Tim O'Brien Post # 2

Tim O'Brien

Erin Meierbachtol

For my assignment I have chosen to write about Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried; his book is a collection of many shot stories about his time serving in the war. For my discussion I have picked the story On The Rainy River, this happens to be my first reading of Tim O’ Brien. His work seems to be structured around the Vietnam War; this for any writer has to be a very strong achievement because there are so many stories out there on this War. His work is open and raw never leaving you to question his mortality. For example in the beginning of the story he tells you about living in Minnesota and the great details of his life taking place in 1968. He has just graduated, from college and working at a plant that sell pork products Tim works on the assembling or what he likes to call the dissembling. His life so far seem content peaceful and quite wholesome. While living in Minnesota one day after playing a game of golf he gets a letter that he has been drafted into the WAR on June 17, 1968 mid afternoon.  On page 39 of his book he quotes after opening up the letter “feeling the blood go thick behind my eyes”, I can’t imagine getting a letter that basically could be your death scent. At that point in time he knew exactly what he was how he felt, like being too smart and to good for this war. Wanting to run take off to Canada I feel sorry for him feeling so scared of not knowing what next.

In his short story he takes you thru the trials of a twenty-one year old trying to figure out how to except this new quest. I think it was wrong back them to have drafted so many young men not even knowing what they were getting into. Like Tim had said in his book he didn’t even know how to use a rifle. This is wonderful short stories that show how hard it was for a young man to have been drafted.  At first he runs and that exactly what I would have done, I can’t image being told to do something and not having any control. I believe that he is making a great statement on how hard it is for a person to have gone thru this time. He does run; he makes an escape to some small cabin in Canada were maybe he got some kind of phenomenon that might have come for an older gentlemen that gave him the courage to believe in himself. You can say that his time spent with Elroy Berdahl an eighty-one year old man at the Tip Top Lodge may have just been the answer that made him who he is today. I like this story and for many reason one of which is how open and real Tim O’Brien can be as a writer. He explains how him and the man or fishing down a river and he states “ I remember starting at the old man, then at my hands, then at Canada” how amazing knowing what you have ahead and what that man must have lived thru. I think this was the point that made him understand that he needed to go to WAR.

Responding to A Poem

The woman hanging from the 13th floor window,

Well this was the first poem that I read in all of the choices and it really moved me. I get this lady, maybe because she could be a patient that I have seen or cared for; a stressed out mother like I can become. It’s a deep poem in the meaning that life is hard and can get you down, this women was obviously trying to hurt herself but she stop. She began to think about her family and her parents making her believe in a better life.
In the poem I love this one verse (When she was young she ate wild rice on scraped down plates in warm wood rooms. It was in the farther north and she was the baby then.)
How amazing to have such an incredible memory of your childhood. I really liked this poem it was well written with great thought and meaning towards life.

Compendium of Lost Objects

For me this poem was kind of a scatter poem, all over the place. I like poems that are more of a story. This would not be a top pick for me. However the writer did make a statement, I am still not, clear if this was some type of wreck in her life? A lost childhood or a damage memory just trying to forget? Well, the beauty of poetry is it can be what ever I want it to be. I will believe for now it has to do with some type of fire or painful memory in her childhood that she desperately is trying to escape from. One of my favorite verse is ( but the battered, the rope swing, the rusted barge sunk at the water’s edge) you can almost close your eyes and see the rope swing. I love it.. I may not give this one such a high rating however I did like her spunk, this prompted me to look up more and anyone interested in her should look at a book called (The Afflicted Girls Poems) it’s filled of wild and different crazy off beat poems. Nicole Cooley is from Louisiana and much of her work reflects it.

Good Readers and Good Writers

Good Readers and Good Writers


Vladimir Nabokov, had many great ideas on what made a good reader. His thoughts may have been different, give the time period he is right on target. One of his strongest points that he makes is ( one begins at the wrong end and travels away from the book before one has started to understand it) I find this to be so true. I don’t know how many times I have to read a book or a part over and over before I truly understand the significance. Another saying he has is (when this new world has been closely studied, then and only then let us examine its links with other worlds) in other wise, make sure you know your facts before you go stating them. I truly believe he took great passion in his work and it shows.

What makes a good reader? For me it’s someone who can read a book and completely lose themselves in the artist. This is when you can get, so involved in your reading that its breathtaking. Reading is an art not everyone can read a book and transform themselves into a different person. What makes a good reader is just letting go of yourself.

hello,