,” the author writes: “ . . . in the end, of course, a true war story is never about war.” LOTS of examples of paradox in this story and others.

Irony – look for examples of irony of situation—in which the opposite happens to what is expected—example: in the opening story, Ted Lavender is killed suddenly, by a sniper, rather than Lee Strunk, who could have very well been killed as he searched the tunnels; Henry Dobbins, the largest man in the unit, who carries the heaviest guns, is referred to as “Soldier Jesus” by the monks, and would like a life of service or good works, would actually like to be a minister—that is BOTH irony AND paradox

Find examples of how shame and guilt become motivating elements in the lives of some of the soldiers like: Tim O’Brien, Jimmy Cross, Norman Bowker

Rough Draft Examples of Internal Citations (With notes)

*** Your book is an excellent resource that can help you better understand internal citations.
Refer to pages 711-720 and to the student paper, pages 735-742. 

Here are two examples of internal citations, based on topics you were given to choose from. These were composed in class and are very much a rough draft; however, while the composition could be improved, the internal citations are in the correct format, so focus your attention, as needed on the "flow" of the sentence with the quote and the necessary citation. AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS. ***

Condensed Rubric & Today's Announcement

Due TODAY:
Thesis Statement AND Works Cited Page - yes, you have all period to work on it.

Wednesday:  I will be going over internal citations and explaining the connection between the WCP (Works Cited Page) and the internal citations--and why you must know exactly where your information came from!

Condensed Rubric:

*** Without a Works Cited Page the Paper FAILS 
***  Without internal citations the Paper FAILS

Completed before the full paper is handed in:
(YES, this is to prevent procrastination) 
Thesis statement - 10%
Works Cited page - 20%
Rough Draft (WITH citations) - 20%

Completed when full paper is handed in:
Introduction and Conclusion - 10%
Content and Development - 20%
Organization and Coherence - 10%
Grammar and Mechanics - 10%  
 

  

Timeline for the 1101 Research Paper AND More

***Please note that dates will vary depending on WHEN the class meets***

Monday - March 24  & Tuesday - March 25

• topic of your paper  - print out and hand in, with name - DUE
• in-class: reading and documenting references
• introduction to Easy Bib: The Best Research Paper Tool Since Word-Processing: Easy Bib
• sample done in class

***If you have handed in your topic AND the Works Cited page exercise AND THE WORKS CITED IS CORRECT, then you have succeeded this week. If I don't have your topic and correct work,  you are behind. Please remember due dates coming up!!***

Monday - March 31 & Tuesday - April 1

• thesis statement DUE - hard copy only, to be handed in
• WCP [Works Cited page] in correct format DUE - hard copy only, to be handed in
• in class discussion of internal citations and format, if not discussed before now

Monday - April 7 & Tuesday - April 8

• at least a two-page rough draft, with citations in correct format DUE - hard copy only -- it should go without saying that this should be printed and all of your work saved electronically

Monday - April 14 & Tuesday - April 15

RESEARCH PAPER DUE - hard copy ONLY; no emailed papers [unless previously arranged] or late papers accepted

Reminder: the R.P. is worth 20% of your final grade

Wed. & Thurs.-April 16 & 17: Study guide over the novel

Monday - April 21 & Tuesday - April 22:  Quiz over The Things They Carried (yes--the whole book) - this will not take all of the class

Wed. & Thurs. - April 23 & 24; 28 - 29 : Study and discussion over the novel

FINAL EXAM:  ESSAY OVER NOVEL