After the war, Jimmy carried the physical ability to still be able to talk about all the things that went on during the war- no matter how terrible. Some people come back from the war traumatized and even thinking about the things they encountered bothers them, let alone talking about it. Emotionally, he still carries the regret of Lavender's death and says he will never forgive himself. He feels responsible for Lavender getting killed. He says that stories are for when your memories are gone and there is nothing left but the story to remember. I agree with what he says. But I also think that stories are a way to keep memories alive, no matter how long ago it happened.
After the War Jimmy still carried the same picture of his distance one way lover, even though it was a different copy it held the same image. He also carried the burden of the death of his comrade lavander. The narrator say that stories are forever. The stories he is talking about our past memories and even if you forget the memory , the stories was in the past so it will forever have happen (unless time pardox). I think stories roles are remember the good and the bad times. The good stories make you laugh and happy. While the bad stories are lessons.Stories roles are to turn the past back to present.
I think that it was realistic he did not. They way he talked about her seems to be more admiring then love . He respected her to much to take anything farther than a friendship especially since she was not interested
Physically Jimmy carried the same picture of his lover, Martha. It wasn't the exact one but a copy of the same picture. Emotionally, he carries the responsibility for Lavenders death. That still gets to him all those years later. He still carries his love for Martha although she still does not feel the same way towards him. The narrator says that stories are what we tell about the memories we remember. I think stories are just like that. Good or bad, we can eventually tell our memories to others and maybe they will go on and tell someone the story to keep it going.
After the war, Cross physically carries yet another picture of his love, Martha. She hands him another picture one morning at breakfast and instructs him not to burn this one. Cross is so confused as to whether or not Martha actually loves him. He thinks this because she ended her letters with, "love Martha." However, when Cross tells Martha that he loves her, she says nothing. Emotionally, Cross still carries the guilt of Lavender's death. It haunts him everyday because he feels like it is his fault. Even so long after the war, the guilt from Lavender's death haunts Cross as if he had just died. The narrator says that stories are a way to remember memories, and that writing about what one remembers is a way of dealing with the things that he cannot forget. So the narrator writes in order to deal with his painful experiences in life. I think this is very close to my view of stories because writing about them can certainly help you to deal with the emotional pain of it. Some authors even use this in order to write some of their own stories.
After the war, Jimmy physically carried a picture of Martha even after she rejected him. He still loved her even though she did not feel the same about him. He also carries the ability to talk about what happened during the war. Many people return from war traumatized and are unable to talk about they lived through. He also still carries the guilt for Lavender’s death. Tim, the narrator, says that the role of stories is to remember memories and to ease the pain of them. They also connect the past with the future. I agree with that statement. Everyone has painful memories. By writing them down, a person can come to terms with them and see how these events sparked happy memories and better times for a person.
Some people, myself included, see writing as cheap therapy. I know I always feel better once I've written things down, even if it's just a To Do list that I can cross items off of.
After the war Jimmy carried a new picture of the girl he loved, Martha. She gives it to him and tells him not to burn it, even though she doesn't love him back. He also carries the ability to talk about what happened in war, many people can't talk about memories of war because they went through so much. Emotionally he carries the guilt of Lavender's death. When he is visit Tim O'Brian and confesses that he feels at fault. The narrator says that stories are what bring back memories and writing down stores is a good way to deal with the pain. I agree with what he says because whenever I write a story I tend to base it off of something that I have experienced or a certain feeling that a memory gives me. That's the reason some people keep journals or diaries and the way many authors come up with good books.
After the war Jimmy could carry the physically and emotionally ability to talk about things that happened in the war. He is emotionally stable now because he met up with Martha at a class reunion and he now knows that she will always be a long life friend. Emotionally he still carries the burden of not watching his platoon members correctly and letting Ted Lavender die right in front of him. Tim says the role of stories are what make memories reappear. Remembering the memories helps you let out all of your feelings about those memories. Good, bad, and funny. I agree with the narrator I believe memories make a story. To have a story you must have some type of memory or idea that creates it. It helps get things off your mind when you write. It makes you think and I agree with Ted. Memories do create a story.
After the war, Jimmy physically carried the picture of the girl he loved named Martha. It is the same exact picture that he ended up burning in the war because he blamed himself for Ted Lavender's death. He felt like if he wasn't so caught up on Martha, Ted would have not been killed. Another thing that he carries emotionally was the memories the war left with him, good and bad. He flashes back to many different stories of the war that meant a lot to him. The narrator says that the role of stories are to bring back memories that you may have forgot about. I agree with him. Stories tend to bring back memories that I can sit and ponder about. Stories also tend to bring back those emotions of my memories. I tend to keep track of my memories in some form of writing because when I go back to read them, I imagine myself in those memories and they bring back some feeling of satisfaction. The good times I had in those memories uplift my mood and I usually wish to go back to those times.
Kira, I'm glad writing plays such a pivotal role in your life. I try to keep a journal, but I find that I don't update it much these days. Maybe Twitter has taken over that role for me.
After the war, Cross caries a new copy of the volleyball picture that was given to him in person by Martha. He still carries the torment of Lavender's death with him. Tim believes that stories are ways of recalling memories. I feel that stories are meant more for entertainment and enjoyment, rather than conjuring up ld memories.
Ryan, can stories do both? Some stories are definitely more entertainment-oriented, but others go deeper. Also, could the same story be entertainment for one reader and something deeper for another reader?
After the war, Jimmy carries the new picture Martha gave him, but more than that, he carries the emotional baggage and guilt from Ted Lavender's death, and he hasn't been able to get over it. He still feels at fault. He also still is hanging on to Martha, although she has made it clear that she isn't looking for a relationship, especially with him. The role of stories is to help remember. O'Brien struggles between wanting to remember the good and peaceful times, but which are packaged along with the bad times, and letting go and risking the whole experience to fade into oblivion with eternity.
Sam, do you think Martha has had a bad experience somewhere along the way? She seems especially horrified by Jimmy's joke. Although, to be fair, it is in poor taste to joke about something like that.
-Even after the many years that have passed since the end of the war, Lt. Cross continues to carry the guilt of Lavender's death. Along with his emotional burden of the guilt he feels about Lavender, Cross carries a new picture of Martha playing volleyball. This is ironic because it is the very picture that Cross blames for the death of Lavender. This makes me wonder whether his futile love for Martha or his feelings of guilt are more powerful. Maybe Cross is using the picture as a reminder of his mistake and what it cost him. -Tim O'Brian makes the statement that "stories are for eternity,when memory is erased, and there is nothing left to remember except the story." Tim is suggesting that when a person looks back on his or her life and has "memories" of all of the crazy (or not so crazy) things that they have done that they are not really memories of the events themselves, but rather a memory of the story the tell describing that event. For example, think of any stereotypical movie with an uncle or grandpa who has one story that they tell everybody so often that the other characters in the movie can finish the story for him in a grumbling tone. Tim's idea about the purpose of story asks: does your grandpa really remember the event, or is it so far in the past that he only remembers the story? I agree with Tim that in most cases people have forgotten the event (or have tried to forget in order to distance themselves from a traumatic occurrence) and are just repeatedly reiterating the story.
That's a intriguing question regarding whether we remember actual experiences of just the story of an actual experience. And do we tend to smooth out the rough edges in our stories to make ourselves appear more heroic and less at fault? I think so.
After the war Jimmy still carries a picture of his lover Martha even though she has no feelings for him. Emotionally he holds the guilt and responsibility for Lavender's death. The narrator says the purpose for a story is so one can connect the past with the future to make something that lasts forever. I would have to agree with his thought that a story allows memories, thoughts, feelings, and events to be remembered forever. A story that exists somewhere, no matter how old, will always be able to be read or told by someone who will probably share it with someone else. This would constantly keep it part of the present, and eventually the future.
Good thoughts on stories and their role throughout our lives, Evan. Even the oldest stories can be made new again when somebody reads them or tells them.
Jimmy Cross still carried a picture of Martha. He emotionally carried the guilt of lavender death and what had happened. The narrator claims the stories bring back memories and then writing about them helps with Dealing with what happened. I agree because whenever I tell stories or other people are telling them it will bring back memories or what happened.
Jokes are really just a form of storytelling with a laugh at the end, although we don't think of them that way. If somebody says, "Let me tell you a story," is it different than, "Let me tell you a joke?"
After the war, physically he carried photographs, and pictures of the men and memories he had of them. Emotionally he carried all the memories in his head that he could remember happening. Tim says "Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for this late hours in the night when you cant remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story." My opinion is that stories are for laughs, or remembering something a long time ago. Tim says he recalls these stories every single day. My opinion is stories are only for times when you want to remember how you used to be or what life used to be like.
Jimmy physically carried another picture of his love, Martha, after burning the first one. Emotionally Jimmy carried rejection from Martha and guilt from Ted Lavender's death. Tim describes stories as being something that joins the past to the future, and makes sure memories last forever. My idea of the role of stories is that it helps to remember things that happened in the past. By remembering stories, it's almost like telling yourself that maybe you wouldn't mind going back to that time or place and do the things over again. Not in a bad way, but in a good way because you enjoyed yourself.
After the war Jimmy physically carried another picture of Martha. Emotionally, he carried the guilt of watching his friend Ted Lavender die. The narrator, Tim O'Brien believes that stories connect the past and present by eternalizing it. Writing a story ensures that the history cannot be forgotten. My idea of the the role of stories is somewhere along the lines of escape and adventure. I think stories are a perfect opportunity to leave whatever I'm dealing with and watch someone else's life, develop connections with fictional characters, and try new things, all without actually doing anything. Our ideas of the role of stories does not really match, but I see where he is coming from. Once it's written you can go back to that place at anytime. So we both kind of see stories as a chance to leave.
Stories certainly have an escapist value, Abby. This is probably what draws us to them initially as children, and it's one of the aspects that draws us back.
After the war, Jimmy carried the physical ability to still be able to talk about all the things that went on during the war- no matter how terrible. Some people come back from the war traumatized and even thinking about the things they encountered bothers them, let alone talking about it. Emotionally, he still carries the regret of Lavender's death and says he will never forgive himself. He feels responsible for Lavender getting killed.
ReplyDeleteHe says that stories are for when your memories are gone and there is nothing left but the story to remember. I agree with what he says. But I also think that stories are a way to keep memories alive, no matter how long ago it happened.
Good responses, Emma. I like your interpretation of Jimmy's ability to talk about his experiences. You're right: So many soldiers could not.
DeleteAfter the War Jimmy still carried the same picture of his distance one way lover, even though it was a different copy it held the same image. He also carried the burden of the death of his comrade lavander.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator say that stories are forever. The stories he is talking about our past memories and even if you forget the memory , the stories was in the past so it will forever have happen (unless time pardox). I think stories roles are remember the good and the bad times. The good stories make you laugh and happy. While the bad stories are lessons.Stories roles are to turn the past back to present.
Were you surprised that he and his college love didn't get together? Or is that more realistic?
DeleteI think that it was realistic he did not. They way he talked about her seems to be more admiring then love . He respected her to much to take anything farther than a friendship especially since she was not interested
DeletePhysically Jimmy carried the same picture of his lover, Martha. It wasn't the exact one but a copy of the same picture. Emotionally, he carries the responsibility for Lavenders death. That still gets to him all those years later. He still carries his love for Martha although she still does not feel the same way towards him.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator says that stories are what we tell about the memories we remember. I think stories are just like that. Good or bad, we can eventually tell our memories to others and maybe they will go on and tell someone the story to keep it going.
Lexi, what do you think Martha's problem is? Is it only that she doesn't feel for Jimmy what he feels for her? Or is there something more?
DeleteAfter the war, Cross physically carries yet another picture of his love, Martha. She hands him another picture one morning at breakfast and instructs him not to burn this one. Cross is so confused as to whether or not Martha actually loves him. He thinks this because she ended her letters with, "love Martha." However, when Cross tells Martha that he loves her, she says nothing. Emotionally, Cross still carries the guilt of Lavender's death. It haunts him everyday because he feels like it is his fault. Even so long after the war, the guilt from Lavender's death haunts Cross as if he had just died.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator says that stories are a way to remember memories, and that writing about what one remembers is a way of dealing with the things that he cannot forget. So the narrator writes in order to deal with his painful experiences in life. I think this is very close to my view of stories because writing about them can certainly help you to deal with the emotional pain of it. Some authors even use this in order to write some of their own stories.
Good thoughts about the power of stories to help us heal and move on, Glenn.
DeleteAfter the war, Jimmy physically carried a picture of Martha even after she rejected him. He still loved her even though she did not feel the same about him. He also carries the ability to talk about what happened during the war. Many people return from war traumatized and are unable to talk about they lived through. He also still carries the guilt for Lavender’s death.
ReplyDeleteTim, the narrator, says that the role of stories is to remember memories and to ease the pain of them. They also connect the past with the future. I agree with that statement. Everyone has painful memories. By writing them down, a person can come to terms with them and see how these events sparked happy memories and better times for a person.
Some people, myself included, see writing as cheap therapy. I know I always feel better once I've written things down, even if it's just a To Do list that I can cross items off of.
DeleteAfter the war Jimmy carried a new picture of the girl he loved, Martha. She gives it to him and tells him not to burn it, even though she doesn't love him back. He also carries the ability to talk about what happened in war, many people can't talk about memories of war because they went through so much. Emotionally he carries the guilt of Lavender's death. When he is visit Tim O'Brian and confesses that he feels at fault.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator says that stories are what bring back memories and writing down stores is a good way to deal with the pain. I agree with what he says because whenever I write a story I tend to base it off of something that I have experienced or a certain feeling that a memory gives me. That's the reason some people keep journals or diaries and the way many authors come up with good books.
Do you fictionalize real people in your stories, or are they so well disguised that the real versions would never suspect?
DeleteAfter the war Jimmy could carry the physically and emotionally ability to talk about things that happened in the war. He is emotionally stable now because he met up with Martha at a class reunion and he now knows that she will always be a long life friend. Emotionally he still carries the burden of not watching his platoon members correctly and letting Ted Lavender die right in front of him.
ReplyDeleteTim says the role of stories are what make memories reappear. Remembering the memories helps you let out all of your feelings about those memories. Good, bad, and funny. I agree with the narrator I believe memories make a story. To have a story you must have some type of memory or idea that creates it. It helps get things off your mind when you write. It makes you think and I agree with Ted. Memories do create a story.
Can a writer ever just create a story from nothing, with no basis in his or her real life?
DeleteAfter the war, Jimmy physically carried the picture of the girl he loved named Martha. It is the same exact picture that he ended up burning in the war because he blamed himself for Ted Lavender's death. He felt like if he wasn't so caught up on Martha, Ted would have not been killed. Another thing that he carries emotionally was the memories the war left with him, good and bad. He flashes back to many different stories of the war that meant a lot to him.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator says that the role of stories are to bring back memories that you may have forgot about. I agree with him. Stories tend to bring back memories that I can sit and ponder about. Stories also tend to bring back those emotions of my memories. I tend to keep track of my memories in some form of writing because when I go back to read them, I imagine myself in those memories and they bring back some feeling of satisfaction. The good times I had in those memories uplift my mood and I usually wish to go back to those times.
Kira, I'm glad writing plays such a pivotal role in your life. I try to keep a journal, but I find that I don't update it much these days. Maybe Twitter has taken over that role for me.
DeleteAfter the war, Cross caries a new copy of the volleyball picture that was given to him in person by Martha. He still carries the torment of Lavender's death with him.
ReplyDeleteTim believes that stories are ways of recalling memories. I feel that stories are meant more for entertainment and enjoyment, rather than conjuring up ld memories.
Ryan, can stories do both? Some stories are definitely more entertainment-oriented, but others go deeper. Also, could the same story be entertainment for one reader and something deeper for another reader?
DeleteAfter the war, Jimmy carries the new picture Martha gave him, but more than that, he carries the emotional baggage and guilt from Ted Lavender's death, and he hasn't been able to get over it. He still feels at fault. He also still is hanging on to Martha, although she has made it clear that she isn't looking for a relationship, especially with him.
ReplyDeleteThe role of stories is to help remember. O'Brien struggles between wanting to remember the good and peaceful times, but which are packaged along with the bad times, and letting go and risking the whole experience to fade into oblivion with eternity.
Sam, do you think Martha has had a bad experience somewhere along the way? She seems especially horrified by Jimmy's joke. Although, to be fair, it is in poor taste to joke about something like that.
Delete-Even after the many years that have passed since the end of the war, Lt. Cross continues to carry the guilt of Lavender's death. Along with his emotional burden of the guilt he feels about Lavender, Cross carries a new picture of Martha playing volleyball. This is ironic because it is the very picture that Cross blames for the death of Lavender. This makes me wonder whether his futile love for Martha or his feelings of guilt are more powerful. Maybe Cross is using the picture as a reminder of his mistake and what it cost him.
ReplyDelete-Tim O'Brian makes the statement that "stories are for eternity,when memory is erased, and there is nothing left to remember except the story." Tim is suggesting that when a person looks back on his or her life and has "memories" of all of the crazy (or not so crazy) things that they have done that they are not really memories of the events themselves, but rather a memory of the story the tell describing that event. For example, think of any stereotypical movie with an uncle or grandpa who has one story that they tell everybody so often that the other characters in the movie can finish the story for him in a grumbling tone. Tim's idea about the purpose of story asks: does your grandpa really remember the event, or is it so far in the past that he only remembers the story? I agree with Tim that in most cases people have forgotten the event (or have tried to forget in order to distance themselves from a traumatic occurrence) and are just repeatedly reiterating the story.
That's a intriguing question regarding whether we remember actual experiences of just the story of an actual experience. And do we tend to smooth out the rough edges in our stories to make ourselves appear more heroic and less at fault? I think so.
DeleteAfter the war Jimmy still carries a picture of his lover Martha even though she has no feelings for him. Emotionally he holds the guilt and responsibility for Lavender's death.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator says the purpose for a story is so one can connect the past with the future to make something that lasts forever. I would have to agree with his thought that a story allows memories, thoughts, feelings, and events to be remembered forever. A story that exists somewhere, no matter how old, will always be able to be read or told by someone who will probably share it with someone else. This would constantly keep it part of the present, and eventually the future.
Good thoughts on stories and their role throughout our lives, Evan. Even the oldest stories can be made new again when somebody reads them or tells them.
DeleteJimmy Cross still carried a picture of Martha. He emotionally carried the guilt of lavender death and what had happened.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator claims the stories bring back memories and then writing about them helps with Dealing with what happened. I agree because whenever I tell stories or other people are telling them it will bring back memories or what happened.
Jokes are really just a form of storytelling with a laugh at the end, although we don't think of them that way. If somebody says, "Let me tell you a story," is it different than, "Let me tell you a joke?"
DeleteAfter the war, physically he carried photographs, and pictures of the men and memories he had of them. Emotionally he carried all the memories in his head that he could remember happening. Tim says "Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for this late hours in the night when you cant remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story." My opinion is that stories are for laughs, or remembering something a long time ago. Tim says he recalls these stories every single day. My opinion is stories are only for times when you want to remember how you used to be or what life used to be like.
ReplyDeleteAre there any other reasons for stories to exist besides laughs and memories? (Not that these are bad reasons, mind you.)
DeleteJimmy physically carried another picture of his love, Martha, after burning the first one. Emotionally Jimmy carried rejection from Martha and guilt from Ted Lavender's death. Tim describes stories as being something that joins the past to the future, and makes sure memories last forever. My idea of the role of stories is that it helps to remember things that happened in the past. By remembering stories, it's almost like telling yourself that maybe you wouldn't mind going back to that time or place and do the things over again. Not in a bad way, but in a good way because you enjoyed yourself.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of using stories as a way to revisit happy memories of the past, Savannah.
DeleteAfter the war Jimmy physically carried another picture of Martha. Emotionally, he carried the guilt of watching his friend Ted Lavender die. The narrator, Tim O'Brien believes that stories connect the past and present by eternalizing it. Writing a story ensures that the history cannot be forgotten. My idea of the the role of stories is somewhere along the lines of escape and adventure. I think stories are a perfect opportunity to leave whatever I'm dealing with and watch someone else's life, develop connections with fictional characters, and try new things, all without actually doing anything. Our ideas of the role of stories does not really match, but I see where he is coming from. Once it's written you can go back to that place at anytime. So we both kind of see stories as a chance to leave.
ReplyDeleteStories certainly have an escapist value, Abby. This is probably what draws us to them initially as children, and it's one of the aspects that draws us back.
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