TTTC Love & Spin

• Engels IB A
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

The first chapter, 'The Things They Carried', described the things they carried. How does the second chapter, 'Love', describe love?

Setting in 'Love': How does Tim O’Brien convey the ordinariness of the lives the two men now lead?

Character in 'Love': How do the surprises of this chapter demonstrate that character is something that never ceases to emerge?

Action in 'Love': What is it that Jimmy Cross does not want to have mentioned in the story? What does that tell us about the things that are most important to him?

Style in 'Love': Why do you think Tim O’Brien uses reported speech rather than dialogue (indirect rather than direct speech) for the bulk of this story?

Ideas in 'Love': What does this story suggest about the nature of love?

Remember the variety of uses of the word 'carry'? The third chapter is titled 'Spin'. Which different uses of the word 'spin' can you think of in English?

Setting in 'Spin': What does the account of Norman Bowker’s and Henry Dobbins’ games of checkers
contribute to the story?

Character in 'Spin': How do the characters in this story demonstrate the different ways we have of
dealing with a bad experience (both in living through it and in living with it afterwards)?

Action in 'Spin': How does this story itself ‘put a spin’ on the war, and ‘make it dance’?

Style in 'Spin': Discuss the effect of the ways in which Tim O’Brien opens his paragraphs in this story.

Ideas in 'Spin': What does Tim O’Brien suggest here about the process and importance of story-telling?

From what you have read, how do you feel about this book? Can you relate to the characters? What do you think about the stories?