We encounter people everyday who have opinion about war, ideas on courage, thoughts on heroism. For this week's blog, I want you to conduct a mini-interview. You will ask two people the questions provided and then record their answers. One of them needs to be at least 20 years older than you. The other can be any age.
1. How do you think war affects communities?
2. What does it mean to have courage?
3. What makes a hero?
4. You can create the fourth question.
When you post, list your questions, the ages of those you interviewed, and then your own answers. After you have done these ideas, explain how you see these ideas show up in your book. Maybe, someone you interviewed answered how you thought a character might? Maybe your ideas manifest themselves in your book. This should be a solid paragraph after you have added your interview answers. (Keep the interview answers PG.)
39 comments:
I interviewed two of my three brothers, Jake, 15, and Nick,12. I asked Nick, how do you think war affects communities? He replied, "I think war affects the communities almost the same as it affects the soldiers. Families get torn apart, people lose friends. War isn't good for anyone." I also asked, what does it mean to have courage? He replied, "Having courage means to do things that maybe others wouldn't, like soldiers." I asked him, what makes a hero? He replied, "I would say that a hero is someone who not only saves others, but puts others needs before their own." lastly, I asked my question, how do you think families are affected by war? He replied, "All I'm saying is that if it were you or my two brothers, and I had to be away from you for so long, I'd cry everyday." (So cute, broke my heart). I asked Jake, how do you think war affects communities? He replied, "Being a community means to support each other no matter what, and I think that if anything were to happen in a specific community, like Brunswick, people would band together and stay strong. War takes a toll on everyone." I asked him, what does it mean to have courage? He replied, "I think that someone that has courage is someone who would stand up for something they believe in." I also asked him, what makes a hero? he replied, "Soldiers. Soldiers are the best example of a hero." I also asked him the same question I asked Nick, how do you think families are affected by war? he replied, "Family is very important to me, and coming from someone who loves family so much, I know I'd feel like apart of me was missing if a loved one of mine went to war, but heroes like soldiers are needed." I personally think that war affects communities in a way that brings together members of the community to support one another and to let others know that they aren't alone. War isn't easy for anyone. I think that to have courage, it's anyone who will do anything for anyone no matter what the situation. Much like having courage, a hero is someone that puts others lives before their own and doing good for the people. Families affect war tremendously. I know that if any of my brothers went to war, I'd be scared to death every single day for their safety. I wouldn't be who I am without my family. I think that the answers Jake and Nick gave about family connect to The Things They Carried because it reminds me of when Tim's daughter asked him if he had ever killed anyone because people have to put into perspective that little kids will ask questions and not understand. It is hard to explain to someone so young that people are killed in war and that maybe a parent killed someone in war. It reminds me very much of this novel. In conclusion, The Things They Carried, and these questions and answers, have taught me many things about war; some being that it affects everyone, not just the individual.
Patricia.P Age: 37 Wife of a Marine
How do you think war affects communities? “It has a small impact on their day to day lives (regular communities) because they may have a handful of friends and family members that are deployed in a combat area. Their impact is what they hear on the nightly news. Now a military community, it has a profound impact on the community. The daily, you have wives and moms now at home where every other house might be a single mom raising her children or you’ve lost the other adult that makes you go through the day. And now you have children without their mommy and daddy’s and you got the emotional impact of it. The family goes through a whole grief pattern, the children go through denial, wives go through depression. And when it is time for them to come home it is an entirely new transition. And when they come in you have a whole new impact of issues that you are dealing with and how they adjust back to a family environment after they have just been with a bunch of dirty men.”
What does it mean to have courage? “I think it means that you stand up for what you know is right. It is something that you feel within you.”
What makes a hero? “Somebody that sacrifices themselves for others.”
How have you personally been impacted by war? “I have spent a whole lot of time alone because of war, and I think only a military spouse will understand the true meaning of being alone. Alone time is a little bit different then being stationed overseas and you have no friends and family and your spouse has to go fight in a war and you are literally alone.”
Brad. P Age: 38 Marine
How do you think war affects communities? “It is kind of tricky, if is a short war it can bring a lot of jobs. If it is long and drawn out it can hurt the economy. Here’s an example desert storm helped the economy, afghanistan hurt the economy.”
What does it mean to have courage? “Courage is different in everybody, courage is meaning to stand up for what you believe in, to tell a person they are wrong. For me, doing the right thing when it is hard to. In combat you want to have courage, because for obvious reason.”
What makes a hero? “Several things, a hero can be anybody. Somebody who goes above and beyond and puts their life at risk for the sake of others, is one example of a hero.”
How have you personally been impacted by war? “I was wounded, all the time I had to spend away from my wife, not only affects me but the entire family. If it is me alone, that would be selfish because it affects more than one person.”
I see my aunt and uncle’s answers show up in many ways. My uncle is a marine, so I thought that he was going to answer similar to the characters, but he didn’t. Which I believe really proves that everyone is impacted by war differently. O’Brien fills the book with examples of how all of the people that surrounded him in a war zone, reacted differently. Along with my aunt, I thought it might of been in comparison to O’Brien’s daughter, but she doesn’t ask my uncle anything about the war. Most of the marines I have met, don’t have much to say besides who they would serve with again.
I interviewed my mother and my father and here is what they thought about war. My Father is is 55 years old and has seen wars in his lifetime. I asked him how war affected communities, and he said "Community members will have spouses and neighbors that are off at war, which means they will be worried about them. Also some will lose their spouses. It also puts financial stress on the person back home." I asked him what it means to have courage and he said "To do something outside your comfort zone because you know its the right thing to do." I asked him what makes a hero and he said "Courage like i just explained makes a hero, but also someone who puts others before themselves." I asked him how war has affected him and he said "I had a cousin killed in the war (vietnam). It has cost alot of money and alot of my tax dollars on wars that i dont always believe in. and im torn sometimes because i dont like the war and the killing but sometimes things have to be defended.
I asked my 52 year old mom the same questions. When asked how was affects communities she said "Well it destroys communities that are engulfed in the war. sometimes communities come together to support each other." I asked what means to have courage and she said "to do something youre afraid to do." I asked what makes a hero and she said "somebody that does something to help somebody else out without expecting anything in return." finally when asked how war has impacted her she answered with "I havent really lost anyone from the war but i have seen how it destroyed peoples lives from a distance."
The same ideas emerge in the book because war has a huge impact on peoples lives, whether they are directly involved or not.
I interviewed my sister and grandpa and asked the following questions about war. My grandpa is 63 years old and has been around family dealing with war and has dealt with war himself. I asked him how do you think war affects communities? and he said “War really does affect communities many think that they don't. But I promise you they do, It doesn't matter if you have a family with no one in the war if there is a person of the community fighting in war the community can be affected by it while that person is there whether they end up passing away or not. War is war.” I then asked him what does it mean to have courage? he said “To have courage means to do things that others wouldn't want to do making you brave and like no other.” Then I asked what makes a hero? he then said “To be considered a hero I think that you have to be courageous like I said in the previous question, to do things others don't want to do. To go above and beyond duty. To overall be a good person.” And the last thing that I asked my grandpa was what do you remember when you were in the navy? “One thing I will always remember is being on a boat that was getting attacked and having to swim to land, I’ll never forget it because this is where I have this scar on my leg. This is where a shark bit me and i'll never forget that moment.”
I then interviewed my sister about war. My sister is 12 years old and finds things like war interesting so I thought asking these questions to her would be interesting. I asked my sister How do you think war affects communities? “ I think war affects communities because it tears people apart like it does the soldiers.” I then asked my sister What does it mean to have courage? She said “I think that it means to be brave and do things that a lot of people wouldn't.” I then asked her what makes a hero? she said “A hero is someone who saves people and does good things.” I then asked my sister what she thinks of war overall? She said “I think that war is a great but upsetting thing because people are so in love with America and fighting for their country so I think that's awesome, But what i think is upsetting is being away from your family for so long or if someone ends up passing away.” After interviewing two of my family members when my sister started talking about the overall things about war I made a connection with The things they carried and my connection was when Kathleen was asking O’Brien about war and how he was so upset to talk about it. And because of that I feel like I have a better understanding of war.
I asked my mother and my father the following questions about war. I asked my mother, who is 46, how do you think war affects communities and she replied with " family members, children, and spouses. If the person who is serving has children they can miss school work and the spouse could miss work due to that loved one not being there ". The next questions I asked was what does it mean to have courage and she said " having strength and having confidence in yourself." I then asked what makes a hero and she responded with " someone who embodies strength and courage." The last question that I asked her was how much of an impact has war made on her and she said "when her brother was in the war it was very stressful but now since he is out of the war, she does not have that stress anymore."
When asked how do you think war affects communities, my father, who is 52, replied with " if someone in their community gets killed or injured it is very hard for people to overcome that." The next question I asked him was what does it mean to have courage and he replied with " being able to fight through any hardships/heartaches that come your way." I then asked him what makes a hero and he said "someone that has strength, courage, integrity, helping others in need and overcoming obstacles to come out on top ". The last question I asked him was how war has impacted his life and he responded with " gives us freedoms and liberties that some other countries do not get". I think war has a major impact on communities because there could be many people in the same situation as another and it could bring them together so they are not alone. Courage is a trait that requires strength and discipline. When soldiers go off to war, all of them show courage because they are fighting for their lives for what they believe. A hero is someone that shows courage, strength, and bravery through obstacles. They go out of their way for people and make a difference. War has an impact on everyone and affects people in different ways. After interviewing my parents, the impact of war on individuals and the community was also present in Yellow Birds. When Bartle was going off to war, his mother would cry and not let him go because she was worried he might not come back. This was concept was also present when Murphs mom asked Bartle to promise that he would being Murph back home to her and keep him safe. Also in Yellow Birds before they went off to war one of the leaders said do this for American which was similar to my fathers answer when he talked about how war has given us freedom and without these brave men, we would not be the country we are today. War impacts everyone and has long lasting affects on the community.
I interviewed my mom and brother about their opinions on war and heroism. I began with my mom who is 47 years old. First, I asked her how does war affect the community, and she said, “It divides the community because it gives people different opinions if we should be in the war or not.” I then asked her what it means to have courage, she said, “Courage means to do something you normally wouldn’t do, to go against the norms of everybody else.” I asked her what makes a hero, and she states, “A hero to me is to have courage.” Finally, I asked her what she thinks about war, and she said, “I would like to have no wars and everyone live peacefully.”
I then interviewed my brother who is 19 years old. I asked him the same questions starting with how he thinks war affects the community. He said, “Soldiers come back from war and have PTSD, and it’s emotionally struggling for their families.” I then asked what it means to have courage, and he states, “To be brave.” I also asked him what makes a hero, and he said “A hero is someone who is courageous.” Finally, I asked him what he thinks about war, and his response was, “War is a good thing because it keeps peace in the world.”
I believe that Tim O’Brien believes what some of these answers have turned out to be. O’Brien did not want to be in the war, he was against the reason for fighting in the Vietnam War. When my mom answered how war divides people’s opinions, O’Brien could easily relate to that statement because his opinion was similar, but different to many other Americans. Everybody wishes this world could be peaceful, but people are different and it is almost impossible to get the entire world to agree on everything. O’Brien does not believe in war, especially if that individual is against it. This goes back to what my mom said about how she feels about war. When my brother answered how war affects the community, he mentioned PTSD which is a huge illness today. Norman Bowker was an example of this from The Things They Carried. Bowker hung himself after the war because he felt so guilty about not being able to save his friend. That is a powerful example of how war affects soldiers and their families.
The first person that I interviewed about war was my mother. I asked my mom who is 53, how do you think war affects communities? She responded with " Family is the main priority. Families can tend to be stronger knowing that someone they love is overseas fighting for us. It can also affect them emotionally and cause them stress". The next question I asked her was, what does it mean to have courage? She said " to have confidence in yourself even if no one else does". Then I asked her what makes a hero? She replied with " A hero is someone who does the un thinkable and goes above and beyond what they are asked to do. They also have strength, courage and boldness unlike anyone else". The last question I asked her have you had any personal connections with someone who was overseas? She told me "I've known people that have had to go to war but have never know them personally. I cannot imagine what those people must go through and all of the thoughts they must have while he or she is away".
The next person that I interviewed was my father who is 55. I asked him, how do you think war affects communities? He said " When someone is killed or injured in battle it is very had for someone to imagine what really happened. Sometimes it can be very hard to overcome this". I then asked him, What does it mean to have courage? He told me " To have courage one must be able to fight everything that is in their way. They never give up no matter what the outcome is". The next question was, What makes a hero? He responded " A hero is someone who goes above and beyond their Call of duty. This person is willing to do anything he/she can do to help protect the lives of others. They are very bold and fearless". Then I asked him have you had any connections with someone who was at war? " He said when he was little his Uncle would always talk and tell him stories about how he served in WWII. He said he remembers him talking about all of the hardships they went through and how real he made his stories feel". To me I feel communities are affected greatly when someone they know is fighting at war. They are always thinking of the worst possible case. I believe that courage is a trait that someone has who acquires strength and commitment. A hero to me is someone who is going out of their may to make our lives better. They are very courageous, bold and fearless. In Yellow Birds the idea of war affecting a community can be described in many scenes. When Bartle first leaves to go off to war his mother would get very emotional and not want him to go because she was worried that her son would not come back. To some people war can have many affects on them whether they are short term or ones that will always stay with them.
The first interview I conducted was with my sister who is 20. First I asked her about how war affects communities, she said that it "breaks a community bond and also tears apart families." Secondly I asked her what it means to be courageous, she followed with "To do things that help others that would normally put them in an uncomfortable situation." Third, I asked her what is a hero, she stated "A hero is someone with courage that will go out of their way to help those in need, without any compensation." Lastly the question I made is what do you think war can do to a person? "She said that "It can traumatize them and mentally scar them." Lastly I interviewed my sister's boyfriend Steven, who is also 20. Again I asked how war affects the community, he stated "War can create a divide in the community that can not be fixed." Secondly I asked what it means to have courage, he said "To help without giving any concern for your own well being." Thirdly I asked him what being a hero is, he continued by saying that "a hero is someone who has to have courage and provide the best help that they have the ability to do." Lastly I asked him what war can do to a person, he said "war has the ability to ruin a person's state of mind and create problematic issues like PTSD." These can all be linked to the book as it shows how war has the ability to scar people mentally, like O'Brien when he killed the guy, it also shows courage because you need courage to do the things that war is required. Lastly it shows how courage is needed. Courage is needed because you are put into very harsh situations that you need to be courageous and have strong willpower to get through.
The first person i interviewed was Jeff. Jeff is 40. The first question i asked him was how do you think war affects communities? He responded with "War lowers people's morale while it tends to stimulate the economy". The next question i asked him was What does it mean to have courage? He answered with "courage is just being able to make the right decision and not being afraid to die". Another question i asked him was what makes a hero? His answer was "a hero is someone who puts someone else over themselves, they are not afraid to lose their life to save someone else". The last question i asked him was "how would you have reacted if you were drafted into the Vietnam war? He responded with"he would not have been happy about it but he would have went and did his time". The last person i interviewed was Dan. Dan is a 75 year old Vietnam veteran. The first question i asked him was how do you think the war affects communities? His response was "he said it depended on where you lived, if you were in California they were anti-war, but many of those affected were the ones who lost their sons or other family members". The next question i asked him was What does it mean to have courage? His answer was "facing and overcoming an obstacle". The third question i asked him was what makes a hero? He responded with "in war it is a person who puts their life in danger for other people, thats a hero to me". The last question i asked him was how he got into the war? His response was "He reenlisted and they sent him to Vietnam". These ideas sometimes showed up in the book when they would try there best to save each other, or how both of them said they would go to war if they had to or if they signed up. The answers did not seem to fit with my interviews because Dan was in the navy so he had a completely different side of the story than the foot soldiers. He told me he never saw fire in person, he could just hear it. The thing that connected the most between Dan and some of the characters was Dan told me the hardest thing was "loosing his friends".
The first person that i asked about war was 19 year old Dan. I asked how do you think war affects the communities he said that “It affects the community because everyone is connected in some way.” The next question i asked was what does it mean to have courage he said “courage is putting yourself in a situation to protect someone”. The next question is what is a hero and he said “A hero is someone who does the impossible to do something good”. The last question is what they thought of war and he said “that war is a not the answer and their should be more compromises that need to be made”. The next person i asked is Jerry he is 53 years old.” The first question i asked was how does he think war affects the community he said “that is affects the community a lot”. The next question i asked was what does it mean to have courage he said “courage is putting your life on the line for another”. After that i asked what is a hero he said “a hero is someone who does the unthinkable for another person” Lastly i asked what he thought of war and he said he “did not like losing friends because of war” These ideas show up in the book because soldiers show courage and heroism and it affects the community also.
For this mini-interview I chose to ask my Yaiyai (Grandmother;67)
ME: Okay, so first question, How do you think war affects communities?
YAIYAI: For the people all the soliders left behind it brings them together. We(herself and my mother, who was born on the base) lived on a base while Papa was over fighting, and had the little community of the wives and children, people who can understand what each other where going through. It brought us together and apart at the same time, because you depend on the people near you for support, but at the same time you can't talk face to face with the one person who you really want to be able to.
ME: What does it mean to have courage?
YAIYAI: I think it means to do what is right, even if you don't want to, but you have to, and might as well do it to the best of your ability.
ME: What makes a hero?
YAIYAI: Someone who has the guts to go and protect those who need it and risks themself for the good of everyone.
ME: What was your fear at the time of Papa being in war?
YAIYAI: My fear was that I would not see him alive again. We wrote back and forth to each other but words on paper doesn't have the same connection as actually being here.
The second person of this interview will end up being my younger sister named Emily. She is 14 years old and attends BHS as a freshman this year.
ME: How do you think war affects communities?
EMILY: I think that brings the people together, because we all have the same enemy and same goal.
(side question: ME: But what about the side we are fighting, that isn't bring people together, right?
EMILY: Well people on the same side okay. You know what I mean.)
ME: What does it mean to have courage?
EMILY: It means to fight for what you believe in and not to back down.
ME: What makes a hero?
EMILY: A hero is a person who helps people and saves them from bad things.
ME: What would have happened if Papa died in war instead of coming back?
EMILY: Well mom would have no sibilings and I don't know, we wouldn't live where we do?
Both of the people I interviewed had good answers but I have a tad bit different stance on all the questions. First off War doesn't just affects communities, it consumes them. Wheither you want to notice or not, it still happens. People become uneasy about everything, most of the economy is focused on war efforts and death and casualites become the norm. I think this idea is within Yellow Birds and is very promident: People didn't trust people of middle eastern background, the war on terror was one of the top priorities within the nation, and we, meaning the public became so desensitized to the fact that we have read about death of millions, almost everywhere and have barely bat an eye. For one to have courage to me means that even in the moments when you realize that this could be the day you die, or that there is nothing you can do to change the inevidable, but you try your hardest to beat the odds anyway. This is shown when we are reading about how they know people will die, and when they do, they feel bad, because a friend was lost, but at the same time glad because yes someone died but it wasn't them; they beat the odds this time. A hero is someone who does what they consider right by their own morals, and helps others to have the same eye opening experience that they had in order to get the same level of morality. But with every different person comes a set of different morals, so that definition of 'hero' could be taken wrong. But that is the same with everything else in the world, and I guess that is a reason why so many people have arugments and could start a war, because everyone's sense of moral justice is just as different as mine is to yours or the guy down the street. Each persons life experiences and understanding of social justice and appropriate public behavior helps shapes the moral grounds for each and every human that has ever been and ever will be.
The first person I interviewed was my Mother Jessica who is 49 years old. The first question i asked her was how does war affect communities? My mom said, "It brings the community together and also tears it apart at the same time, not everyone has the same views of war." The second question i asked was what does it mean to have courage? She responded saying, "Courage means to be able to face difficulty without fear." The third question i asked my mom was what makes a hero" My mom answered saying, "What makes a person a hero are their beliefs and actions that follow them." The fourth question i asked my mom was has any war affected you directly? She answered say, "Yes, the Vietnam war has affected me because of my oldest brother who was in it."
The second person i interviewed was my father Allan who is 44 years old. The first question i asked him was how does war affect communities? My dad said, "The war affects communities economically because many men and women are called upon to serve their country and when they come back from war there are no jobs for them to work at." The second question i asked my father was what does it mean to have courage? My dad answered saying, "Having courage means to have conviction in your beliefs." The third question i asked my dad was what makes a hero? He answer saying, "It is a person who helps others without concerns for their well-being."The fourth question i asked him was would you ever serve in a war? He said, "Yes, without hesitation."
A few of the ideas that my parents showed relation to the book like, how does war affect communities? In Yellow Birds, war brings the community together because all the families have to stick together and help each other out while war is going on, war is a devastating thing to go through on your own. Also war can tear the community apart at the same time because of deaths and emotional situations happing because of war. The third question i asked my father was what makes a hero? His answer shows relation to Bartle and Murphy in Yellow Birds, because they both helped each other without concerns for their well-being in war.
45-Mom
1) It can bring people together because of death
2) I think courage is already built within somebody but lets it show and goes above and beyond for others.
3) Somebody that would put themselves before anyone else in any situation.
4) *How has/would war affect you?* I have not experienced a war individually but I would want to help out in some way and it would also make me sad because I would not want to see soldiers die.
16-Kevin (Boyfriend)
1) Sad & want to help
2) Someone that has the bravery to stand up for their own opinion.
3) Someone that stands up for others and puts them first.
4) I would want to help by enlisting when I possibly could.
I feel like the character in my book would agree with both of the people I interviewed. He would probably give a more defined answer with more details because of his experience in the war. His answer would be very different for question number 4 because he was in the war and saw things that most people have never seen before. Juts like both people who answered question 1, I think the main character in the Things They Carried would do the same and want to help in any way he could.
The first person I interviewed was my father who is 45. I asked her How do you think war affects communities? he responded "War is like an infection. It can spread through emotions and effect many people in different ways. Next I asked What does it mean to have courage? Courage is something gifted to the hero's of everyday life. The people who hold on and are strong enough to take on any challenge with courage and wisdom. The third question was What makes a hero? A hero is someone who would risk their own life for a greater cause. My fourth question was "Does the affects of war effect everyone who went to war?" To which he responded "Everyone who has been in the situation of war would have some type of thing that happened to them. Something they wont forget for the rest of their lives.
The next person I interviewed was my Mother who is 54. Once again I asked "How do you think war affects communities?" She responded with "It makes a community stronger to rely on each other and get through tough times." next I asked "What does it mean to have courage" Answer: "Sometimes you might have to make decisions that are not always appealing to everybody else." Then i asked "What makes a hero?" Answer: "Somebody who doesn't think about themselves in a time of need". and finally i asked her if "war affects every person who actually goes to war?" Answer: "It not only effects the soldiers and fighters.. it affects everyone around you".
My Answers:
1. War can change communities entirely. Whether it be from the emotional standpoint or something like changing peoples jobs to create things for the war effort. You can't ignore war.
2. If you have courage.. you are not afraid of what happens next. You nobly commit and believe you can achieve anything
3. A hero is someone who also is not afraid. He/She will do anything it takes to help the greater good. Put others before themselves.
4. Yes war does affect everyone who is included in war. They will not forget what happened when they where there and what they witnessed.
My own question I asked refers to Pvt. Bartle in Yellow Birds. Although Murph is already dead. He continues to blame himself for the death of Murph and can't seem to forget him. Even when he is at home.. he still is thinking about what happend in Al Tafar and it changes who he is. The fact that he could of done something to change the outcome will always be in his head.
The first person i interviewed was my mom, who is 51 years old. I asked her how war affects communities and she responded by saying "War brings a community together. It brings people closer to work toward a common goal of bringing their loved ones home safe." The next question i asked was what it takes to have courage and she said "A person has courage when they are brave enough to do something not many other people are brave enough to do." I asked, "What makes a hero?" She responded "A hero can be anyone who does something that benefits others." Lastly is asked her how war has affected her life and she answered by saying "War has never directly affected me but my brother went to war and when he came back he was a changed person and suffered from PTSD."
The next person i interviewed was dad who is 52. I asked him how war affects communities and he said "War can help communities grow but it can also turn people against each other." Next i asked what it takes to have courage and he said "Going out and doing what is right even if you could die because of it." The third questions i asked is what makes a hero. "A hero is someone who fights for something they believe in for the good of others." Finally i wanted to ask what he would do if he was ever drafted and he told me "As much as i would not want to go, I would do it for my country."
In The Things They Carried, these men relate to the answers my parents gave because these men are heros. They are giving everything they can to their country, which takes a lot of courage. Even though O'Brian did not want to go to war, he did and that makes him a hero to his country
I interviewed my Grandpa, age 68 who was in the marines. The first question that I asked him was how he thinks war affects communities. His response was "I think that war brings the community together, and tears them apart at the same time. The community is fearful, yet grateful for their country and their pride." The second question that I asked him was what it means to have courage. His response was "Courage means to face ones fear, and face that fear with strength and hope." The third question that I asked him was what makes a hero? His response was "A hero is someone who willingly risks their own life to save another. A hero is a genuine, positive, strong person who puts others before themselves." The fourth question that I made up for my grandpa was how has the war affected you? His response was "I was never chosen to actually fight in war, but I trained for it, studied for it, and changed my life for it. I was devoted to my country and I still am just as devoted as when I enlisted in the Marines. I would still give anything for my country to this day, and would have given it my all on that battlefield." The second person I interviewed was my brother Matt. He is 19. The first question I asked him was how he thinks war affects communities. His response was "War affects communities by bringing them closer together and making them more appreciative of life and their country." The second question I asked him was what it means to have courage. His response was "Having courage is a great quality. It means to face your fears and do what is right for yourself and others, even though it may not be exactly what you want." The third question I asked Matt was what it means to be a hero. His response was "A hero is someone who risks their life for someone else's life. They have courage and strength." The fourth question that I asked Matt was if he would ever join the Marines. His response was "I love my country and community, but I would not enlist in the military."
Questions: (Grandpa Peters, age 68)
1) How do you think war affects communities?
2) What does it mean to have courage?
3) What makes a hero?
4) How has the war affected you?
Questions: (Matt, age 19)
1) How do you think war affects communities?
2) What does it mean to have courage?
3) What makes a hero?
4) Would you ever join the Military?
My own answers:
1) I think war affects communities in a positive and negative way. It brings them together because they may cherish others lives more, but it also tears them apart because knowing someone that is in war or that may be going into the war is a fearful situation, and it may cause problems in communities.
2) Having courage means to face ones fears head on with a positive outlook on the future.
3) A hero is someone who would physically give their life to save another persons life.
These ideas show up in the book because all of the men that are in the war have to have courage going in, even if they don't want to be there. They have to have courage even the slightest bit, or else they will die if they go in fighting with a negative outlook. The men are heroes in ways such as risking their lives for the sake of the country. All of the men that are in the military risk their lives every day for the country. That is what makes all of the men in the book a hero. The community is distraught because the speaker is fearful of the war, so he leaves everything that he knew behind, and just ran away, and left his community and family scared and fearful of what is to come.
For the fourth question I asked: "What are your thoughts on war?"
The first person I interviewed was my mom whom is 43:
1: I think it pulls communities together. Although war is not the most positive, it brings people together who don't have things in common, together. People start helping other people. It brings us together.
2: Doing something without thinking. It comes natural. You see someone in peril and you just react. You help them. You're not thinking about yourself, you're thinking of others.
3: Someone who would do something that makes you question if you could do that said thing. Someone who does something without a second thought. Who puts themselves behind others and brings them self to that line of fire without knowing what could happen.
4: At times I think war is a necessary evil. I don't believe it solves everything yet if you have someone being a bully, you have to stand your ground and say no. Sometimes it's the only thing. It truly does suck, but like it or not, war will always be apart of life.
The second person who I interviewed was my brother whom is 24:
1: It has positive and negative affects. Positives being it can end anything to dictatorships and genocides, all the extremes. Negatives being it can hurt economies, sometimes very badly... along with the deaths of soldiers and innocent people. It can also tear people and families apart. Sometimes it can be more negative than positive.
2: When you put someone else's well being in front of your own.
3: Somebody that saves innocent lives.
4: I think it can be good and bad, going back to the first question. It has its positive and negatives. It all depends what you're fighting for. At times I find war to be senseless, and then other times its more meaningful.
My answers 18:
1: Personally I think it affects communities in a negative way. Yes, although it may bring communities together as we stand side by side, fighting, I believe that it brings sadness, and hardships that no one should have to go through. I believe that there are other ways to solve conflicts that will bring a community much closer together than war, without all of the negatives that war brings along.
2: I believe that having courage means standing up for something. Whether you believe in it or not. You grow up and you stand up for it and you fight. that does not necessarily mean fighting in a war, it just means to fight for what your heart believes in in a very positive way.
3: A hero to me is someone that not only takes care of others, but takes care of themselves. They don't just push their own wellbeing to the back, they fight for others, and they still fight for themselves. That stick to their beliefs and they treat others with the respect that they would wish to receive from others.
4: In my own personal opinion, I find war to be a child's game. It just goes back and forth with no positive outcome in the end. Yes, we may win, but what do we really win? Constant fighting cannot get us anywhere. War brings in constant grief and sadness and hardships that we aren't built to maintain. It breaks people. the affect that war has on an individual psychologically, emotionally, and physically is not worth anything. No one should ever have to go through such things in their entire existence. It is not fair, and there is no point in it what so ever.
I chose to ask the last question of "What are your thoughts on war?" because in The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien is completely open about his thoughts on war before and after he was drafted. He opens up about how although he was at war, he was fighting for something he did not know. He thought the was was senseless and useless, the people during that time did not even know what they were fighting for...they were just fighting. I think that this impacts the entire book and it brings a sense of realness to it. Not everyone in any war WANTS to fight. Sometimes they don't have a choice.
The first person i interviewed was my mom (who is 49 years old). First, i asked her how does war affect the community? Her response was "It splits the community with the multiple different views and opinions over war itself." Then i asked what it means to have courage, she said, "Courage means to do what you think is right even if its not something you'd normally do whether or not its what everyone else is doing." I asked her what makes a hero? She says "A hero to me is someone who will stand up with courage and take on whatever challenge is handed over" Lastly I asked, how do you see war, and she responded "War to me is a strong way to solve issues and wishing along with many that there was no such thing.
Then i interviewed my friend Taylor (who is 21 years old). I asked the same questions starting with how does war affect the community? She said "It affects the community and families who have family members in war, constantly thinking about them as they are fighting but at the same time it brings people together." Second i asked, what it means to have courage and she responded with "to not be scared of anything and have no limits" I asked her what makes a hero? She said, "A hero is someone who is willing to do anything the can to help out a person or a group of people." Finally i asked how do you see war? She responded "War to me is a heartbreaking thing but theres no way to stop it because everyone will always have their own opinions and will be willing to fight and defend them."
As everyone wishes that it could be peaceful, it may never be because of the fighting that happens in war. In The Things They Carried, O'Brien was against the idea of fighting in the war. These answers after the interviews, he could relate to some or most. War affects people deeply and it can get so violent that it may even continue the deaths after war. As O'Brien was so against war, this was why. War gets emotions going whether it be with the soldiers or their families back at home always being concerned about them.
Dad (50)
1.I think that anytime there is a war it should bring communities together but most recently it's been nothing but division with half being for the war and half being against.
2. Courage is the ability to face your fears and not shy away from something that is tough.
3.Someone that puts their life on the line to save another person.
4.Have you ever felt a personal impact from the war and if so, how? My cousin was wounded in Iraq. He was injured by mortar fire. The same mortar fire killed his commanding officer whom was only feet away from my cousin.
Rhonda (dads fiancé)(47)
1.Anytime there is a war I think that it could affect a very tight-knit community if they have family members who have to be sent off to the war, it could have an impact because they don’t know what is going to happen to their loved ones. Also, it can either divide or unite a community based on their feelings being for/against the war.
2. A courageous person is mentally strong and they are able to have an impact on others and set a good example.
3. A hero has core values and stands up and fights for something they believe in. They also help others without looking for any sort of praise.
4. My mom was impacted because she lost a cousin, my dad was impacted because he lost a brother. Everybody including myself have been impacted by recent wars because you don’t know how they’re going to impact anything or how they are going to end
I think the war impacts communities by either bringing them together or apart. A lot of people have different stances on the war and I think that is one major way for communities to be impacted. To have courage is to be strong, and prepared for the worst. Always putting his/her own life on the line for the good of other people. A hero is someone who is courageous and they do things out of the kindness of their hearts and don't expect any praise. I think in the book The Things They Carried, it shows that they have all been impacted by the war. They have lost many people close to them, and have witnessed things they wish they hadn’t. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross lost one of his men, Ted Lavender because he was focusing on a girl back home. I think that losing someone and blaming yourself has a very personal impact like no other.
My first interviewer was Mary Reid, she's 16 years old. How does war affect the communities? Mary said, "I think war brings communities together, when people have a loved one overseas, I think the community would try to unify. Like help each other out through difficult times." The second question I asked: What does it mean to have courage? Mary said, "To stand up for what you believe in and you do what's right even though it might determine your life or death." The third question I asked: What makes a hero? Mary said,
"Heroes are people who sacrifice their lives for others." The third question I asked: Do you think the war in Vietnam was necessary? Mary said, "No I don't think the war necessary at all because, America should have realized that we weren't responsible all the countries in the world. When we resolved their issues for them, we lost lives, many lives."
The second person I interviewed was my dad, Stephen Reid he's 56 years old. How does war affect communities? Stephen said, "It deprives the community of funds, if you're fighting a war you take money from average citizen to help pay for that war. And then taxes are raised and the national debt increases." The second question I asked: What does it mean to have courage? Stephen said, "Courage to me is standing up for what's right even if it might effect those around you, courage is when you stand up for what's right when the majority is against you." The third question I asked: What makes a hero? Stephen said, "Someone who doesn't take reward against the innocent." The forth question I asked: Do you think the war in Vietnam was necessary? Stephen said, "No, we went in to show the Vietnamese how to fight, while we lied to the American people we told the American people that we were winning but in actuality we were loosing a terrible battle in Vietnam. You can't win a war in another country if the inhabitants are against you."
When I interviewed my dad and sister they both showed a similar response about whether we should have gone to war or not.
In the book The Things They Carried, the author talks about his feelings against the war through his story about Tim. Tim feels that he shouldn't go to ward because of his academic accomplishments, he even tries to flee towards Canada but he decides not to because he's afraid of what others will think. I believe the entire chapter is about how O'Brien, was against going to the war. From instances when he mentions, that if you don't care about truth watch out for who you vote for. I believe that little snip bit, tells the reader at that time that he believed the president along with many government officials, had lied to him. I think O'Brien felt that he was sent to a war that America did not belong to us, that we would have never one.
Mother Pam Chunat, Age 47 and Father Gerald Chunat, Age 51
JESSICA: How do you think war affects communities?
PAMELA: Well, people move around to avoid it.
GERALD: It makes them more concerned. They spend less, they save more.
J: What does it mean to have courage?
G: To be brave, and to do what’s right even though you know people aren’t always gonna agree with it.
P: I guess. It’s doing what’s right because it’s the right thing, not because someone told you to.
J: What makes a hero?
P: It’s someone who does the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.
G: Yeah, it’s a person that shows courage.
J: Has war affected you? How so?
P: Well, not really. In a way, yes.
G: Yeah, we have to go through all of these additional security.
P: I mean, it’s a lot harder to fly.
G: It’s not a lot harder to fly, there’s just more steps to get on the plane.
At first glance, it was hard to make connections to the book. My family doesn’t really have any military ties, and the most my family has been affected is the extra security stops when we fly. But my dad’s comment about being concerned concerned connected with Private Bartle’s mother. She was hesitant to agree with his choice of actually going to war, and she was upset with him because she didn’t want him to leave and not return. My mother’s comment, also, about how people move to avoid war reminded me of the towns that the soldiers visited in Yellow Birds. The towns were more or less deserted, with only a few people and the Afghanistan soldiers remaining. I feel that their answers of what makes a hero is similar to the personalities and characteristics of Private Bartle and Private Murph. They were both selfless and willing to do what they needed to keep those in the States safe.
Isabele (16)
1.) it brings people together.
2.) to be brave.
3.) Someone who helps others without being asked to.
4.) "What are your thoughts on war?"- just wants peace.
Seth(13)
1.) Makes people sad
2.) believe in yourself
3.) doing something for someone unexpectedly
4.) wants it to end
I think O'Brien would agree with these two responses. He shows us similar thoughts in his novel but more in dept.He struggled a lot internally and found it hard to find reasons to be fighting, This book is very graphic and authentic and truly opens the audiences eyes about the Vietnam war.
I interviewed my sister Stacey first who is 22. I asked her how she thinks war affects communities and she told me she thinks it leaves behind the families of those who are fighting, it leads to a lot of stress and chaos within families and friends of the people who are gone because no one knows what is happening besides the rare TV updates. She told me that courage is not always going with the majority's decision, but doing the right thing even if that means having to sacrifice in other areas. I asked her what made a hero and she told me that a hero is someone who is well-rounded and gives off a sense of protection and wisdom to people who look up to them, like a safe guard. The question that I came up with was "What is the most moving thing you have ever heard about war?" Stacey told me a quote by Mark Twain, "War is what happens when language fails." I asked my dad what he thought courage was, because I thought he would have a good answer. He compared courage to Martin Luther King Jr. by saying that he did something that killed him and he knew it could have killed him, but he did it because he knew it was the right thing to do. It was the only thing to do. He had the courage to get up and deliberately go against the entirety of society for the better of everyone involved, which also made him a hero, but the most courageous of them. I asked my mom, 53, what affect she thought war had on communities, and she told me that it pulled together people who are not normally tolerant of each other. This happens because everyone feels the same about it, in essence. She told me that a hero is someone who does or says something for the better of everyone when you are afraid to do or say the same thing. The most moving thing she has ever heard about war was that Vietnam never should have happened. I think war effects communities by taking a person or people from families and leaving the ones at home in the dust for the sake of the country, while either helping or ruining the soldiers. War does not always negatively affect the people who "fight" but when it does, it definitely raises the question of why any of it is necessary. I also believe there are other ways to learn discipline and humility. Courage, to me, is bravery. Courage is putting your fear aside for the sake of the matter and doing what may scare you for a reason that is bigger and better than the reasons you give yourself to stay cowardly. That does not mean that anyone who is not courageous is a coward. A hero is someone or something that is able to prevent a bad thing from happening. The most moving thing I have ever heard about war is a quote from the spoken word poet Andrea Gibson, "the math of war has always been subtraction."
The first person i interviewed was my mom, Melissa who is 40 years old. The first question i asked my mom was How do you think the war affects community? Her response was "I think that war brings the community together, and tears them apart at the same time". The next question i asked her was What does it mean to have courage? She said "To have courage means to be able to face difficulty without fear." The third question i asked my mom was What makes someone a hero? She said "Heroes are people who sacrifice their lives for others." Then the last question i asked was How do you see war? and she responded "War to me is a strong way to solve issues and for a country to fight for what they want.
The second person i interviewed was my 21 year old brother, Joey. The first question i asked him was How do you think the war affects a community? His response was "It brings community together, it brings people closer to work toward a common goal of bringing their loved ones home safe." The next question i asked my brother was What makes someone a hero? He says "A hero is someone who would physically give their life to save another persons life. The third question i asked was What does it mean to have courage? "Having courage is a great quality. It means to face your fears and do what is right for yourself and others". Then the final question i asked Joey was Does war affect every person who actually goes to war? his response was "It not only effects the soldiers, but it also affects everyone around you".
In the book The Things They Carried, the same ideas emerge in the book because war has a huge impact on peoples lives, whether they are directly involved or not. They show courage going into the military, even if they don't want to be there. The men are also heroes fighting for their country. All of the questions i asked my mom and brother and the answers they gave me gives a powerful example of how war affects soldiers and their families.
I interviewed my Uncle Troy who is forty-one and my friend Matt who is eighteen, both of which who are in the military. Matt was just recruited into EOD school for the navy and my Uncle Troy was a marine when he was twenty and is now an enlisted member of the army as a Master Sergeant and has done a tour in Afghanistan.
Question 1
Troy: I believe war puts massive strain on communities as people who go to war either die or when they return are not the same person and causes strife between homes and relationships.
Matt: War effects communities greatly by taking loved ones from their homes and putting them in to a situation where they will likely die as many people react in different ways and death becoming desensitized has proved to change people when they return.
Question 2
Troy: To be courageous is to do something despite the fear that is present within oneself.
Matt: To be courageous is to move forward even though you are scared to do so.
Question 3
Troy: A hero is someone who will do the unthinkable in order to preserve a life.
Matt: A hero puts himself before anyone else and will risk his life for others.
Question 4: How does it/ do you think death becoming desensitized changes your view of the world?
Troy: Death has become a ordinary thing, where I held a little girl and took her to the hospital and three days later I went to visitor she was dead it was indescribable to touch human life one day and then the next for them to be just gone.
Matt: I believe death will occur with my occupation choice no matter what and once I see death first hand I wont ever be the same.
I answered all these questions as if I put myself through a war, realizing it would never be the same. War is damaging to a community it rips people from their homes and does a lot of collateral damage in the process. To be courageous is to do a horrific act while fear is present. A hero is ready give up his all at any time no matter what the situation is. In O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" exemplified my question by the chapter in which O'Brien kills his first man with a grenade and he becomes desensitized to killing.
The first person I spoke with is my mother (38 years old.) I asked her to honestly tell me how she thinks war affects the community, she responded with "good and bad, we are proud of the people who live here and choose to serve and beyond upset over those who dont come home." She also added that she could not imagine my dad being in the war and someone knocking on our door to tell her that my dad would not be coming home. My mom believes that courage is something you must gain and that a hero is anybody who conquers something bigger than themselves. I asked my mom if she would be ok with my dad going into the war and she said she would feel like everyday she would have to play a guessing game with if or if not he would come home. I believe she means she would feel way too nervous with him away.
I continued to interview my 13 year old sister Gracie.
1."I always get so sad when I see an old man who has a war veteran hat on or something eating alone at breakfast, I cant think of anyone in our particular community that wouldnt be sad after seeing that. I dont know why thats just what I thought of."
2. "just be strong, its hard everybody knows that but keep going"
3." someone who does something crazy awesome, probably for someone they love."
4. "If dad went into war I would hate it I would wake up every morning so sad."
I interviewed my dad who is 50 and I asked him the question how do you think war affects communities? and he said “the war usually destroys the communities if a bomb gets dropped on a community then it destroys it.” then I asked him I also asked, what does it mean to have courage? and he said “It means to overcome your fears.” I also asked him what makes a hero? he said “When you put others ahead of yourself to do something brave.” Then I asked him what would you say to someone fighting in the war? he replied “May God protect you and thank you for your service.” Then I asked my sister who is 15 and I asked her how do you think war affects communities? and she said “It affects the way people think about life and there community.” then I asked her what does it mean to have courage? and she said “It means to be brave and to go against the crowd.” I also asked her what makes a hero? and she said “Someone who is willing to give up their time or money for someone else.” Last thing I asked her was what would you say to someone fighting in the war? and she said “I really appreciate everything you do for me and for our country, be safe on your journey.” I think that war affects communities when people are brought closer because of their loved ones who are fighting in the war. I also think that to have courage you have to believe that you can do as much good as you can do. To be a hero means you have to be able to go out and fight for others and things that need fighting and believing in the good in others that no one else believes in. I would tell someone that is fighting in the war to be careful and thank them for everything they do. I would also ask them what it feels like to know that they are fighting for our country and that they are putting their lives before us. When I asked my sister what she thinks it makes up a hero her response which was “It means to be brave and to go against the crowd.” reminded me of in the book The Things they Carried by Tim O’Brien when Tim wanted to move to Canada. It reminded me when Tim was out on the boat about to go to Canada and he thinks about his family and friends and what he thinks they would say to him and he was brave enough to go back home and go into the war.
I interviewed my dad who is 42 and when I asked him how he thought war affected communities he said “Depending on the support for the war, it can either bond a community closer or tear them apart. WWII caused America to bind together for the most part, yet a war like Vietnam where there were mixed opinions weakened us.” I then asked what it meant to have courage and he said “Self sacrifice, plain and simple” When asked what he thought made a hero, he responded, “a selfless act in the face of overwhelming odds” With the question I created I asked him “What do you think happens when someone goes to war without these qualities (being a hero, courage, etc)?” and he responded “It can be detrimental to the people around them. They all depend on each other to survive, and if someone doesn’t have those qualities, their actions affect not only themselves but the men around them.”
The second person I interviewed was my little brother Austin who is 9. I asked him how does war affect communities? And his response was “It destroys them because everyone is scared of the war and some people think the war should end and some people don't”. Then I asked what he thought it meant to have courage, which he responded with “To want to do your best. Like when you keep thinking ‘you can do it’” When I asked him what he thought made a hero, he had a very similar answer to my dad and said “To be someone who risks their life for certain important reasons” When I asked him what happens when someone goes to war without courage and heroism he said “The whole army would break apart and they would lose the war”
I agree with the answers that they gave for the most part. I found it interesting that there was such an age difference between my two interviewees, yet their answers were very similar. My dad’s answer to the last question I asked was particularly interesting to me because of the relationship to one of the stories in my book, The Things They Carried. The story of how Norman Bowker did not help Kiowa survive in a desperate situation directly relates to how much courage and strength he had. He was not able to face the “overwhelming odds” that were given to him, which in turn lead to the death of his friend. My little brother’s response to the question of what he thought courage was made me think as well. Maybe it was just him not understanding the question, but in the end does everything come back to self gratitude? Back on the subject of Norman Bowker, he keeps talking about how he didn’t get his 7th medal because his courage wasn’t enough. Yes, the main reason he dwells on this is because he let his friend die, but he keeps coming back to the fact that he didn’t do the best that he could do.
The person I interviewed was my mom who is 54. Q:1 "How do you think war affects communities?" My mom said that she thinks that it makes it harder for a community to work together to make things better. I agree and also think that war makes the community somewhat hectic and worried because war is unpredictable. Q:2 "What does it mean to have courage?" My mom thinks that a courageous person is one who is brave and to not be afraid of whatever battles that person may face. I agree with that and also think that people who have courage are not afraid to make sacrifices. Q:3 "What makes a hero?" My mom says that a hero is someone who puts their life on the line to save somebody's life. I agree with what my mom said and would like to add that hero's are very strong, smart, and courageous to take on the things that they battle through. Q:4 "Whats your favorite war movie?" Me and my mom both liked Forrest Gump and My dad and I still want to see American Sniper.
Me and my mom had many similar answers which is very cool. In question 3 "What makes a hero?", My mom answered that it is somebody who puts their life on the line for somebody else. I think that this symbolizes war because as an individual in the war you are all putting your lives on the line for each other.
Mother
1. War, while it does bring together the community together against one problem, it has recently been a heavily debated topic. It is starting to tear the country apart because people support our involvement while others think its unnecessary.
2. Courage means being able to stand for something even if others don't approve of it.
3. A hero is someone who faces problems and attacks them head on for a good cause. They have courage and bravery and are good people.
4. "Has war ever affected you personally?" While no one I have ever meet has passed while in war it still is a very scary place for them and I always want them to be safe.
Step-Father
1. War can break a community down but also build it up to. War can fix the moral in America but also divide it.
2. Courage is something that happens when a person does the right thing even if he's the only one doing so.
3. A hero is someone who has strong character, good morals, courage, and will stand for what is right no matter what.
4. My cousin when to Iraq and was a different person when he came back. He is now heavily against war and is a peace advocate.
In The Things They Carried, the author didn't want to go to Vietnam, but was forced to. He made it clear that he was very much against the whole idea and to this day Vietnam still haunts his dreams. O'Brien saw things that completely broke down grown men. He thinks war is something that while makes strong bonds, has the option to destroy bonds too.
The people i interviewed are both very close to me. I interviewed my grandfather (69) and my boyfriend, Steve (20). The answers will be listed under the question number for each person.
Question 1
Grandfather: War can cause communities to band together or to fall apart. Physically, war can destroy a community, but war doesnt fix communities that are broken.
Steve: War hurts communities. I feel bad for the communities that get affected by war because they're not really involved.
Me: Communities are affected either in the sense that they can pull together and send supplies to troops, to help them, or if the war is going on in their country, its possible that the community can fall apart due to the stresses.
Question 2
Grandfather: it means sacrificing yourself for your comrades.
Steve: Being able to go into the army, marines, navy, airforce, whatever, all of those areas...thats courage right there. Being able to stand up and defend your country.
Me: It means you're afraid, you have no clue what's gonna happen, if youll die or not, but you still go through with whatever you gotta go through with.
Question 3
Grandfather: A hero in war is anyone who can say they saved innocents at any cost.
Steve: Anyone who does something to save the day...the less they brag about it, the better the hero.
Me: a war hero is someone who saves the life of someone else or gives their own for the greater good. everyone in war is a hero.
Question 4
"What happens when nobody in the army is brave?"
Grandfather: You get a bunch of babies crying home to their mommies and we have a war to lose.
Steve: Well, that wouldn't be good at all. You'd get people shaking so bad they could barely hold their guns. you need bravery to go to war.
Me: People would be too afraid to shoot and kill. they wouldn't be able to break their own moral code.
In the book the things they carried, these ideas all show up in the book somewhere. For example, it talks of how jumping on a grenade sometimes is helpful while in others it isn't, but the fact of it showing courage and heroism is there. another example of bravery is when tim from the things they carried chooses not to go to canada although he does not believe in war. Other men would have jumped off the boat and swam the distance, yet tim shows his bravery, although motivated by embarassment, when he does not jump off and swim away to avoid war. When Steve answered that war hurts communities, this is shown in the things they carried as well because the soldiers sometimes do messed up things to the villagers of vietnam. for example, one tortued a baby buffalo and then threw it in the water well. that affects the villagers in that they have trouble getting clean water. all in all, the answers from both were similar yet through different eyes.
The first person I interviewed was my mom who is 51 years old. When I asked how she thinks war affects communities, she responded: "I think war is actually good for communities, as it could bring the people together."When asked the same question my little cousin (6 years old) she responded with "I think that war is very very bad and it isn"t good for people at all". When asked: "What does it mean to have courage?" my mom said "courage is when you can stand up for what you believe in." My cousin said"Courage is when you can stay strong even when you don't want to". When asked "What makes a hero?" my mom said "A hero is someone who does noble things for a good cause" my cousin answered "To be good and have people look up to you". And for the last question I asked "What do you think are some of the hardships faced in war?". My mom responded with: "Being away from your family and being in an unknown environment might be some of the most difficult things about the war." My cousin said "it would be scary when people you don't know are trying to hurt you, I think that is the worst thing about it." These answers are very different than what real soldiers or veterans would have answered. The responses show how people today know vey little about the war and its difficulties.
My responses
Q1: I feel war affects communities in a sad, but positive way. The fact that everyone in the community feels like they invested something in the war can bring them together and comfort each other in difficult times.
Q2: To have courage means to have fear, but to ignore the fear and act anyways. It means to do what must be done no matter what.
Q3: A true hero could have many special qualities, but most importantly compassion and courage.
Q4: Some of the hardships faced in war is being away from family and seeing death everywhere you look. You need to rely on those around you to comfort and stabilize you emotionally.
Paula, 40 years old,My Mom
1. How do you think war affects communities?
The community would rally together to support each other. They are also going to be people that are antiwar and will protest it.
2. What does it mean to have courage?
Being brave in the brave in the face of danger.
3. What makes a hero?
Someone that goes above and beyond, or somebody who does what is right, not what is easy.
4. You can create the fourth question.
The question I asked is: Do you think the nobility behind serving in a war changes if the enemy is very unidentifiable (such as recent terrorist groups), or is very unorganized?
No it does not, it makes it more noble.It is because for the first time in history, America is not fighting against another country that we disagree with, America is fighting against a different ideology.
The next person I interviewed was my father, who is 38 years old.
Nathan, 38 years old.
1. How do you think war affects communities?
He thinks its scary, painful or prideful if the war is justified.
2. What does it mean to have courage?
You do things even when your scared.
3. What makes a hero?
Somebody who exceeds expectations for a righteous cause.
4. Do you think the nobility behind serving in a war changes if the enemy is very unidentifiable (such as recent terrorist groups), or is very unorganized?
No, but it can lead to more ignoble things if one become evil or hateful towards an enemy that is unidentifiable.
My answers as a 17 year old person:
1. How do you think war affects communities?
I think it brings communities together and makes them stronger, even for just a short amount of time.
2. What does it mean to have courage?
To have the nerve to do something that might kill, ruin or destroy one's self.
3. What makes a hero?
The thing that makes a hero a hero is their standing up for the right thing, not the popular thing.
4. Do you think the nobility behind serving in a war changes if the enemy is very unidentifiable (such as recent terrorist groups), or is very unorganized?
No. I say this because sometimes the citizens of a nation become tools of their government, and if the government is corrupt, the cause is corrupt and the people are doing what they are told.
The way the ideas presented in these interviews are seen in The Yellow Birds is that these are traits that Bartle has when he talks to Murphy's Mom. He promises her that he will bring Murphy back home, even though that is the unpopular thing to do, it was the right thing to do. Another example of this is when Bartle is with the girl in the brothel the morning after his old leader abuses her. He does not ask her to do anything physically intimate to him, just to rub his feet. He, yet again, did what was right, not what was popular. this is how the ideas in the interviews above relate to The Yellow Birds.
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Person interviewed: Katherine Eckrich (Grandmother, 81)
*answers were slightly shortened to tell main points
1. How do you think war affects communities?
-There were a lot of people in our neighborhood who fought in vietnam, it was hard for me and the other wives when they had to leave. It brought the community closer together.
2. What does it mean to have courage?
-To be able to stand up for what you believe in no matter what the circumstances
3. What makes a hero?
-Someone who puts the needs of others before their own, they have courage and are brave. There are a lot of qualities heroes could have
4. You can create the fourth question- How did you feel after grandpa left for vietnam?
-At first it was hard because the letters we sent to each other took so long to deliver I was worried that they would never come. I worried about him all the time. The other wives of soldiers and myself always got together to talk and have dinner together
Person interviewed: Mary Cundiff (Mother, 41)
How do you think war affects communities?
-When I was younger my brother went into the military and it was always on my mind. My best friend Sheila’s dad died in Vietnam and it was hard for her, I think it brought us closer together
What does it mean to have courage?
-When someone can do things that not everyone is able to do. It’s so important to have for anyone in the military.
What makes a hero?
-Someone that knows what needs to be done and will do anything to accomplish it. They are unselfish and brave.
You can create the fourth question- What did you do when 9/11 happened?
-I was at work and my boss Richard sent everyone home and closed the restaurant. I went to pick up you and your sister and I cried the whole car ride
Myself
I think it affects the loved ones and friends of the people who are involved in the war
To have courage is to be able stand up for yourself or others
A hero is someone who puts others needs before his/her own, and always does the right thing
Where were you on 9/11?
-I was in preschool and I did not know what was going on at first
In The Yellow Birds we see elements of courage, heroism, and affect on the community. In a way we can see some of the characteristics of a hero in Private Bartle. He feels personally responsible for the death of Murph. He feels that he could have saved him so it hangs over his head for a long time. He also felt that throwing the mangles body of Murph into the river was better than showing the family what happened to him. Although it may have been the wrong thing to do and he got in trouble for it he wanted to save them the pain of seeing it. There times in which we see them display courage in the story as well. When Bartle runs back to the vehicle to try and save Murph he displays courage. Though he shows a lack of courage when he hides the body of Murph and doesn’t tell anyone. Him hiding the body affected the community and the family of Murph by not giving them closure and the knowledge.
I chose to interview my cousin Julian who is entering the air force (much of his life i observed and we have talked a lot growing up the same age) and my Cousin Patrick who just got done serving several tours in a hot zone and is now training South Korean soldiers in an ally program with that country. Julian and I come from a military family so i understood why he was entering the Air force, its almost a tradition: his grandfather, father, mother, aunt, uncle, and other uncle were all in the military. So a sense of obligation to not only our country but to our family was inferred but never instilled. His parents always encouraged him to chase his dreams, taking advanced classes his goals were to be an engineer but late high school in his junior year he changed his mind and decided he wanted to be in the military "I just realized it was never a question of will i join, growing up i see that now; The only question there ever was is: Navy or Air Force?" Two years ago when Cousin Patrick was still in Afghan he was shot down and wounded. Julian did say he that scared him but nothing would stop him from joining the military. Cousin Patrick was a big teddy bear, jolly would be a good description. Key word is "would" but after getting a purple heart and seeing some of his friends die he changed. Reserved was something not associated with Pat but now thats the only word that comes to mind. I asked him what he thought about war and this is what he said "I don't think anything about, because it doesn't think anything about me. It didn't care when my son was just born and i had two weeks left till i come home, it still shot me, still wounded me without hesitation." What question do i ask after that? i couldn't muster up the courage to ask another senseless question that seemingly only brought up unpleasant memories. His demeanor changed with Julian and i about us joining the military, "I don't wish this life upon any of you" That struck deep but the only answer i had was : That i don't wish anyone had to go through it either but if someone has to do it I rather take the place than another. Let someone kind, gentle, and virtues, everything i am not stay back and let me take there place
1. How do you think war affects communities?
2. What does it mean to have courage?
3. What makes a hero?
4. Did you know anyone that died in 9/11
Mom 51
1. War affects families so yes they affect communities because sometimes a family member or friend never comes back.
2. Courage is a resolve to act in the midst of your fears.
3. Heroes are just regular people that have a strong enough conviction to do something about the injustice in the world.
4. No
Sister 18
1. War affects communities because people that go to war leave their friends and family behind and they are indirectly affected by the war.
2. Courage is doing something even though you might be afraid of it.
3. Heroes are people that stand up for what is right and do what it takes to fix it.
4.No
Me 17
1. War does affect communities because a person that goes to war leaves his or her friends and family behind and they are affected by the well being of those who left, so yes war affects communities on a personal level.
2. Courage is doing something even though it may not be easy, people might not agree with you but you know its the right thing to do or if you are afraid of something.
3. Heroes are someone who go above and beyond of what is expected of them. However everyone's definition will vary because of the heroes in their lives, so really a hero is someone who makes a profound difference for good in another person's life.
4. No
These questions relate to The Things They Carried because we see these themes of heroes, courage and the affect war has on the community. When Rat's friend gets killed and he has to right home to the sister, the sister and the rest of the family and the community of the man who died are affected. A community is not necessarily just a neighborhood or the people that live around you. It is a network of people that care about each other, family and friends. Courage and heroes are shown in the things they carried throughout the book. One good example of courage in the Tim O'Brien decides not to go to Canada even though he does not believe in war. It is not that he is afraid of war, but it still took courage to go against his own beliefs to protect his family and country. Heroes are shown in the things the carried in the way that no man in the war considers himself a hero. A good quote is "He would've explained to his father that none of these decorations was for uncommon valor. They were for common valor." In other words the men do not believe what they do is heroic because to them it is just daily life so what heroism is depends on the eye of the beholder.
I interviewed my mother, age 54, who has worked for the government at the VA for over 30 years.
1. How do you think war affects communities?
“In many cases it unifies communities with a sense of patriotism and are will to work towards a united cause. I think that there is a perceived sense that our country is in jeopardy, but there have been other cases where people become afraid and turn on eachother, like with the Japanese-Americans in WW2.”
2. What does it mean to have courage?
“Courage is putting aside your fear to do a job that you’ve been called to do. It doesn’t have to be physically tough, it can be spiritually, mentally and emotionally difficult.”
3. What makes a hero?
“Being a hero means sacrificing your own needs to go out and protect other people. Police officers, Firemen, and Military personnel are all heros because of the great sacrifices they make to do their duty.”
4.What do you think are appropriate reasons to go to war?
“A purposeful attack on our soil or our allies, if our allies ask for assistance. When the government sets aside the constitution and refuses to obey the laws of the republic. I feel that we went to war before to establish that form of government and it’s worked well for over 200 years. It’s a government that respected people's rights and dignity. For over 200 years we have been one of the greatest nations in the world and that shouldn’t be set aside because a few people don’t agree and want to hold onto their power.”
Arron Ozanich, age 45, an IT Administrator. He is my friends father.
“In all ways the economy, infrastructure, morality. on the battle front side and are being attacked buildings can be destroyed, resources can be limited, difficulty travelling. Emotionally the people are affected with fear and uncertainty.”
2. “Courage is the ability to do or support something that is difficult and is usually not understood by everyone else.”
3. “A hero is someone who has high standards of themselves and helps others to achieve high standards in what they do.”
4. “Suppressing people physically or killing people unnecessarily. Threatening with eminent destructive tools, if people are supporting or paying for terrorism, groups or organizations that are killing or taking over areas. War should be something that countries work together to prove that it's necessary to enter into. Multiple countries need to vote or agree in the engagement of war.”
The first person I interviewed was my grandma, My grandma is 74. My first question for her was how does she think the war affects communities? Her answer was “I think war affects communities in a negative, but positive way. It brings people together because it is so harsh and people with loved ones in war can relate to each other and support each other.” The second question was what does it mean to have courage? Her answer was, “Courage means to be brave and to do for others what they may be afraid to do for themselves. It means to do things with integrity.” The third question I asked was, What makes a hero? Her answer was, “A hero is someone who is risking something in return for a greater cause. A hero is brave and courageous.” My last question for my grandma was, What was war like when she was my age? Her answer was, “When I was your age it was around 1958, so the Vietnam War was in effect and there was chaos and many tried to make the war sound sweeter than it really was. There was so much propaganda that many did not know about the REAL war.”
The second person I interviewed was my close friend Jacki Faught who is in the Army. Jacki is 19 years old.
Me: How do you think war affects communities?
Jacki: “War is an awful, yet commendable thing. Brave people of any age or gender, go out and sacrifice their life for the good of their people. It brings people together, but it can also tear people apart.”
Me: What does it mean to have courage?
Jacki: “Courage means to do what is right, for those who may not be able to. It means to to have strength while faced with pain, or anguish.”
Me: What makes a hero?
Jacki: “A hero is someone who is helpful and understanding. A hero to me is my mom for example, she’s my rock and is always there when I need her. I may be a hero to her, but she is always saving me.”
Me: How has the Army changed you?
Jacki: “It made me hard. It made me feel less emotion, but it also made me feel more for myself. I know what I’m doing is right and I know I am making my loved ones proud.”
My own answers:
I think war has a huge affect on communities. War is a terrifying, yet courageous thing that can bring communities together, or tear communities apart. People who understand the affects of War can relate to others who understand, which brings people together. Having courage means to have strength in times when it is needed. It means to be strong for people who can’t be.
What makes a hero is someone who stands up for what is right and fights for it. Someone who others can look up to.
These ideas show up in my book. With Jacki’s answers, I thought of how Jimmy Cross felt about Martha and war. Jacki explains that she felt hard, and emotionless. There comes a time in The Things They Carried where Jimmy starts to feel emotionless, when he comes home and he can not get back into a homelife routine. He feels guilt and sadness for being sent back home while others are fighting for their life.
I interviewed my mother, age 54, who has worked for the government at the VA for over 30 years.
1. How do you think war affects communities?
“In many cases it unifies communities with a sense of patriotism and are will to work towards a united cause. I think that there is a perceived sense that our country is in jeopardy, but there have been other cases where people become afraid and turn on eachother, like with the Japanese-Americans in WW2.”
2. What does it mean to have courage?
“Courage is putting aside your fear to do a job that you’ve been called to do. It doesn’t have to be physically tough, it can be spiritually, mentally and emotionally difficult.”
3. What makes a hero?
“Being a hero means sacrificing your own needs to go out and protect other people. Police officers, Firemen, and Military personnel are all heros because of the great sacrifices they make to do their duty.”
4.What do you think are appropriate reasons to go to war?
“A purposeful attack on our soil or our allies, if our allies ask for assistance. When the government sets aside the constitution and refuses to obey the laws of the republic. I feel that we went to war before to establish that form of government and it’s worked well for over 200 years. It’s a government that respected people's rights and dignity. For over 200 years we have been one of the greatest nations in the world and that shouldn’t be set aside because a few people don’t agree and want to hold onto their power.”
Arron Ozanich, age 45, an IT Administrator. He is my friends father.
“In all ways the economy, infrastructure, morality. on the battle front side and are being attacked buildings can be destroyed, resources can be limited, difficulty travelling. Emotionally the people are affected with fear and uncertainty.”
2. “Courage is the ability to do or support something that is difficult and is usually not understood by everyone else.”
3. “A hero is someone who has high standards of themselves and helps others to achieve high standards in what they do.”
4. “Suppressing people physically or killing people unnecessarily. Threatening with eminent destructive tools, if people are supporting or paying for terrorism, groups or organizations that are killing or taking over areas. War should be something that countries work together to prove that it's necessary to enter into. Multiple countries need to vote or agree in the engagement of war.”
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